Maple Pumpkin Pie with Walnut Crust

For the crust
1 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and cooled
2 Tbsp firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 stick (6 Tbsp/ 90 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/2 tsp salt
raw rice for weighing the shell

Make the crust:
In a food processor, grind coarse the walnuts with the sugar and transfer the mixture to a bowl. In the food processor blend together the flour, the butter and the salt until the mixture resembles meal and add it to the mixture. Add 3 Tbsp ice water, toss the mixture until the water is incorporated, and press the dough onto the bottom and up the side of a 10-inch pie plate, crimping the edge decoratively. Prick the crust with fork and chill for 30 minutes. The crust may be made 2 weeks in advance and kept wrapped well and frozen.

Preheat the oven to 425 F (200 Celsius). Line the crust with foil, fill the foil with the rice, and bake the crust in the middle of the oven for 7 minutes. Remove the rice and foil carefully, bake the crust for 5 minutes more, and let it cool.
Reduce the oven temp to 350 F (175 Celsius).

For the filling:
2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree (I use fresh pureed pumpkin, too)
1 cup half and half (slagroom?)
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup pure maple syrup (preferably dark)
1 1/2 tsp maple extract (I use a really good vanilla)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt

Make the filling:
In a large bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, the half and half, the eggs, the sugar, the maple syrup, the maple extract, the cinnamon, the ginger, the allspice, and the salt until the filling is smooth.
Pour the filling into the crust, bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until it is just set in the middle, and let it cool on a rack.

Serve the pie topped with whipped cream and drizzled with maple syrup.
Contributed by Terri Thompson-Burgers