Walnut Pumpkin Dip with Pie Crisps

You wanna know what’s not a fun way to way up at 1.48 in the morning?

By ALL 5 of your smoke detectors in your house going off.

Yep. That was our last night. They are hardwired so when one of those guys malfunctioned they all went off. The first round of beeps and robot screams of ‘Fire!’ woke us up and we ran around to try to shut them off and comfort Autumn, who actutally was still (thankfully) fast asleep. Then just a minute or two later they went off again. I ran Autumn downstairs to get her away from 3 alarms up there, as there is just 1 on the first floor- somewhat quieter. Since no matter what Price did they would not permanently stop I got her in her coat and hat and took her the car to escape the noise. Price and I texted back and forth while I blasted the heat on us. We were afraid it wouldn’t stop and it would wake neighbors, who would call the police/fire department, so I called them to explain what was going on. The police said they had to send them now that i called (facepalm) so Price ran the dog out so he woulnd go insane with the firefighters in the house. Sirens blaring they came and confirmed there was no fire (not even an electrical short in the attic) & somehow disabled them.

By 2.45am we were all in our bed trying to calm Autumn down & get her back to sleep. By 3 am we were asleep. Autumn starting to wake at 4.35 (which felt like her normal wake up time of 5.35 for her – stupid daylight savings!). I rubbed her back and we fell back to sleep until 5, when I had to get up to start the day (pump).

Price then got ready and went to Home Depot to replace all 5 of our alarms. So not only did he have to hear the alarms go on and on last night he is now doing it again this morning. Thankfully, with ear protection now. Ooph!

In more delightful current events, I made this Walnut Pumpkin Dip with Pie Crisps and it was so good. So so good. It was like nutty, pumpkin-y, and kinda apple-y, making it the perfect fall time treat. How is is apple-y if it’s a pumpkin dip? There is Musselman’s Apple Butter in there! Apple Butter is such a good base for sweet and savory dishes so it works well in this dip. It just adds to the yummy pumpkin and walnut flavors.

I had seen this techinque I used for making the pie crisps from either Martha Stewart Magazine or Bon Appetite when they diagramed how to cut a normal sized quiche to serve at a party. It makes total sense as you get plenty of 2 bite pieces by cutting it this way. I don’t think it would work for pies, well maybe pumpkin?, but def works well for these crisps, and I’m guessing quiche.

Givce this dip a try for some afternoon snacking, munching while watching football, hosting a party, or even you Thanksgiving gathering. It works well for a sweet appetizer or dessert.

Anyway, here’s hoping for an easy breezy Monday as I am so freaking tired!!! Wish me luck!

Walnut Pumpkin Dip with Pie Crisps

Makes 8 servings, with 64 pie crisps

Ingredients

1/2 Cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
3/4 Cup MUSSELMAN’S^® Apple Butter
3/4 Cup pure pumpkin puree
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/3 Cup heavy cream

For the Pie Crisps

2 Pie Crusts, Store-bought work well
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 Teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 Cup sugar

Process

To make the dip, toast walnuts in a small skillet over low heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant and slightly darker in color, about 5 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, bring the apple butter, pumpkin puree, and spices to a sputtery simmer over medium heat. Continue to simmer to blend flavors, a few minutes longer.
Stir in cream, and then chopped walnuts. Serve warm for dipping. If serving at a party, keep warm in a small slow cooker.
To make the pie crisps, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay out a pie crust on a lightly floured surface. Using a bowl or a small plate (about 4 1/2 ” across) as a guide, cut out a circle in the middle of the pie crust. Cut the whole pie crust into 8 equal segements. Cut each segment of the outer ring into 3 triangles. There will now be 32 triangles.
Brush the pie crust with half of the butter. Sprinkle with half of the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and sugar. Place on 2 large baking sheets and bake for 9-11 minutes. Repeat with the other pie crust.

Dip Sourced from Musselman’s, Pie Crusts by I am a Honey Bee

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