Almond Crunch Pumpkin Pie & Pastry for Single-Crust Pie

If you're not a traditional pumpkin pie fan or if you're cooking for people who don't care for pumpkin pie, you might want to try this. This is a slightly different and delicious variation on an old traditional holiday dessert. Your dough will turn out better if you put ice cubes in a cup of water and if using butter it's still chilled.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 1 pie

Ingredients

• Pastry for single-crust pie

• 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄3 cup shortening or 1⁄3 cup butter
• 4 -5  tablespoons water

• Pie

• 1⁄4 cup  finely chopped  almonds or 1⁄4 cup pecans
• 1⁄4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2  tablespoons butter, softened
• 1  teaspoon  finely shredded  orange peel
• 2  eggs, beaten
• 15  ounces pumpkin
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1  tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 12  ounces evaporated milk or 1 1⁄2 cups half-and-half or 1 1⁄2 cups  light cream
•  whipped cream

Directions

1. Pastry for single-crust pie: Stir together flour and salt.
2. Using a pastry blender cut in shortening or butter until pieces are pea size.
3. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture.
4. Gently toss with a fork.
5. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl.
6. Repeat moistening dough, using a tablespoon at a time, until all the dough is moistened.
7. Form dough into a ball.
8. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough.
9. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.
10. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin.
11. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate.
12. Fold under extra pastry and crimp as desired.
13. Do not prick pastry.
14. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil and bake pastry shell in a 450 degree oven for 8 minutes.
15. Remove foil.
16. For the praline layer, in a small mixing bowl stir together almonds or pecans, brown sugar, butter, and orange peel.
17. Spoon mixture into the hot partially baked pastry shell, spreading it over the bottom as butter melts.
18. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes more or until shell is set and dry and praline is bubbly.
19. For filling: Combine eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
20. Gradually stir in evaporated milk or cream and mix well.
21. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and place partially baked pastry shell on the oven rack.
22. Pour pumpkin filling into the pastry shell.
23. Remove foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.
24. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
25. Refrigerate within 2 hours and add cover for longer storage.
26. Serve with whipped cream.