Thanksgiving Recipes: Walnut Pumpkin Pie

I used to be a pumpkin pie traditionalist, until I had a taste of this deliciously different pie that my mother-in-law makes every Thanksgiving. With a graham-cracker crust and a crunchy topping of walnuts and brown sugar, it's a tasty variation on the standard pumpkin pie, and it's fast and easy to make.

Of course I still love the more traditional varierty—I like to splurge and have one slice of each kind on Thanksgiving!

You can buy a ready-made graham cracker crust, or you can make your own if you're so inclined.

Ingredients

• 1 6-ounce prepared graham cracker pie crust (or make your own)
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425ºF. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, condensed milk, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, the egg, and salt. Whisk together until combined, and pour into prepared pie crust.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF. While it's baking, add butter, flour, brown sugar, and remaining pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly, then stir in walnuts.

At the end of 15 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the walnut mixture evenly over the top. Reduce heat to 350ºF and return pie to the oven. Bake for another 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool thorougly. Serve with whipped cream.