Please? What if I use pumpkin??

 

Perhaps I’m just not used to the rate at which the seasons change here in Central Texas, but it seems ludicrous to me that it is still hitting 90 degrees!  In mid-October!!  In fact, I consider this down right silly.  Fall has to be on its way, doesn’t it?  I mean it is going to dip below 80 this year, right?  Maybe it’s my fault.  Maybet my previous attempts to persuade Fall’s arrival haven’t been taken as sincere.  Soup isn’t necessarily a fall dish, I guess (gazpatcho anyone?).  And dressing/stuffing is sold year round (bleh…Stouffer’s).  What absolutely screams fall…?  PUMPKIN!  YES!! THIS WILL DO THE TRICK!!

Fall (or some cruel interloper) must have been whispering, “IF YOU BAKE WITH PUMPKIN, IT WILL COME,” in my ear, because I bought no less than three cans at the store, and I had absolutely no intention of doing so.  Somehow they all just jumped into my cart.  So what to make, what to make.  I let the Hubby take a look at the contenders I have been compiling for weeks and he finally decided on Pumpkin-Pecan Pie.  What a brilliant man I married!  I mean, really, what more could Fall ask for?  It’s like the double whammy of good, cool weather juju served in a flaky buttery crust. 

I whipped up this offering on Sunday during the noon game (before my Cowboys were knocked for a loop by the Pats), and while we haven’t seen 90 degrees this week, it still isn’t Fall.  But there is still hope!  Our weather mediums gazed into their murky crystal ball and said that (dare I say it?) a cold front is on its way!  So I’ll keep you all posted on Fall Watch 2007 and see if the pumpkin did in fact encourage the cooler weather along. 

Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Pumpkin Filling
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, beaten until frothy
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground allspice
Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pecan Syrup
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 small eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground cinnamon
3/4 cup pecan pieces 

Pie Crust
Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and incorporate with your fingertips until the mixture resembles very coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle the water over the flour mixture in tablespoon increments, stirring continuously with a fork. Form the dough into a ball and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Pumpkin Filling
Combine all the ingredients thoroughly in a medium bowl; set aside.

Pecan Syrup
Combine all the ingredients thoroughly in a medium bowl; set aside.

Assembly
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8-inch springform cake pan.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to 3/16 inch. Very lightly flour the top of the dough and fold it into quarters. Carefully place the dough in the greased cake pan. Press firmly in place and trim the edges. Chill for 15 minutes.

Spoon the Pumpkin Filling into the pan, spreading evenly to distribute. Gently pour the Pecan Syrup on top. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Cool and serve with whip cream, if desired.

**I discovered that my springform pan is not suited for liquids this thin, as I lost about half the pecan syrup in my oven’s drip pan.  You can imagine how great THAT smelled.  Next time I think I’ll just bake this in a deep dish baking pan.