Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Crust
1⅔ cups King Arthur All Purpose Flour
½ cup cold butter
1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
Pinch salt
⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yokes
Caramel
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 egg
1 egg white
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup pecan halves
Pumpkin filling
7 ounces milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin
2 eggs
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch salt
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
For the crust: Mix flour, cocoa, salt and butter until well blended, add milk and egg yokes, mix well until you can form a ball, use your hand to mix dough. Press into pie dish, distributing dough evenly, bringing it up sides and fluting the ends, depending on what size pie dish you are using, you may have to eliminate some dough. This recipe is enough for a 10-inch pie dish. Refrigerate while making the caramel and pumpkin filling.
For the caramel: Combine sugar, butter and syrup in sauce pan and bring to a boil under moderate heat, boil until thick, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. When done, remove from heat and let cool a few minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the egg along with the egg white, add vanilla and gradually add to the syrup mixture. Depending on what size pie pan you are using, determines how much caramel mixture you will use, caramel mixture should just coat the pastry shell. Place pecans one by one over caramel mixture; set aside.
For the pumpkin: In a small sauce pan or microwave bowl, heat the milk with the butter until warm and melted. Put all ingredients in stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (preferred) or blender and beat at high speed, covered, for a solid 3 minutes (5 minutes if using a blender). Carefully spoon mixture over caramel mixture, again using your judgment, depending on what size baking dish being used. If you have batter left over, you may bake it in a small dish.
Bake 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 40-50 minutes more. When pumpkin doesn't shake in center, its done. Pie may be decorated according to taste.
Serves nine to 10.
Louis Margiotta, Streamwood, pumpkin pie winner in the Daily Herald Home Baking Challenge