Pumpkin-Tahini Mousse Pie

I made this pumpkin and tahini mousse pie last fall and didn’t have time to post about it. It was good, though the tahini does mute the pumpkin flavor, so it’s not traditional. 

For the chocolate wafer cookies, the original recipe recommended Nabisco Famous or Goya Maria as brands. Sadly, chocolate wafer cookies can be impossible to find in stores! I ended up ordering some Goya Maria online, and I sincerely think that one 7-oz package would suffice. I also made a note to reduce the amount of sesame seeds from 3 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons, and it turns out that the updated online version of this recipe now says 1 tablespoon, so do with that what you will. You could also top the pie with fruit, chocolate, or whipped cream. 

For the crust 

7 Tbsp. lactose-free butter, melted, sightly cooled (plus more for the pan) 

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds (see note above) 

8 oz. chocolate wafer cookies (see note above) 

½ kosher salt 

For the filling and assembly 

1 ¼ cup lactose-free cream or substitute 

¼ tsp. cream of tartar 

1 cup pumpkin purée 

½ cup tahini 

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

1 1/3 powdered sugar 

1 tsp. ground cinnamon 

½ tsp. ground cardamon 

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg 

½ tsp. kosher salt 

½ Tbsp. sesame seeds (down from 1 Tbsp.) 

For the crust 

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Butter a 9"-diameter pie pan, then sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds. 

Pulse cookies and salt in a food processor until finely ground. With the motor running, stream in remaining 7 Tbsp. melted butter and process until crumbs are evenly moistened. Transfer to pan. Using a flat-bottomed measuring cup, pack crumbs firmly onto bottom and up the sides. Freeze crust 10 minutes to firm up. 

Bake crust until slightly darkened and fragrant, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. 

For the filling and assembly 

Using an electric mixer, whisk cream and cream of tartar in a large bowl, starting on medium speed and gradually increasing to high as it thickens, until medium peaks form, about 4 minutes. 

Whisk pumpkin, tahini, vanilla, powdered sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt in another large bowl until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold half of whipped cream into pumpkin mixture until smooth. Gently fold in remaining whipped cream just until incorporated (be careful not to overmix). 

Spoon filling into crust and spread evenly to edges, creating a swirl on top. Sprinkle sesame seeds over and arrange dried fruit on top. Cover and chill until set, at least 4 hours.