As much as I love summer, fall is definitely my favourite season.  I always get super nostalgic for school at this time of year.  It was always exciting to head back after two long months of laziness.  Seeing my friends every day.  Wearing new outfits (well…in my case, wearing new hand-me-downs).  Starting new classes and hoping that the topics would be interesting and that I’d get good grades.  Hah!  A week into September and fuggedabout my good intentions to do well in school.

For reals, my grades in high school were abysmal.

I was so damn lazy.  I hated doing homework.  I hated studying.  I spent all of my time on extracurricular activities or goofing off with my friends.  And y’know what?  I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.  I had a fantastic time.  I had fun.  Because seriously, life is long and it’s hard and when else are you going to have almost zero responsibility and all the time in the world to just enjoy yourself?  Those were gloriously hedonistic times.

I joined as many clubs as I could, usually social committees in charge of putting together school dances.  I wasn’t athletic so instead of playing on sports teams, I’d sign up to be a manager or volunteer as a scorekeeper.  That way I’d get to be around all the cutest guys in school and could stare at them with complete abandon.  There’s a solid tip for you young ladies out there.  You’re welcome.

September to December is just jam packed with so many fun things. There are long weekends every month until January. Halloween is just around the corner and then it’s two months of preparing for the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas.

To me, pumpkin pie will always be synonymous with fall.  Back in the day, Soul Sista and I would go to Safeway to buy pumpkin pies on clearance the day after Thanksgiving. They were only a buck a pie and we’d each have one to ourselves.  God bless teenaged metabolism.

Sunday Supper is celebrating the glorious, delicious, hearty, comforting foods of fall. As you can imagine, it wasn’t hard for this talented group to come up with a plethora of tasty offerings.  My awesome friend Soni of Soni’s Food is hosting this week. This woman knows delicious and healthy food, often featuring amazing Indian dishes that I wish I could make and eat every day.

In honour of my annual pumpkin pie pilgrimage with Soul Sista, that’s what I’m making this week.  With a twist of course.

Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Walnut Crumble

Pie Crust – I used Neighborfood’s awesome all butter pie crust. For the recipe, click here.

The magic of butter and flour.

I prebaked the crust for about 15 minutes. Line your crust with a buttered sheet of aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake for 15 minutes in an oven heated to 375 degrees F until it just starts becoming golden in colour. Remove from the oven and let cool.

This is a pic of my crust before baking. That’s why it’s still so pale ‘n pasty.

Walnut Crumble

1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix all the ingredients together until fully combined. Set aside.

Pumpkin Bourbon Filling (adapted from Food and Wine)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
3 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup bourbon
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, for about 1 minute. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg yolks, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt, then mix in the milk, whipping cream, vanilla and bourbon.

In a stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold in the pumpkin mixture until no white streaks remain (the mixture will look really grainy. That’s how it should look. I was worried but it baked up beautifully).

See? Grainy!

Pour the filling into your pie crust. Cover with the crumb topping. Bake the pie on the middle rack for about one hour, or until risen and golden. A cake tester inserted into the centre should come out with only a few crumbs attached.

Remove from the oven and cool. If you’re not planning on eating it immediately, store pie in the fridge.

This is the first pumpkin pie I’ve ever made and I’m so proud of how it turned out! The filling is smooth, creamy, perfectly spiced and not too sweet. Neighborfood’s pie crust is awesome. If pie crust is your baking arch nemesis, as it was mine for the longest time, you should definitely try her recipe. The walnut crumble just ties it all together. It provides a lovely crunchy contrast and a flavour compliment to the filling with its caramel tones and corresponding spice profile.

I invited some friends over at the last minute to help me eat this (because the last thing my thirty-some-odd-year-old-self needs is an entire pie to herself!). It’s amazing how many people are available at the drop of the hat when free food is involved.

Now that the weather’s cooling and it’s officially fall, treat yourself to one of the many incredible recipes in the list below:

Amazing Breakfasts, Brunches, and Breads

• Apple Spice Muffins from Pixie Dust Kitchen
• Skinny Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Donuts with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze from The Messy Baker
• Apple Spice Waffles from Treats and Trinkets
• Pumpkin Spice Latte Donuts from Daily Dish Recipes
• Mini Pumpkin Pancake Kebobs from The Urban Mrs.
• Mini Apple Cinnamon Rolls from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Cinnamon Apple Crepes from Juanita’s Cocina
• Maple Apple Bread from The Foodie Army Wife
• Pumpkin Ale Pretzel Buns from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Outstanding Soups, Starters and Sides:

• Bacon, Corn and Shrimp Chowder from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Pumpkin Tomato Sauce with Andouille Sausage from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Parmesan Polenta from That Skinny Chick can Bake
• Farro Date Salad with Mango and Arugula from Shockingly Delicious
• Butternut Squash Tian with Herb Topping from Food Lust People Love
• Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup from Alida’s Kitchen

Comforting Main Dishes:

• Autumn Risotto with Chicken & Cranberries from Momma’s Meals
• Mushroom and Sorrel Lasagne from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Roasted Fig & Pancetta Pasta Carbonara from Nik Snacks
• Chili from Casa De Crews
• Vegan Mushroom Pie from Killer Bunnies Inc
• White Pizza with Kale and Meatballs from The Hand That Rocks the Ladle
• Spicy Korean Monkfish Stew (Agu Jjim) from kimchi MOM
• Creole Shrimp & Cheddar Basil Grits Cake from The Roxx Box
• Penne with Spicy Pumpkin and Sausage Sauce from Webicurean
• Bacon Spinach Pasta from Magnolia Days
• Chicken, Spinach, and Gnocchi Soup from Cookin’ Mimi
• Stuffed Meatballs in Tomato Alfredo Sauce from Family Foodie
• Butternut Squash and Lentil Pot Pie from Curious Cuisiniere
• Mini Meatball and Goat Cheese Risotto from MarocMama
• Onion Tart {Zwiebelkuchen} from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili from Neighborfood

Decadent Desserts:

• Pumpkin Marshmallows from Home Cooking Memories
• Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars from Table for Seven
• Apple Cider Five Spice Caramels from girlichef
• Italian Apple Torta from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Apple Fig and Pomegranate Crisp from Take a Bite Out of Boca
• Caramel Apple Sugar Cookie Pizza from Chocolate Moosey
• Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Walnut Crumble from Gotta Get Baked
• Camotes Enmielados (Mexican Candied Yams/Sweet Potatoes) from La Cocina de Leslie
• Maple Syrup Pumpkin Bars from What Smells So Good?
• Pear Almond Graham Cracker Tart from Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Walnut-Stuffed Baked Apples from Foxes Loves Lemons
• Buttery Bourbon Ice Cream from NinjaBaking
• Caramel Apples from Pies and Plots
• Funnel Cakes from The Texan New Yorker
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies from In The Kitchen With KP
• {Gluten-Free} Pumpkin Swirl Pecan Crumb Cake from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Chocolate Pumpkin Swiss Roll Cake from Big Bear’s Wife
• Hot Apple Pizza from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Savory & Sweet Coconut Cream Salted Caramel Apples from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Tasty Drinks:

• Pumpkin Juice – Harry Potter Style from The Dinner-Mom
• The Best Wines for Fall Foods from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Don’t forget to join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EDT. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here ? Sunday Supper Movement.