Pumpkin Pie with Salted Caramel Pecan Topping

Our friends Lori and Jason love Thanksgiving more than anyone I know. Tragically one year both of them became violently ill and had to call off the seasonal feast, postponing it to a later date that came to be known as faux-thanksgiving. Faux-thanksgiving has developed into a regular holiday with our group of friends, and even though this years soiree was held closer to Easter than Thanksgiving, nonetheless fun (and ungodly amounts of food) was had by all.

For this faux-thanksgiving I baked a silky smooth pumpkin pie with a salted caramel pecan topping. Though there were no less than 5 (5!) desserts, this pie was still a hit and received plenty of damage.

I always prefer my pumpkin pie to have a graham cracker crust. For this recipe I used a prepared crust. The crust is not the star of this dish, and not having the time to whip one up I have not included a recipe for one here.

Thanks to our hosts Mikey and Anthony for this years faux-thanksgiving!




Pumpkin Pie
10 minutes prep time. 50 minutes baking time. 375 degree oven.
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens cook book

Ingredients
1 prepared graham cracker crust
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon*
1/2 teaspoon ginger*
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg*
1/4 teaspoon allspice**
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 12oz can evaporated milk

* or 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
** don't skip the allspice! Most pumpkin pie spice blends don't have it and it's spiciness brings out the flavors of the other spices!

Method
1. For pie filling, combine pumpkin, spices, sugar, evaporated milk, and eggs. Stir until well combined

2. Cover edges of crust with foil to prevent over-browning. Pour ingredients into pie shell, bake in center of a 375 degree over for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from over and add pecan topping (see recipe below) bake an additional 10 minutes (50 minutes total).

3. Allow to cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Best if chilled for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.

Salted Carmel Pecan topping
5 minutes prep time. 10 minutes baking time. 375 degree oven.

NOTE: you may choose to finely chop the pecans for a "crumble" type topping, or arrange them whole.

Ingredients
2 cups whole salted pecans (approx.)
or 2 cups whole pecans unsalted + 1/2 teaspoon salt
or 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (salted or plain with 1/2 teaspoon salt added)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons water

Method
1. If using chopped pecans skip this step. If using pecans whole, arrange them as you like on the top of the partially cooked pie. Note, the pie should be fairly firmly set prior to this step.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan, add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. add 1 teaspoon and stir until mixture is a syrup like consistency (2 teaspoons may be needed).

3. If using chopped pecans add to above mixture. Pour and spread over pie surface. If using whole pecans, gently drizzle above mixture over pecans. Return pie to oven and continue baking as directed above.