Pumpkin Pie With Pecan-Caramel Sauce and Sweet Cream

David and Laura Shea, Applewood’s husband-and-wife team (he’s the chef, she runs the place), heap seasonal favorites upon seasonal favorites. All market-driven, and aided by an old-fashioned secret: lots of butter and cream. It’s Thanksgiving, David says. �Why count calories?�

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST:
1� cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
� cup chilled lard, cut into small cubes

FOR THE FILLING:
3 whole eggs
� cup brown sugar
2� cups canned organic-pumpkin purée
� cup cream
1� teaspoons cinnamon
� teaspoon salt

FOR THE PECAN-CARAMEL SAUCE:
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons dark rum
� cup heavy cream
� cup pecans, toasted and chopped

FOR THE SWEET CREAM:
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

For the crust: In a food processor, pulse the dry ingredients until combined. Add the lard, and pulse until the mixture is grainy. Add about � cup icewater in a steady stream until the dough holds together. Place the dough in plastic wrap, pressing it into a disk shape, and cool in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

For the filling: Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until combined; add the remaining ingredients, and mix until just incorporated.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 13-inch disk; line a pie pan, and cut away excess on the edges. Pour the pumpkin filling into the pie crust, and bake for one hour, or until the filling starts to crack in the center. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature with the pecan-caramel sauce and sweet cream. (Recipes below).

For the pecan-caramel sauce: Heat the sugar in a large, heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. As the sugar begins to melt, stir continuously with a whisk or wooden spoon, and bring to a boil. Stop stirring, but swirl the pan occasionally to keep the sugar moving. Once the sugar has taken on a deep golden-brown color, add the butter and rum to the pan, whisking until the butter has melted. Remove from heat, and slowly add the cream to the pan, whisking constantly until smooth (the mixture will foam up). Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add the pecans. Warm before serving.

For the sweet cream: Whisk the cream, sugar, and scraped vanilla bean together until soft peaks form.

(Published 2009)