Pecan-Topped Carrot Pie (Yes, CARROT!)

So, what do you do when you have about two laundry baskets of carrots, with a good number of them being MONSTERS?!?!  Do what I did?  Google "CARROT RECIPES"!!!!!!  

In my opinion, this pie ends up being a good "MOCK pumpkin pie"!!!

Check these out:

 The largest (the 10" x 4.5")

weighed 2.5 pounds!  Yes, POUNDS!
Thank YOU, Pam!!!!!!!!!!

Besides the "usual" uses for carrots (freezing, and canning), I found a variety of other recipes for carrots, some of which were very familiar-- soups, juice recipes, cookies, bars, cakes, etc.  And, then,... I found recipes for CARROT PIE!   I might have been "under a rock" too long--  but, I'd never heard of these!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cooked and then pureed carrots (maybe about 4 cups of slices to start with?)
1 of 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 and 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt (1/8 tsp.?)
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
.......................
Personal note:  I think(?) using just 1/2 of the following three ingredient amounts would also work to top the pie!
1 cup of chopped pecans 
1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
3 tablespoons butter, melted 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add 1 inch of water to a large saucepan; add carrots.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for 9-11 minutes OR until tender.  Drain.  Cool.
2. Puree the carrots in a food processor or blender.  When you think they are smooth enough, run them through a potato ricer or Foley food mill to make sure any lumps are removed.
3. In large mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer), beat together the pureed carrots, milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt until well-mixed.
4. Pour into unbaked pastry shell.
5. Combine the pecans, brown sugar and melted butter.  Sprinkle over the pie filling.
6. Bake at 375-degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and edges are browned.  (Right from the start, I make a ring of aluminum foil and cover the top edges of the crust to prevent overbrowning.) 
7. Cool on a wire rack.  Refrigerate leftovers. 

The original recipe for the above pie came from:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pecan-topped-carrot-pie

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P.S.  Below:  The recipe for the "bare-topped" Carrot Pie that can be seen in the background may be my husband's favorite of the two:

The recipe for the "bare-topped" carrot pie is made by pretty much following the same "directions" as for the pecan-topped pie, but the ingredients listed were: 

• 2 cups cooked and then pureed (pulp-free, and lump-free) carrots (about 4 cups of raw carrot slices to begin with?).
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 1 dash salt

Original submitter's note:  If you double the recipe, you may be able to fill 3 of the 9" deep dish frozen pie crusts.   This original pie recipe came from Karla at:  http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/pie/grandma-roses-carrot-pie.html