eggnog pumpkin pie with pecans & brown sugar on top!

i made two of these delicious pies to take along to the two thanksgiving dinners to which we were invited. i've made eggnog pumpkin pie before, but saw this topping on bakerella and adapted it to use what i had on hand. i used marie callender's frozen pie crusts (shame on me) and they were tasty! beau found some 'pumpkin spice' flavored eggnog, and that's what i used. this recipe makes two pies.

1 large can pumpkin puree
2 1/2 cups eggnog
scant 1 1/3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cinnamon
scant tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla extract

either prepare your pie crusts or take them out of the freezer to thaw, and preheat the oven to 375.

in a large bowl, beat all the above ingredients. i gave my custard mixture a taste and adjusted the spices and salt. you might want to try doing that too. i think i added extra salt and cinnamon. if you have pumpkin pie spice, try using that. i didn't have any. anyway, once the mixture is well-blended, pour evenly between two unbaked pie crusts. bake for 30 minutes.

meanwhile: in a medium bowl, combine:

2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp agave nectar (bakerella used maple syrup; i didn't have any)
1/8 tsp kosher salt

after the pies have baked 30 minutes, sprinkle this mixture evenly over both pies. bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until pies are puffed and still a bit jiggly. cool several hours and serve either at room temp or chilled.