Here we go, time to get ready for pumpkin patches, pumpkin-pie-spices anything and Thanksgiving season! I just love this celebration of the fall every year here in the US! When we came back to Belgium after two years in Flagstaff, Arnaud and I brought a little of this tradition back with us. We hosted Thanksgiving dinners a couple years, reuniting both our families, and introduced them to the traditional American Thanksgiving meal among which the deliciousness of pumpkin pie. And I must say they were quite seduced. I came up with this version because I didn’t have the exact same ingredients available in Belgium, plus it was a great opportunity for me to sneak spéculoos (my favorite Belgian cookies) in it. So with this recipe I kind of get the best of both worlds!

Makes one large pie (one large pie pan or one cheesecake pan)

• 1 pkg (about 8.8oz) spéculoos (Biscoff cookies), crushed into crumbs
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• About 2 cups (500gr) pumpkin puree (pumpkin flesh cooked in water or in the oven and pureed), or canned pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• ¾ to 4/5 cups (160gr) brown sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup (240ml) light cream

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.

Greased the chosen pan. Make the crust: mix the spéculoos crumbs with the melted butter. Firmly press crust to the bottom of the cheesecake pan, and a little bit on the edges too, until crust doesn’t move anymore when shaking the pan. Bake for 10 to 15′, until it gets “crusty”. Allow to cool (if you have time).

Meanwhile, make the pumpkin filling: mix the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, spices and pumpkin puree. Add the light cream.

Pour the filling on the crust. Bake in preheated oven approx. 40′ (depending on the size of the pan) at 350°F, until knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool, and keep fresh before serving.