Pecan Sandie Pumpkin Pie + Pub Cheese Charcuterie Platter

This post is sponsored by McCormick® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

The holidays are quickly approaching and I cannot wait!   There are two things that I love about the holidays and those are the food and visiting with my family.  We usually travel to see family around the holidays so while I would love to make a main dish or side dish it just isn't that easy when you are traveling so I am always in charge of the desserts.

One of the desserts that I am always asked to make for the holidays is my pumpkin pie.  I always laugh because pumpkin pie is really easy to make so for the last few years I've been trying to put a spin on the classic.  I've made mini pumpkin pies, pumpkin pie crescents, and even pumpkin pie parfaits.

I headed to my local grocery store to get some inspiration for a twist on my pumpkin pie.   I went right to the baking aisle started looking at the spices.   As I was glancing through the spices inspiration struck.  I wanted to make Pecan Sandie Pumpkin Pie! 

As I wondered around I thought about making a cheese ball instead because they are always a hit with my husband, my brother, and my cousins.  When I got to the cheese aisle I scrapped that in favor of making a Pub Cheese Charcuterie Platter.  I quickly picked up cheddar cheese, crackers, pita chips, and then went back to the spices aisle to grab some McCormick® dry mustard.  I knew I had salt and pepper at home so I didn't have to buy any more of that.

I got home and got to work.   I mixed up my pecan sandie crust and put it in a tart pan then popped it in the freezer.   Since I was baking the crust along with the pie I wanted the crust to be cold so it wouldn't burn in the oven.   I mixed up my traditional pumpkin pie recipe but instead of just using pumpkin pie spice I used the McCormick® Cinnamon, McCormick® Nutmeg, McCormick® Ginger, and McCormick® Vanilla Extract.  The filling smelled amazing.

As the pie was baking in the oven I got to work on the pub cheese.  This is a super simple recipe and can be made a few days in advanced.  Plus it travels well so it's great to take to holiday parties or family gatherings.   All you need to do is put all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and fluffy.  That's it!   It doesn't get much easier than that.

I cut up some veggies to go along with the pub cheese as well as some fruit to make up the charcuterie platter.   If you are taking it with you somewhere simply put all the different items in plastic baggies and assemble the board when you arrive.  It doesn't take more than five or ten minutes and it is guaranteed to be a show stopper.

My husband and I sampled the Pecan Sandie Pumpkin Pie and we loved it!   The pecan crust added a lot of flavor and paired perfectly with the spiced pumpkin filling.  I may even like this version better than the original!  I can't wait to take it to my brother's house this holiday season.  I think my family is going to go crazy over it. 

As for the pub cheese, it really thickened up and was perfect spread on crackers but it also worked for dipping pretzels and vegetables.   You could taste the beer in it as well as the garlic and the spices.   I love the addition of the dry mustard and black pepper because they really add flavor to the cheese spread.

I'm glad to be able to bring a few new recipes to our holiday family gatherings this year.  While I love the classic recipes, it's fun to be able to put a spin on things and McCormick® products help "make it home" this holiday season with all of their spices and extracts.  They are products I love and trust which is why I feel confident using them in the recipes I'm sharing with my family. 

Want to try these recipes for yourself?  Head to your local Martin's or other Ahold stores to purchase a wide variety of McCormick® Extract, Herbs & Spices, or Gravy products to fit all of your flavor needs this holiday season!