PECAN & PUMPKIN PIE - TWD "TWO-FER" PIE - Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases

Pumpkin & Pecan Pie - A Tuesdays With Dorie Two-Fer Special!
Here's a pie that made a hit with everybody! But, what's with the name? Were all the good names taken? HELLOOO!?! What was Dorie thinking when she named this pie? If I titled this post the "Two-Fer" Pie, would anyone, other than all my Tuesdays With Dorie friends, have any idea what I was talking about?? I don't think so. This is another classic case of writing for print and not the web. I could go on and on about SEO and Keywords, but that's not what this post is all about. I'm here to tell you how good this pie really is!

Tuesdays With Dorie
Thanks to VIBI from La Casserole Carree for picking this recipe. It's not this weeks recipe. It was on the calendar for Thanksgiving week, but I was in Vermont visiting family. So, here it is now, thanks in part from VIBI. Make sure to click the English version of the post and scroll down the page for the rest of the recipe. Unless you speak, read and bake in French, this is the next best option!

Pumpkin Pie or Pecan Pie, What Is It?
Do you like pumpkin pie? Good, then you'll love this pie. Do you like pecan pie? Good, then you'll love this pie! Do you see where I'm going with this? This pie has the best of everything in it. Pumpkin AND Pecan Pie in one pie crust, baked together, in one pie crust! I know, it sounds horrible and messy, but it really was good. And that's saying something coming from someone who dislikes pecan pie in the worst way!

How to Make a Pumpkin & Pecan Pie (aka Dorie's "Two-Fer" Pie)
First off, I don't care for Dorie's pie crust. I'm not the only one either. I've heard other Dorie-ites say the same thing. It's hard to work with and not worth the trouble. Period. I made my own tried and true Flaky Pie Crust Recipe, the one we used at the bakery for years. Quick and easy, BAM! In the pan and done! Next came the fillings. Both the pumpkin and pecan fillings were straight forward, easy to understand and very tasty. Nothing out of the ordinary. This was one of the easiest pies to put together, until..........

Yup! There's bound to be something that goes wrong. Maybe it's me. Maybe it's the pie dish that I use. I do admit it's a big Pampered Chef stoneware pie dish, but not overly humongous that it should matter that much. I always read the TWD forums BEFORE I start on any of her recipes just to be sure there's nothing wrong with it. A lot of the bakers were saying they had WAY too much filling, and the pie took WAY longer to bake than the recipe in the book said. So, I adjusted my strategy. I still had to make an extra batch of pecan pie filling just to come to the top of the pie crust. OK, that's not so bad. It was quickly done.

A few other things I did differently. I don't have a large food processor and it's not really necessary to dirty one anyway if you have a mixer, hand-held or otherwise. Also, I didn't pre-bake the crust. What's the point? Besides, from all the burnt crusts I read about, I wasn't gonna be the next victim!

Baking Times
Here's where everyone was correct. The recipe says to bake the pie at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 300 and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes. NOT! This pie took me almost twice the time to bake it. AND, I had to crank the oven up to 350 for the last 30 minutes just to finish it. All together, this pie took me 90 minutes to bake! After it cooled, the filling shrank back away from the crust. Don't get me wrong. I love baking with Tuesdays With Dorie. After all, my turn is coming up in two weeks! YAY! But, I've had my share of disappointments too. If I wasn't on my toes, there would have been a lot going in the trash like some other bakers have had to do. All I'm saying, is be careful with the recipes. When in doubt, ask someone. Chances are, your gut feelings are right and can save you a butt load of money and mess.

Final "Two-Fer" Words
In all fairness, this was a delicious pie! It was rich, but not sickeningly sweet like some pecan pies tend to be. The texture was just right. The two layers were really noticable, and you could taste both of them too. It was also a very pretty pie. Some bakers didn't think so because of burned edges and filling that ran over the sides. All in all, I'd definitely make this pie again, but on my terms!

This is the end of my baking spree, until tomorrow that is! I'm all caught up and on track with Tuesdays With Dorie for now. Be sure to watch for my choice on December 23rd. Yes! It's finally my turn to pick and I've chosen something very delicious!