Do you know how difficult it is to find a great recipe for pie to make for someone who hates pie? That was my job this Thanksgiving. My mom doesn’t like pie most of the time, and really doesn’t like crust. So what did she ask me to make this year? PIE!
I went on a search for a pie that was a little different than the traditional crust & filling and came across this lovely version. It was really good, although I had a bit of an oven snafu with the pecans and had to re-do them twice. We’ll just say to watch them very carefully because they don’t need longer than the recipe says to cook. Burnt pecans are so gross! (not that I would know this…..honest)
I really loved this, and I would easily make it again. The only major change I would make is it was a bit too nutmeg & clove-y for my taste. So next time I’ll be a bit more easy-handed with those two. Otherwise, it was perfect. The cinnamon graham cracker crust was perfect!
Pumpkin Pie with Candied Pecans
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Ingredients:
For the candied pecans:
1/3 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups pecan halves
For the crust:
1 cup candied pecans
1 cup fine cinnamon graham
cracker crumbs
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Sweetened whipped cream for serving
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350°. Prepare a sided baking pan with oil and set aside.
To make the candied pecans
Sift together the superfine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg over a bowl. Rinse the pecans in a colander under cold water and shake them to remove excess water.
Toss the nuts in the sifted sugar mixture to coat, then place evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the nuts are dry and the sugar has crystallized. Let cool completely before using.
To make the crust
Pre-heat oven to 325°.
Place 1 cup of the candied pecans in a food processor and puree until finely ground. Pour them into a bowl and mix with the graham cracker crumbs and butter until well mixed. Press the mixture into a 9″ pie pan making sure the bottom and sides of the pan are covered. Set aside.
To make the filling
In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together all of the filling ingredients until well combined. Pour the filling on top of the crust.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. Let cool completely.
Prior to serving garnish the pie with a few of the remaining candied pecans. You may also garnish with cool whip and sprinkled nutmeg.
Source: Williams-Sonoma
