Recipe: Maple Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Makes one 9-inch pumpkin pie

- 1 9-inch pre-baked pie shell (see related recipe)

- 1 cup roasted sugar pumpkin purée (see lead story)

- Baker's parchment paper

- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée

- 6 tablespoons lightly packed light brown sugar

- 1 tablespoon honey

- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

- 1 teaspoon cinnamon

- ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

- 3 eggs

- ½ cup buttermilk

- ¼ cup half-and-half

- 1 tablespoon brandy or 2 teaspoons vanilla

- 1 recipe Maple Pecan Topping (recipe follows)

- Powdered sugar

- Lightly sweetened whipped cream

1. Prepare pie shell and roasted pumpkin purée. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together both fresh and canned pumpkin purées. Whisk in brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves and flour until thoroughly combined. Add eggs and whisk until smooth. Then whisk in buttermilk, half-and-half and brandy or vanilla.

3. Place pre-baked pie shell on lined baking sheet. Pour filling into the crust and bake on center rack of oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until center is just set.

4. Remove pie from oven and spoon Maple Pecan Topping on top. Gently spread topping evenly over the pie, taking care not to push topping down into the fragile pie filling. Return to oven and bake another 20 to 25 minutes or until topping is set and golden brown. Let pie cool to room temperature, then dust edges with a little powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream.

Note: This pie can also be made with either fresh pumpkin purée or canned pumpkin, but the combination of the two offers the best qualities of both kinds.

From "Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook" by Leslie Mackie with Andrew Cleary