Pumpkin Nut Crumble

This is hands-down the best best best pumpkin recipe on the planet! It is just one of those serendipitous "accidents" that resulted from trying to modify a recipe from Southern Living magazine that called for boxed cake mix. It didn't work out as I expected, but turned out even better!

I highly recommend it as an alternative to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. Instead of crust, the standard pumpkin pie filling contains morsels of sweet spiced pecans throughout. Mmmmmmmm! The only problem with this recipe is that it is really hard to stop eating it. I brought the test recipe to a pot luck dinner and a friend took one bite and said, "Forget the rest! I'm just having a big plate of this for dinner!" This is what we're having with our Thanksgiving dinner this year.

makes 1 13" x 9" baking dish or could me made in individual ramekins

for the topping:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar (such as Sucanat or Rapadura)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup unbleached flour

for the custard:
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
3/4 cup unrefined cane sugar (such as Sucanat or Rapadura)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter, then add the unrefined cane sugar and heat until the sweetener is dissolved. Mix in the pecans, then add the flour 1/4 cup at a time, and mix until blended. Allow to cool while you make the custard.
3. Whisk together the custard ingredients until well blended, then pour into a buttered 13" x 9" baking dish or individual ramekins.
4. Spoon the topping over the custard. The topping will be runny and fall down in the custard--it won't sit on top--so place each spoonful in a different spot.
5. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature with Whipped Cream, and sprinkle with fhreshly ground nutmeg.