Pumpkin pie
Pumpkins are still in season and each year I try a different sweet recipe. I already tried the pumpkin cake and the year before I did a pumpkin flan. I must admit that my family is not a huge fan of pumpkins, apart when in soups and I often found myself disappointed with the taste! I always assume by looking at the recipes that they are going to be very tasty and I always find there is something missing! This year I tried the classic pumpkin pie from the BBC Good Food website. It was good, as a pumpkin pie should be but again not the pie I would die for! For now, the overall winner is the pumpkin cake, maybe because of the walnuts which add taste.
For the pumpkin pie, you need:- 750g pumpkin
- 350g sweet shortcrust pastry
- plain flour , for dusting
- 140g caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp fresh nutmeg , grated
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 eggs , beaten
- 25g butter , melted
- 175ml milk
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
Heat oven to 180 degrees. To take out the flesh from the pumpkin, the easiest way for me was to bake the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Put a piece of aluminium foil in a large baking tin and pop the pumpkin onto it, cut side down. Cover well with more foil and bake for about one hour or until the pumpkin is tender. While it's baking, you can make your pie base and start mixing the other ingredients.Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a tart tin. Chill for 15 mins.
Line the pastry with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper, and cook for a further 10 mins until the base is pale golden and biscuity. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Increase oven to 220 degrees.
Push the cooled pumpkin through a sieve into a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg and half the cinnamon.
Mix in the beaten eggs, melted butter and milk, then add to the pumpkin purée and stir to combine.
Pour into the tart shell and cook for 10 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180 degrees.
Continue to bake for 35-40 mins until the filling has just set.
Leave to cool, then remove the pie from the tin.
Mix the remaining cinnamon with the icing sugar and dust over the pie (I didn't!).
Serve chilled.What about you? What is your favourite pumpkin recipe?
