Thanksgiving Sans Guilt

This recipe was in my inbox this morning from RealAge.com. The Busse family is headed to TN for Thanksgiving, and won't be baking our own pies this year for sake of refrigerator space at the family reunion. However... I'll look forward to using this soon. I'm a firm believer that pumkin pie should be fully taken advantage of!

Healthied-Up Pumpkin Pie Crust
That flaky, rich crust makes pumpkin pie one luscious treat. But it sure doesn't do your figure any favors. What if you could have your pie and eat it, too, without the pastry guilt? You can! We've got a pumpkin pie crust recipe that cuts carbs, fat, and calories and still tastes delicious.

RealAge Benefit: Avoiding saturated and trans fats can make your RealAge more than 4 years younger.

References: EatingWell's Pumpkin Pie Crust. EatingWell.com, 2007. More about this Tip: EatingWell's Pumpkin Pie CrustOften the crust is where all the saturated fat and calories are lurking in a pumpkin pie. (Learn how saturated fat affects blood sugar levels.) But not with this tender crust. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons ice water

1. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. With your fingers, quickly rub butter into the dry ingredients until the pieces are smaller in size but still visible. Add sour cream and oil; toss with a fork to combine. Sprinkle water over the mixture and toss with a fork until evenly moist. Knead the dough in the bowl a few times -- the mixture will still be a little crumbly. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few more times, until the dough just holds together. Shape into a 5-inch disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand for 5 minutes to warm slightly. Roll between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Peel off the remaining paper. Trim the crust with kitchen shears or a butter knife so it overhangs the edge of the pan evenly. Tuck the overhanging crust under, forming a double-thick edge. Flute the edge with your fingers.

3. Proceed with your favorite pumpkin pie recipe.

Nutrition information (per serving): 104 calories; 12 g carbohydrates; 6 g fat; (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 2 g protein; 7 mg cholesterol; 1g fiber; 10 mg potassium; 118 mg sodium.

Check out all the healthy-but-still-yummy Thanksgiving recipes at EatingWell.com.