Pumpkin Pie Recipe

I love Autumn! The gorgeous brown, yellow and red leaves on the ground. The cold chill in the air. Coats and boots. And of course pumpkins! I love pumpkins! A lot of people associate them with Halloween which is great as I love carving a pumpkin lantern every year, but for me growing up, pumpkins meant food. In October, every year while growing up, my mum would buy a large pumpkin and make a Turkish pastry called Kabak Börek (Pumpkin Filled Pastries) I have my own recipe here. A lot of people I know have never eaten pumpkin before which I think is completely crazy because it taste so delicious when cooked up in a sweet dish.

This year we decided to go pumpkin picking for the first time. Yes! I know, very ‘cliché’ a blogger who went pumpkin picking and posted it on Instagram!

I took the kids and my Mum and Sister came along too. It was surprisingly fun as the kids got to run around and select what pumpkins they wanted. When we got home my Mum got straight to it and started making her famous Kabak Börek while we were carving our pumpkins. There was so much pumpkin left over I decided to try and make a Pumpkin Pie. I have never made or even eaten one before but I love the challenge of baking something new.

This recipe is very simple, especially if you buy the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry ready made from the supermarket. However, I decided I wanted to make my pastry from scratch as I have never made shortcrust pastry before. I used my Mum’s recipe to make the pastry because of course she is amazing and has her own recipe and technique, which didn’t fail at all!

Et Voilá! My first Pumpkin Pie, a delicious light sweet pastry with a gentle sweet taste, perfect for the whole family to enjoy for dessert over this Autumn period.

Prep Time – 30 mins

Cook Time – 1hr, 30 mins

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8

750grams Pumpkin chunks

350grams Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (plus plain flour for dusting)

140grams Caster Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon

2 Eggs, beaten

25grams unsalted Butter, melted

175ml milk

METHOD

Cut, peel, de-seed and cut up the pumpkin into small chunks and put into a large saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft and tender. Drain the pumpkin and leave to one side to cool.

Grease a pie/tart dish with a little butter or/and use parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 180c fan oven. If using shop bought pastry use the packet instructions on how to prepare the pastry or just roll out the pastry on a well floured surface. Blind bake with parchment paper and baking beans/rice for 15 minutes. If making your own sweet pastry prepare how you would normally. For this dish I used my Mum’s method of using a fork and creating little holes in the base and baking open for 10-15 minutes until the pastry starts to firm up and base is a pale golden colour. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Using a sieve and the back of a tablespoon push the pumpkin for the juices to run through the sieve leaving a pumpkin purée and put into a bowl.

In a separate large bowl combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Mix in the beaten egg, melted butter and milk and add the pumpkin purée and stir to mix well.

Slowly pour the mixture into the pastry shell and cover the edges of the pie crust with a little foil to prevent them burning and bake in the centre of the oven for 40-45 minutes until the pie has set. Check this by using a cocktail stick of wooden skewer to prick the pie and when it comes out clear it is cooked. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Serve Chilled.

Just before serving sprinkle some icing sugar and a little ground cinnamon over the top and serve with cream or ice-cream and enjoy!