Instructions: Prepare pastry shell: In a medium bowl or the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, salt, and butter, cut in 1/2-inch pieces. By hand, mix with a pastry blender or two knives, or process with the food processor until the consistency of coarse crumbs. Add the water and mix until dough clings together. Pat dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Roll out dough on a lightly floured board to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Arrange in pie dish and flute edges. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up. Prick the bottom with a fork, then press a piece of heavy-duty foil into the pie shell. Bake in the middle of a preheated 425 degree oven for 6 minutes; remove foil and bake for 4 minutes longer until just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until blended. Mix in sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in pumpkin or squash, half-and-half or milk, and rum. (If preferred, omit rum and replace it with 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.) Pour mixture into the prebaked pastry shell. Bake in the middle of a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until set. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Just before serving, finish with Praline Pecan Topping: Press brown sugar through a sieve over top of pie. Sprinkle with nuts. Broil until sugar melts and caramelizes, about 1 minute. Let cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream, if desired.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Comments: Pumpkin pie is as integral to Thanksgiving as the bird itself, yet over the years as the excellent winter squashes have filled the produce and farmers markets, good cooks have discovered that butternut or banana squash makes a superior pie replacing the usual canned pumpkin. A caramelized nut topping makes a crunchy finish for this pumpkin pie.

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