Pecan Pumpkin Pie

This is the result of being asked to make pumpkin pie, but not having whipping cream in the house: Pecan Pumpkin Pie!

I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 14th Edition, page 440. They called it Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Pie. I enjoyed it the first day, after being in the fridge just long enough to say it was cool. But I thought it was even better the second and third day! It solidified more and tasted even more sugary on top. The pecans took over as the main flavor in this pie. Since I like pecans a lot, that was fine with me. If you wanted it to be more of a pumpkin pie and less about nuts, I would recommend making it with half the nuts and sugar and butter that goes with them and just using the nuts on top, not on bottom and top. Certainly a make-ahead pie for those fall occassions!

 

Here's their recipe:

Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Pie Recipe

1 single pie pastry

1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 3/4 cups pumpkin (15 oz can)

1 1/2 cups half-and-half or light cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3 Tbsp butter, melted

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the pie pastry. Line a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with pastry circle; trim and crimp as desired.

2. In a small bowl combine pecans and brown sugar. Spread 3/4 cup pecan mixture in the bottom of the pastry-lined pie plate; reserve remaining pecan mixture. For filling, combine pumpkin, half-and-half, granulated sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well. (I used 1 can evaporated milk since I didn't have half-and-half or cream either).

3. Place the pastry-lined pie plate on the oven rack. Carefully pour filling over the pecan mixture in pastry shell. (I'll leave mine on the counter next time and risk spilling it as I set it in the oven, versus letting out all that oven heat and almost burning myself on the edge of the open oven as I poured the filling in). Bake about 50 minutes or just until set in center. (45 minutes was enough in my convection oven). Stir melted butter into remaining pecan mixture. Sprinkle pecan mixture over pie filling; bake for 10 minutes more or until topping is bubbly around edges. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill within two hours. (Let chill for two hours more before serving for best results.)