Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

I don't much like plain pumpkin pie.  The pumpkin chiffon pie my mother used to make for Thanksgiving is the supreme dessert for the holiday, but it is a great deal of work.  I love pecan pie, but it's awfully heavy.  So I tried this recipe, which has a layer of pumpkin pie on the bottom and pecan pie on the top.  Very nice!

I found the recipe in my dessert file, clipped from an unidentified publication.  Searching the web, I found the same recipe by David Bonom here.  (But if you use the online recipe, note a significant typo in the pie crust recipe.  It should be 7 tablespoons of butter, not 7 teaspoons.)

PUMPKIN-PECAN PIE

serves 10

You need to start making the pie six hours before serving, as the pie dough needs to chill, the pie takes an hour to cook, and then the whole pie needs to cool and then chill for 4 hours.  Start with the pie crust, and then make the fillings while the pie crust chills.  You could certainly use a purchased pie crust for this instead (I like the Pillsbury refrigerated crusts), if you'd like to save some steps, though this one came together easily. 

Cornmeal Butter Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 c. yellow cornmeal

2 T. sugar

1/4 t. salt

7 T. chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4 T. ice water (or a little more, as needed; I used 6 or 7 T.)

In the bowl of a food processor, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt.  Add butter and pulse until incorporated (large granules).  Add water, 1 T. at a time, while pulsing, until ball forms (or until you can easily press the dough into a ball).  Remove and wrap with plastic wrap.  Chill at least 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. (I use a large silicone mat--really makes this easier.) Use a lightly floured rolling pin and roll into a 14" diameter round. Fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim excess dough, leaving enough to turn under and crimp around the edges of the pan.  Chill at least 15 minutes.

Pumpkin filling

1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

2 T. half and half

2 t. vanilla extract

3/4 t. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 t. salt

Pecan filling

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

1/4 t. salt

1-1/2 cup pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Prepare the pumpkin filling:  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well until combined.

Prepare the pecan filling:  In another bowl, combine all the ingredients except the pecans; whisk well.  Then stir in the pecans.

Pour the pumpkin filling into the chilled pie crust.  Gently spoon pecan filling over the pumpkin filling.  Place on a baking sheet and bake 65 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 1 hour.  Then put in the refrigerator and let chill 3 hours before serving.