Pumpkin pie

Sweet November is a pumpkin November:) Once in a lifetime I’ve made a pumpkin pie according to a classic recipe (“Classic” is a relative term, here it is more about “plain”). Usually I mix pumpkin filling with lots of white cheese, honey and fresh grated ginger. That’s my all-the-time favorite recipe, introduced by Carrie, a funny travelling cyclist I met a long ago over a dinner. Back then, she prepared the most amazing pumpkin pie, and left me its detailed recipe. Since that time I baked mostly Carrie’s gorgeous pie.
This pumpkin bake turned to be a perfect treat for pumpkin lovers:)
Please note that a pie will come out of the oven all puffed up, and will deflate as it cools. Store it in a fridge or cool place.
Here are some tips for making pumpkin purée at home (just in case). Such a good thing can be used for all sorts of baked foods that your imagination only suggests you:)
To make the pumpkin purée: peel, deseed and cut the pumpkin into chunks. Place in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 mins or until tender. Drain and let cool.
You can also steam it in a saucepan with a couple cm of water at the bottom, until soft.
There’s also another option, to bake pumpkin in the oven until tender, covering with foil. I consider this way of preparation for purée is best, as it gets the sweetest and least watery.
When the pumpkin is cooled enough to handle, puree it using a blender. Or you can simply mash it up with a potato masher.
If you obtained more pumpkin purée than was needed, save it for another use. It stores well in a freezer.
Serves 8
Takes 1 hr 30 mins + chilling 2 hrs (Prep – 40 mins, baking 50 mins)

Ingredients

Crust
1/3 cup neutral vegetable oil (grapeseed/sunflower)
4 tbsp water
1/3 cup ground/chopped walnuts
1 cup + a few tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
Filling
1 cup /350 g pumpkin pulp purée (1/2 medium pumpkin)
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup / 150 g condensed milk
1 tbsp /15 g corn starch
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon zest (of 1 small lemon)
pumpkin seeds for decoration, optionally

Directions

To make the pastry:  In a medium bowl, mix the flour, chopped walnuts, salt and oil with a fork until all flour is moistened. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all water is absorbed. Knead the pastry. It should be elastic and soft, not stiff. Shape into a ball. Wrap into a plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge (or better in the freezer, up to 30 mins).

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.

To make the filling, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in brown and white sugars, salt, spices – cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and lemon zest. Mix in the pumpkin purée. Stir in condensed milk. Beat together until everything is well mixed.

On a floured surface, roll out the pastry and use it to line a Ø22 cm glass pie plate. Carefully pour the filling into an uncooked pie shell. Trim the excess pastry, and roll it out again. Cut cookies. You can bake them on a higher rack for 15 mins along with the pie for decorating it later. Or place them onto the pie before baking, as I did, and the shapes will look like slightly ‘drowned’ in a filling. Bake at 200°C for 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 180°C. Continue to bake for 30-35 mins until the filling has just set. Cover edges with foil to prevent overbrowning, if necessary. Cool the pumpkin pie completely, about 2 hours. Decorate with pumpkin seeds, if desirable. Slice, serve and enjoy!:)

Bon Appétit!

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