Nutty Update to Classic Holiday Fave: Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Ah, the holidays...

It's a special time, gathering with loved ones, and feasting on so much great food we need January 1st resolutions to get back in shape.

If your loved ones are anything like mine, there are bound to be a few nuts in the mix. Perhaps their very nuttiness is what makes them so lovable in the first place.

(Actually, in all honesty, I'm probably the primary nut at most of my family's holiday gatherings. I can own that.)

So, without further ado, I offer this tribute to the beloved nuts in our lives -- the ones who are just like the regular peeps, but with a little something extra, just like this delicious update to the classic pumpkin pie:

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Filling:

1 t. lemon juice
1 c. non-dairy milk
1/4 c. unbleached flour
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. cane juice crystals or natural sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin pie filling
1 t. molasses

Topping:

1/3 c. can juice crystals or natural sugar
3 T. unbleached flour
3 T. cold vegan stick margarine
2/3 c. broken or coarsely chopped pecans

You'll also need:

One 9" unbaked pie crust, like Sexy Vegan Mama's Perfect Pie Crust, formed into a pie shell within a 9" pie pan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and non-dairy milk, and allow to curdle.

While waiting for the liquid to curdle, mix flour and oil into a paste in a larger bowl.

Stir cane juice crystals or sugar and salt into flour mixture, blending thoroughly.

Add pumpkin pie filling and molasses to flour mixture, stirring until well combined.

Add curdled non-dairy milk to pumpkin mixture and stir until smooth.

Pour into unbaked pie crust shell.

Combine cane juice crystals or sugar and flour for topping.

Cut in margarine, using a fork or pastry blender.

Stir in chopped pecans, and distribute pecan mixture evenly over top of filling.

Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees, then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 40 to 50 minutes longer. The pie filling may be bubbling, so be careful taking it out of the oven.

Let the pie cool thoroughly before serving. It's even better if you put it in the refrigerator to chill before serving!

Did you know you can get this dessert recipe, and a metric busload of others, in GET-REAL VEGAN DESSERTS: VEGAN RECIPES FOR THE REST OF US, co-authored by Yours Truly and William Maltese? Get it now, in time for the holidays!

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