a   c r u m b l y   t w i s t

My Story

Since the arrival of my little sister, my mother has been deprived of a valuable resource. Gluten. Months after her birth, my mom had begun to struggle with severe indigestion, and the culprit, as discovered by the doctor, was celiac disease. Breads, pastries, gravies, pastas, soups, croutons, and cereals were all off limits, marked as a poison banned from our household. 

  Since I had turned 9, I had received a cookbook and became a renowned baker throughout the house. As Thanksgiving approached that coming year, it was already decided that I would participate in the cooking traditions. 

Pumpkin pie had long been a tradition in the family. A luscious combination of creamy pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. These are all mixed thoroughly to yield a vivid orange color, smelling of autumn, cinnamon, butter and warmth. The viscous liquid is then poured graciously into a flaky golden crust.  

But this was the problem.

How could my mom eat the pumpkin pie given that the crisp flaky crust is made with gluten? It had been 5 years since my mom had been diagnosed with celiac, but not once had she been able to partake in the pumpkin pie since. She consistently made sacrifices for my family, buying loaves of normal bread, and taking us to restaurants despite knowing the most she could eat was a simple salad. Now I wanted to give back. As it was my duty to make the pie that year, I would ensure she had a taste.

Scouring my beloved cookbook’s glossy pages, I came upon the solution. Graham crackers. One unexpected exception to my mom's unfortunate condition was that she could have certain graham crackers. To begin, crush the graham crackers. This can be done with a food processor, or any other method of your choice. I chose to smash the graham crackers with a rolling pin, quickly creating a small beach under my toes. Crush with caution.

Once crushed into a fine sand like texture, mix crushed graham crackers with melted butter and sugar. Taste test. Press mixture into a pan, covering all sides with an equally thick layer. Bake for about 10 minutes to ensure the pumpkin mixture does not leak through. Pour pumpkin in generously, like waves rushing up the length of the coast. Bake until settled.

To the table it went, warmth still radiating from the surface. Delighted by the sight, many let out oohs and aahs at my creation. The knife glided through the surface and cracked the toasted crust. Whipped cream was graciously heaped on top, but quickly began to melt and slide with the heat. 

“For you!” I exclaimed, extending a plate to my mom. “It’s graham cracker!”

She took the plate, eyes bright and hopeful. Quickly, she picked up a spoon to taste the dessert. Pushing the spoonful of pristine white, orange, and brown layers into her mouth she gave a wide, brilliant smile. A success.