Mr. & Mrs. McComb’s Pumpkin Cheesecake Praline Pie
Eat pie, love people!
My parents are clearly people persons. They truly love people, and thoroughly enjoy talking to all who cross their path. The bank teller, waitress, and hardware store assistant all become fast friends for life, as my parents can find out someone’s backstory in a matter of minutes. When we were growing up, Mom and Dad loved to have people to the house as well; anyone and everyone was welcome for dinner.
When Mormon missionaries knocked on our door, my parents invited them in, explained to them that they were devout Methodists, and asked them to stay for dinner. We had Mormon missionaries for dinner all of my teenage years, and it’s a tradition I continue in my own home today.
When we had company for dinner, my mother usually made lasagna or a roasted chicken—with pie for dessert, of course! My parents were genuinely delighted in all people, and were quite the loving pair for almost sixty years. No matter your race, religion, social status, or sexual preference, if you were a human being, they liked you. What a legacy.
Recommended: Sweetie-licious Cream Cheese Crust, frozen (page 2)
Cream Cheese Layer
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
Pumpkin Layer
1¼ cups canned pumpkin
1¼ cups half-and-half
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup Sweetie-licious Praline Pecans (see recipe on page 6)
Garnish—Optional
Freshly grated nutmeg
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla until well mixed. Add the egg when all of the ingredients are well combined. Spread onto the bottom of the piecrust.
- Combine the pumpkin, half-and-half, sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt until well mixed. Carefully pour over the cream cheese mixture. Swirl the cream cheese mixture in a spiral pattern into the pumpkin mixture.
- Sprinkle the Praline Pecans over the top of the pie.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until almost set in the middle. Cool. Dust with grated nutmeg.
This pie freezes well.
