Molasses Pecan Pie w/ Pumpkin

    Pecan pie is a family favorite but I wanted to take it in a different direction. With Thanksgiving coming up I thought something with a pumpkin and gingerbread flavors would be interesting. So this is my take on pecan pie, slightly pumpkin, very molasses tasting, almost gingerbread like in flavor. Please know this is not a pumpkin pie with molasses and pecans, it is pecan pie, soft and slightly runny with pumpkin and molasses. Two very different pies!  I think this pie will become a family must every Thanksgiving in our house!

Molasses Pecan Pie w/ Pumpkin

3/4 cup pumpkin, cooked and pureed
1/3 cup molasses, I use black strap molasses but you can use a milder flavored one.
3 TBL butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla paste or 2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 TBL dark rum or apple cider
1 tsp salt
1tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1 1/2-2 cups pecan halves, lightly toasted
one uncooked pie crust, you can use a gluten free crust of you like

Pre-heat oven 350◦F
In a large bowl add all ingredients except the pecans and crust. Whisk all together and pour into uncooked crust. Then set toasted pecans on top in a pretty pattern, or just tossed them in ;-)
Bake 35-45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Pull out pie and let cool at least thirty minutes. The pie is delicious served with a dollop of homemade whipped cream!

Notes

1. This pie is not very sweet and has a strong molasses flavor. If that does not appeal to you, you can use 1/4 cup molasses and 1/4 cup maple. The small increase in liquid will not affect the filling.

2. Using fresh cooked pumpkin taste so much better than canned pumpkin. It is easy to cook and puree a pumpkin. I keep small amounts of cooked pumpkin in my freezer, ready to use. You can read about how to cook you pumpkin here.

3. Please toast your pecans before making your pie. It makes all the difference in the world, as I learned with my first pie, when I did not toast the pecans, thinking they would just toast as the pie baked. They did NOT!

4. Feel free to play with spices you love but I will tell you I found too many spices over shadowed the pie. Also fresh, ground nutmeg adds so much flavor than the dried stuff.

 

Comments

[Children of Eve]

WOW. I just checked out the recipe, sooo much better for you than the usual pecan pies and probably tastier too!

[Tessa]

Nov. 16

OT but.... Yes, my header (at present) from "Aunt Green, Aunt Brown and Aunt Lavender" by Elsa Baskow, does look like your Header. :-)))

Black and white silhouettes. Very precious.

[Tessa]

Oh the work! Of carefully placing all those pecans!!!

Tessa~

[Louise]

Sure looks mighty good, Clarice. I'm off to check out the recipe!

[Tracy A.]

It's so pretty!

[Marilyn]

Sounds delicious!