MESSING WITH TRADITION: A LAYERED PECAN PIE FOR THANKSGIVING

This layered pie marries two of our favorite Thanksgiving pies: Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake.  A top crust of pecan pie sits on top of a rich pumpkin spice cheesecake layer and ends with a delicious and gooey pecan filling.

Woof!  Thanksgiving: a meal so laden with tradition that there is little room for new dishes.

At least that’s the way it is in my house.  It’s perfectly fine to ADD a new dish but you can’t subtract or fool with any traditional item.

That works out okay when one is feeding ten to fifteen people, but this year we are going small; there will be just four of us at the table.  Not only is it hard to add any new dishes, I think we need to pull back on a few of the regulars. I just don’t see three pies on our table: pecan, pumpkin and apple being the traditional ones.

I have been looking at some layered pies as I’ve been pouring over recipes and I realized this is my chance to do something new and be traditional at the same time.

Behold, my version of a layered pumpkin spice cheesecake and pecan pie.

Under the pecan pie layer? Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake!

It starts with a pie crust and a confession.  No matter how hard I try, no matter what trick I use, my crimped pie crusts always sink on one side or the other.  Doesn’t matter, it still tastes good but in the interests of transparency, I’m just saying!

I’ve tried resting the dough, freezing the pie shell before baking. It always shrinks! What’s your trick?

You need a small pie pan for this recipe.  A 9” inch pan will give you three well defined layers.  If you are using a bigger pan, double the amounts for both layers.

Blind bake the pie crust first.  This is done by lining the pie crust with foil or parchment paper and filling it with beans, rice or pie weights (if you have them).

Let the pastry cool for at least 30 minutes and then proceed with the fillings.

Make the cheesecake layer by whipping together all the ingredients until fluffy.  I added pumpkin pie spice to make it a “Pumpkin Cheesecake”.  You could flavor yours anyway you like…as long as you have forgiving family!

Spoon this into the pastry and spread it evenly.

When you add the pecan pie layer, you need to be careful not to disturb the cheesecake layer or poke any holes in it with the weight of pecan filling.  To do this we are adding the filling in three steps.

First, sprinkle chopped pecans over the top of the cheesecake filling.

Evenly distribute the chopped pecans by hand being careful not to disturb the cheesecake filling

Next carefully pour the pecan pie filling over the back of a spoon or spatula onto the chopped pecans.  Pouring it over a flat surface disperses the filling and keeps it from penetrating into the cheesecake.

By pouring the filling in over the back of a spoon you will not disturb the layering effect

Finally, decorate the top of the pecan pie with whole pecan halves.

And into the oven it goes.

The end result is a sweet pecan pie which is cut by the slight bite of the cheesecake filling.  It’s like an Oreo.  You can eat it in one bite or separate the layers!

The pie will bake into three layers. A top layer of pecan pie crust, a middle layer of cheesecake and a bottom layer of pecan pie filling

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LAYERED PIE: PECAN AND PUMPKIN SPICE CHEESECAKE

Author Susan Murray, www.awomancooksinasheville.com

Ingredients

• Single crust pie pastry

For the Cheesecake layer

• 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup sugar

For the Pecan Pie Layer

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup brown sugar packed
• ½ cup dark corn syrup
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• ½ tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• Whole pecan halves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Prepare the crust

1. Roll out your pastry to a 12” circle for a 9” inch pie pan. Place the dough in the pan and roll the excess edges over, crimping as you go. Line the pan with foil or parchment paper and fill with beans, raw rice or pie weights. Cook for fifteen minutes. Remove paper/foil and weights and let the crust cool for at least half an hour.

Make the cheesecake filling

1. Whip the cream cheese and spices until smooth. Add the egg and whip until it is well incorporated (1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and whip further 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Make the pecan pie filling

1. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl until well combined. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, bourbon, vanilla and spices and beat together until smooth.

Assemble the pie

1. Spoon the pumpkin spice cheesecake filling into the pie crust and spread evenly.
2. Sprinkle the chopped pecan pieces over the cheesecake filling in the crust.
3. Pour the pecan pie filling over the chopped pecan piece being careful not to disturb the cheesecake layer. You can pour the filling over the back of a spoon or spatula to make this easier.
4. Arrange pecan halves on top of the pecan pie filling.
5. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 40-50 minutes more until the pie is set and barely jiggles when shaken.
6. Cool for two hours.

Recipe Notes

This recipe is for a 9” deep dish pie pan. If you are using a larger pan you will need to double the recipe and adjust the cooking time by 10-15 minutes. If you don’t have vanilla paste you can substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract