PUMPKIN PIE WITH PECAN PRALINE TOPPING

PUMPKIN PIE WITH PECAN PRALINE TOPPING image

Yield 1 9-inch Pie

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

Filling
2 cups pumpkin purée
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups cold heavy cream
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping
½ cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup very coarsely chopped pecans (some halved pecan pieces are fine)

Steps:

1. Put a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. 2. Roll out the pie crust, put it in a pie dish, and refrigerate until ready to fill. 3. For the filling, combine the pumpkin purée, brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, cardamom, and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to bubble and become fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the heavy cream. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. 4. Transfer the filling to the prepared pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until the pie no longer jiggles in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. 5. Meanwhile, for the topping, in a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans. 6. Let the pie cool for 30 minutes before topping. The pie will settle and deflate slightly. That's great. 7. Check to see that the praline topping is still pourable. If it has hardened too much, heat it over low heat until just pourable, or microwave for 30 seconds. Pour the topping evenly over the pie. The topping may seem loose, but will thicken and harden as it cools. Let cool completely before serving. I like my pumpkin pie served cold, so I store my pie in the refrigerator until serving time. 8. The pie will last, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.