The sins of Autumn

It's Halloween week.  My beautiful bride is hosting a foursome for bridge and of course, needs a little something on which to nibble following the slam bidding.  I figure what could be more appropriate this week than pumpkin pie?  Then I figure, what could be more appropriate this season than pecan pie?  Then I figure, what the hey, why not both?  A bit extravagant for four, you say?  Then, why not both in one pie?  That's what it shall be.  In fact, it's baking in the oven right now.
The pie did not promulgate the title of this post, however.  There can be NOTHING sinful about celebrating the harvest.  HOWEVER, to make a pie, one must make a crust.  To make a crust, one must use a shortening of some kind. I'm NOT a lard lover, so my shortening of choice is Butter Flavored Crisco.  GREAT texture.  GREAT taste.  But I'm quite sure, it has its drawbacks.  As I'm cleaning up following the preparation (!), I am reminded of the tenacity of Crisco.  I run hot water over it.  It doesn't melt.  I put it in the soapy water.  It doesn't melt.  Finally, following a determined effort to scrub, rinse, soak, rinse, scrub, soap, and rinse yet again, the measuring cup and spatula are visually clean.  I run my finger around the inside of the cup.  Once more to the soap, scrub, rinse.  Finally, it goes back up on the rack to be used again.  That, to me, is just plain sinful.  If it sticks to the utensils, how long must it stay in the body?  The joy?  Why, the pie, of course!  The recipe follows.  Sin to your heart's content--repent in leisure--and know you are loved!

Pumpkin Pecan Pie(Preheat oven to 350 degrees)
Crust:
1 1/4 cup flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup butter flavored Crisco
3 Tbs. cold vodka
In a food processor, combine the first six ingredients. Add the cold butter and the crisco and pulse until well blended. Transfer into another bowl. Add the vodka and stir until you can form a ball. Roll out on a floured surface and transfer to a 9" pie plate. Arrange so it looks the way it should look, trim where necessary, and flute the edges.
Filling:
Pumpkin layer
one egg
1 cup pumpkin
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
dash of salt
Mix together and pour into prepared crust.
Pecan layer2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
2 Tbs. melted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Mix together and carefully pour over pumpkin layer. Place on a baking sheet to catch the spills and bake 50 - 60 minutes until filling is set around edge. Cool completely on a wire rack.