Pumpkin Praline Pie

I found this pie recipe in the Better Homes and Garden holiday baking magazine and felt it would be a perfect pie for Christmas since it would be a little different than a normal pumpkin pie. I will make some changes later. I had tried made the Pumpkin-Pecan bars glazed with White Chocolate Chai. I really like the glaze and will try it on breads and rolls but felt the bars were too dense.I did not feel it had enough spices for me. There are still many recipes I hope to try later such as the Ginger-Kisses Fudge Brownies, Ginger Pound Cake and Lemon-Berry Ribbon Torte.

Pumpkin Praline Pie, originally uploaded by Lakenvelder.

Ingredients:
12 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
Pastry for a Single-Crust Deep dish Pie
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
3/4 cup half-and -half or light cream
3/4 cup broken walnuts
1/2 cup milk chocolate -covered toffee pieces or shoppe English Toffee Bars
!/4 cup packed brown sugar
Hot fudge sauce


In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and the 1/3 cup granulated sugar; beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until smooth. Beat in the 1 egg; stir in orange peel. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare pie pastry. On a lightly floured surface, flatten pastry ball slightly with hands. Roll dough into a circle about 13 inches in diameter. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9 1/2 to 10 inch deep-=dish pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edge high. Do not prick pastry.

For pumpkin filling: In large bowl, combine pumpkin, the 3/.4 cup granulated sugar, and the 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. Add the 3 eggs and beat lightly. Gradually beat in half-and-half. Spread cream cheese mixture in pastry-lined pie plate. Carefully spoon pumpkin filling over cream cheese. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil, Bake for 25 minutes.

In small bowl, combine walnuts, toffee, and brown sugar, Remove foil from pie, Sprinkle with nut mixture.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill pie within 2 hours. If desired garnish with hot fudge topping and more pie spice.