Pumpkin Pie
30th October 2019
It’s that time of the year again. The leaves are falling, the nights are drawing in and there’s a chill in the air.
It’s also the spookiest week in the calendar – so be sure to head to The Fruit & Veg Hut in Garden Square, grab yourself a ghoulish gourd and make your home look horror-tastic ahead of Halloween.
Scrumptious Squash
Once carved, we often discard the fleshy feast that is inside the humble pumpkin. Don’t do it! Pumpkins are delicious inside a whole host of different dishes and are also full of health benefits. They:
- Are rich in Vitamin A
- Have a high antioxidant content
- Can boost immunity
- Have a low-calorie count – helping to promote weight loss
- Help to supplement dietary fibre
Pumpkins are suited to both sweet and savoury dishes, but Pumpkin Pie is perhaps the most notable. Our favourite recipe for this sweet treat comes via BBC Good Food – incorporating a cacophony of autumn flavours. It’s a sure-fire hit for any spooky soiree!
Ingredients
- 750g Pumpkin – peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 350g Shortcrust Pastry
- Plain Flour – for dusting
- 140g Caster Sugar
- ¼ Tsp Salt
- ½ Tsp Fresh Nutmeg – grated
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
- 2 Eggs – beaten
- 25g Butter – melted
- 175ml Milk
- 1 Tbsp Icing Sugar
- Squirty Cream
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4.
- Place the pumpkin in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain the pumpkin and then let it cool.
- Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a floured surface and line the bottom of a loose-bottomed tart tin (22cm). Put in the fridge for 15 minutes. Once chilled, put in the oven for 15 minutes – line it with some baking parchment and some baking beans first. Remove the paper and the beans and then bake for another 10 minutes. The case should be golden and biscuit-like. Leave to cool.
- Increase the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas Mark 7.
- 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, butter and milk. Add in the pumpkin puree and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C/Gas Mark 4 and bake for a further 30 minutes -or until the filling has set.
- Leave to cool, then remove the pie from the tin.
- Dust the pie with the remaining cinnamon and icing sugar.
- Serve chilled with squirty cream.
Take a trip to Garden Square’s stores this week to get all you need for a fiendish feast!
