You don’t need to wait until Thanksgiving to make this pie, but there is no denying that it is Thanksgiving incarnate. Pumpkins? Pecans? And this dessert is kind of fancy, in a rustic kind of way which is also perfect for Thanksgiving.
Personally, I love eating a slice of pumpkin next to a slice of pecan so I can mix the bites together with whipped cream…ohhh it’s so good . . . . . . . .
My mind went away for a moment, but I’m back now.
Why decide between pumpkin and pecan when you can have both in one? And for such a “ta da” dessert, this is pretty darn easy to put together although it does bake an exceptionally long time.
Pumpkin Pecan Torte
Adapted from a recipe by Adapted from a recipe by Stephan Pyles who adapted it from a recipe by Paul Prudhomme
PUMPKIN LAYER
- 1 cup cooked pumpkin purée
- 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, melted
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
PECAN LAYER
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 cup pecan pieces
CRUST
Pumpkin Filling
Combine all the ingredients thoroughly in a medium bowl; set aside.
Easy.
Pecan Syrup
Combine all the ingredients thoroughly in a medium bowl; set aside.
Easy.
Assembly
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
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 an 8-inch springform pan. Press firmly in place and trim the edges. Chill for 15 minutes.
Spoon the Pumpkin Filling into the pan, spreading evenly to distribute.
BTW, the crust will shrink down the sides of the springform pan during baking, but this is no big thing.
Gently pour the Pecan Syrup on top. The two layers do meld into each other a bit. Bake a surprisingly long time until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
And we’re done. And doesn’t it look pretty?! I’ve made this several times and it always turns out well. Want to shake it up a little? Apparently Paul Prudhomme’s original recipe called for mashed sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin. If you try it that way, comment and let me know how it turned out.
And just for fun…here’s a picture of me taking the 1st photo in this post. Behind the scenes at Making Life Delicious.
