Hazelnut Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Did You Know? The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.

I polled my family on the types of pies they would like on the Thanksgiving table this year, and like I had predicted, everyone had a different request. So it looks like I will be making 4 pies this time around. Seeing that pumpkin is my favorite, I had numerous recipes that I wanted to experiment with before deciding on the final pie that would be served on Thanksgiving. Last week I had made a rich chocolate pumpkin pie with a graham cracker crust, and it turned out really well. But I must admit, I like the flavor of the pumpkin to be the star, and I think the chocolate took over a little too much. It was sort of like a cross between chocolate pudding pie, and pumpkin pie.

Today, I gave it another shot with Heidi's beautiful Spice-kissed Pumpkin Pie over at 101 Cookbooks. Everything she makes looks and tastes incredible, and this definately followed suit with the rest of her recipes. I'm almost positive this will be the pie served on the big day...

Hazelnut Spiced Pumpkin Pie
1 pre-baked pie crust (I used this vegan crust recipe)
2 cups toasted hazelnuts, divided
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups roasted pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon madagascar vanilla extract
3 eggs, plus 1 for the egg-wash
1 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoon cream

Preheat oven to 350

Puree 1 1/2 cups of the toasted hazelnuts in a food processor until they turn into a paste. Set aside. Chop the remaining 1/2 cup of hazelnuts and set aside for garnish.

To make the filling, whisk together the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cornstarch. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Next, stir in the 3 eggs and coconut milk until just combined. Set aside.

Before filling the pie crust, crumble the hazelnut paste on top of the pie dough in the pie plate, quickly and gently press it into a thin layer across the bottom, creating a layer of hazelnuts that will sit between the dough and the filling. Using the last egg, create a wash by whisking it with a tablespoon of cream. Gently brush the edges of the pie dough. Use a fork to prick the pie dough a few times to prevent air bubbles. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for about 50 minutes - the center of the pie should just barely jiggle when you move the pie, and the edges should be set.

Let the pie cool (I put mine in the fridge overnight), and top with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkling of the toasted hazelnuts. Enjoy!