Pumpkin Praline Pie

Taylor gets cravings, and whether for cake or curry or pumpkin pie, they need to be filled. I’ve learned this from past experiences, like when he ’snuck’ a grocery store pumpkin pie into our shopping cart without me noticing (I made quite an embarrassment of myself when I proclaimed to the checker that she had made a mistake and the pie was not mine, only to have Taylor grin and say that indeed it was). Needless to say, when this most recent pie craving hit, I knew I had to make him one to avoid another store-bought pie situation.

This recipe is a great one, especially if you’re both a pumpkin and a pecan pie lover. Can’t decide which to make? This pie will solve all your problems.

I easily made this pie dairy free. Simply simmer 2 cups soymilk over low heat for 15-20 minutes until reduced by half. Presto! Evaporated (soy)milk.

Pumpkin Praline Pie

Makes 8-10 servings.

INGREDIENTS
1 (9-inch) pie shell
1 15oz. can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
pinch ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup evaporated milk
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
pinch salt
2 tsp dark corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS
For the pie shell: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line pie shell with foil, cover with 2 cups pie weights (pennies or dried beans are fine, too), and bake until dough under foil dries out, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil and weights, poke crust several times with fork, and continue to bake until firmly set and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pie shell from oven (keep oven on) and set aside. (Shell can be cooled, wrapped tightly in plastic, and stored at room temperature for 1 day.)

For the filling: Puree pumpkin, brown sugar, spices, and salt in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Cook mixture in large saucepan over medium-high heat until sputtering and thickened, about 4 minutes, and remove from heat. Meanwhile, put pie shell back in oven to warm.

Whisk evaporated milk into pumpkin mixture, then whisk in eggs and vanilla. Pour filling into warmed pie shell and bake until filling is puffed and cracked around edges and center barely jiggles when pie is shaken, about 35 minutes.

For the topping: While pie is baking, toss pecans, brown sugar, and salt in bowl. Add corn syrup and vanilla, using fingers to ensure that ingredients are well blended.

Scatter topping evenly over puffed filling and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until pecans are fragrant and topping is bubbling around edges, about 10 minutes. Cool pie completely on wire rack, at least 2 hours. (Pie can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.) Serve pie at room temperature.

Ramekin Turkey Pot Pies

Yes, it is a week after Thanksgiving and we are STILL eating leftovers. We only have one more bag of turkey in the freezer and half a bowl of mashed potatoes, and that will be gone after tonight.

These were another tasty treat. You will never look at a frozen pot pie the same again after eating a freshly made one! I only had one pre-made pie crust leftover (in my attempt to circumvent my pie crust ineptitude I used one, and it shrunk so much while blind baking it that I had to throw it away and make my own. So much for pre-made being easier!). Anyways, I only had one, and we didn’t want to have to deal with leftovers of leftovers. So we dug out our little ramekins (only 3… the 4th one broke), and used those. It couldn’t have been more perfect. We decided that crust on the bottom was unnecessary, and just put a round of pie crust on top of the filling. Even Taylor, who admitted he would have vetoed this recipe had I told him about it before hand, liked them, and even said they topped last night’s Turkey Cranberry Tacos. This might be another one we’ll have to make again!

Of course, we forgot to buy peas at the store. And our sweet potatoes weren’t in any position to be eaten again. The beauty of this recipe is that if you’ve got it, throw it in. A great leftovers recipe for any time of year.

Ramekin Turkey Pot Pies

Makes 4 servings (about 6 ramekins… halve for two people). Recipe based on this one by Emeril.

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
2 cups Chicken Stock or canned chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half (or soy creamer)
1 cup peeled and diced red potatoes, cooked in boiling salted water until tender, 4 to 5 minutes
1 cup leftover sweet potatoes (if you have them)
1 cup diced carrots, cooked in boiling salted water until tender, 4 to 5 minutes (OR any leftover vegetables from Thanksgiving)
1 cup sweet young peas, fresh or frozen (defrost if frozen)
2 cups shredded cooked turkey, white and dark meat
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 pre-made pie crusts, room temperature

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9×9x2-inch baking pan or prepare 6 ramekins (no need to grease these).

Heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes to make a blond roux. Stir in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and continue to cook for another 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, peas (or any other leftover Thanksgiving vegetables), turkey, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.

Line the baking pan with one of the rolled-out pie crusts (if using). Pour the filling into the prepared pan or divide equally into ramekins. Place the second crust or a precut circle of dough on top of the filling. Carefully tuck the overlapping crusts into the pan, forming a thick edge. Crimp the edges, cut vents in the top crust, and place on a baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden brown and crusty, 25 to 30 minutes (15-20 minutes if using ramekins). Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing to serve.