I thought I would return from my unannounced but probably not unexpected holiday absence with something simple and snappy: my friend Andrew's recipe for Pumpkin-Pecan Pie, which I made for visiting family during said absence. This recipe is a piece of culinary synergy, taking the best aspects of both pecan pie (which I like a lot but which can be too much of a sugar bomb) and pumpkin pie (which I don't especially like in its usual form) and creates something that surpasses both (the pumpkin mellows the pecans and vice versa). Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Unbaked 9" pie shell
• 1 Large egg, slightly beaten
• 1 Cup pumpkin purée (fresh cooked or canned)
• 1/3 Cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. heavy cream, half-and-half or whole milk
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (rounded 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 Large eggs, slightly beaten
• 2/3 Cup light corn syrup (Karo)
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Pumpkin Layer: Combine 1 egg, pumpkin, 1/3 cup sugar, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Spread gently over bottom of unbaked pie shell.
3. Pecan Layer: Combine 2 eggs, corn syrup, 1/2 cup sugar, butter and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Pour carefully over pumpkin layer in pie shell.
4. Bake in 375°F oven for 50 minutes.