1 9-inch pre-baked pie shell

1 cup roasted sugar pumpkin puree (see cover story)

Baker's parchment paper

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

6 tablespoons lightly packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Z\x teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

teaspoon ground cloves

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 eggs

½ cup buttermilk

cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon brandy or 2 teaspoons vanilla

1 recipe maple pecan topping (recipe follows)

Powdered sugar

Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Prepare pie shell and roasted pumpkin puree. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together both fresh and canned pumpkin purees. Whisk in brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves and flour until thoroughly combined. Add eggs and whisk until smooth. Then whisk in buttermilk, half-and-half and brandy or vanilla.

Place pre-baked pie shell on lined baking sheet. Pour filling into the crust and bake on center rack of oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until center is just set.

Remove pie from oven and spoon Maple Pecan Topping on top. Gently spread topping evenly over the pie, taking care not to push topping down into the fragile pie filling. Return to oven and bake another 20 to 25 minutes or until topping is set and golden brown. Let pie cool to room temperature, then dust edges with a little powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream.

Note: This pie can also be made with either fresh pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin, but the combination of the two offers the best qualities of both kinds.

Makes one 9-inch pie.

From "Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook" by Leslie Mackie with Andrew Cleary