Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your food processor and pulse about 5 times until combined. Add the cubed butter and pulse in short, quick pulses (do not process!) until it resembles coarse meal or peas. You want to see clumps of butter — that’s a good thing.

Add 3 tablespoons of water through the feed tube while pulsing in short, quick pulses once again. Be careful not to pulse too much — just until the water is incorporated. Remove the lid and check the dough. If you can pinch it together and it holds, it’s fine. If it’s still dry, add 1-2 tablespoons more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, incorporating it with short, quick pulses once more, until it’s cohesive.

Turn the dough out onto your work surface, and knead it together with your hands and form it into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for about 30 minutes prior to rolling to relax the gluten and chill that butter back up!

Once chilled, unwrap the dough and place on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the dough and flour your rolling pin, and roll the dough out from the middle to the outer edge, going in about 10 minute intervals clockwise around to form a circle. After every couple of rolls, make sure to lift the dough and sprinkle more flour underneath to prevent sticking. If the dough does stick, scrape any bits of dough from your work surface as it’s a magnet for even more sticking.

Roll the dough until it’s large enough to hang over the edge of your pie pan by a couple of inches. Once it’s large enough, use your rolling pin to gently roll the dough around it, and unroll it right into your pie plate.

Tuck the dough gently into the inside of the pie pan, then use a bench scraper or knife to trim the edges around the top of the pie. It’s ok to leave a little extra for crimping, etc. as the top does shrink a bit.

From there, crimp your edges as best as you can, or use the scraps to cut out decorative shapes.

Prepare the pie crust and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes. Lightly flour your surface, the top of the dough and rolling pin, and roll the crust from the middle out to the edge in 10 minute intervals until it is 12" in circumference. Loosely roll the crust around the rolling pin and unroll over your 9" pie plate.

Trim the edges with a paring knife, leaving a 1" edge for crimping. Use leftover scraps to make decorative cut-outs if desired.

Crimp the edges in a decorative pattern or use the tines of a fork to create a simple pattern. Chill the pie crust for about 30 minutes longer and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Add the pumpkin, evaporated milk, maple syrup, eggs, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla to a medium bowl and whisk well until combined. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 50 minutes longer. After 20-25 minutes of baking time, or when the pie crust is golden brown, place a pie shield over the edges to prevent burning.

While the pie bakes, prepare the streusel. Place the pecans, brown sugar, flour and salt in a small bowl and toss to combine.

Add the cold cubes of butter and work into the pecan mixture until the butter is thoroughly incorporated.

Remove the pie from the oven when there is 20 minutes left of baking time (the center will be under baked). Gently sprinkle the pecan streusel over the pie and place back in the oven for the remaining 20 minutes, until the center is set and only slightly wobbly.

Cool the pie on a wire rack for 3-4 hours, then chill in the refrigerator. Serve with whipped cream if desired and enjoy!