Pumpkin Pie with Candied Pecans and Cranberries
I get all of those warm and fuzzy feelings inside when I think about pumpkin pie. It has fall, holiday, and comfort written all over it. If you don’t like your desserts ridiculously sweet and rich, then this particular pumpkin pie is for you! This luscious classic has just the right amount of sweet and spice, complete with candied pecans and cranberries on top.
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Pie:
Pillsbury pie crust
15oz can pumpkin
3 eggs
1-1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water — I also added 1 tablespoon melted butter)
For the Leaf Garnishes:
Pillsbury pie crust
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Egg wash (use same egg wash as above)
Leaf shaped cookie cutters
For the Candied Pecans:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cup pecan halves
For the Sugared Cranberries:
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Pie:
**DISCLAIMER: This will make more filling than you need for the pie. You can use the leftover to make mini pies etc., or just discard the extra. I made mini pies in muffin tins with my extra pie filling**
Preheat oven to 375°F
Grease a 9” pie dish
Unroll pie crust dough and carefully place in pie dish. Flute the edges, if desired, and brush with egg wash. Using pie weights, pre-bake crust for 10 minutes
Side note and funny story - I do not have pie weights. Instead, I placed parchment paper on top of the pie crust and filled it with decorative pebbles that were leftover from our wedding décor LOL
Using either a hand mixer with the whisk attachment (my preference) or just a standard hand-held whisk, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, and brown sugar.
Add in the cornstarch, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, cream, and milk. Whisk well until everything is combined.
Pour the pumpkin mixture into your pre-baked crust. Do not fill all the way to the top of the crust. Bake your pie for 50-60 minutes, or until the pie center is almost set.
Suggestion - After about 30 minutes of baking, you may want to pull out the pie and cover the crust edges with foil to prevent the crust from getting too dark.
Once done, let your pie cool for at least one hour. Garnish with pie crust leaves, cranberries, and candied pecans.
For the Leaf Garnishes:
Most store-bought pre-made pie crusts come in packs of two. So, take your second pie crust and unroll it onto a lightly floured surface. Cut leaf shapes out of the pie crust using leaf-shaped cookie cutters.
I used these ones which can be purchased from Amazon
Place your leaf cut-outs on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Brush your leaves with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake in oven on top rack at 375°F for 10-15 minutes, or until they are golden and lightly crispy.
For the Candied Pecans:
Add all ingredients except the pecans to a medium sized skillet and cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until mixture is bubbling and sugar is dissolved.
Add in the pecans and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Pour pecans out onto parchment paper and separate from each other so they don’t set up in clumps.
Let cool for about 15 minutes, then use as garnish on your pie (save a few for snacking, too, cause they’re delish).
For the Sugared Cranberries:
Heat water and 1 cup of sugar in small skillet over medium-high heat. Once sugar is dissolved, toss in your cranberries and bring to a gentle boil for about 5 minutes.
Turn off heat, drain excess liquid, and let cool.
Once completely cooled, toss cranberries with remaining sugar and dump them out onto parchment paper. Let sit for 10 minutes, then use as garnish on your pie.
