Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

In Brief

Prep Time : 60 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serves : 6

My first memories of this go way back to when I was a child. It was Halloween and having a frugal mother we would use the leftover pumpkin to make a pie. It was never something that was that appealing due to the large quantities of wax that had penetrated through the flesh and the fact that the traditional carving pumpkins aren’t really that great to make the pies with.

However my first Thanksgiving celebration introduced me to a new world and so the game was on to work out a recipe as good as that one. Trial and error always seems to work for me as there is no perfect way of doing things in cooking, if it tastes nice to you then that’s right!

I’ve had Pumpkin Pie on the Riverside Market Stall since day one and every time it has sold out so I must be doing something right. I’ve got Blaencamel Farm to thank as they are the ones who provide me with the great produce in the first place. I hardly use any sugar as the natural sugar content in the squash is quite high due to being picked so fresh.

A couple of Christmassy spices and some organic local eggs, cream and you’re onto a winner!
Good luck, it is a time consuming one but it’s really worth it in the end…

Shopping List

  • Roasted Pumpkin Flesh : 450g
  • Double Cream : 250ml
  • Eggs : 2 + 1 yolk
  • Light Brown Sugar : 75g
  • Cinnamon : 1 tsp
  • Nutmeg : 1/2 tsp
  • Allspice : 1/2 tsp
  • Cloves : 1/2 tsp
  • Ground Ginger : 1/2 tsp
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Cooking Instructions

  1. I would recommend getting yourself a good sweet / savoury pastry recipe. I’ve attached both to the website but if you have one you know works for you, then use that one.
  2. Blind bake the pastry shell till nice and crispy. To compensate for shrinkage, overhang the pastry at the side of the tin.
  3. Prepare the hokkiado  by peeling, scooping out the insides and chopping up into 2cm cubes. Coat in sunflower oil (Not olive oil as you don’t want to add that flavour to the end result).
  4. Roast in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius for 30 minutes, flipping after 20. The squash should be nice and soggy when it comes out of the oven.
  5. While the squash is in the oven scald the cream, sugar and spices and put to one side to infuse.
  6. Place the cooked squash into a bowl, crack in the eggs, add the cream and give a good whisk / blitz. I like a bit of texture in my pie so I just vigourously whist it instead of blitzing but this is a personal thing!
  7. Pour  the finished mix into the pastry base and bake at 180 for about 40 minutes or until the middle of the pie bounces back when you poke it. Don’t cook it for too long as the edges will soufle up and crack.
  8. Don’t give up on this recipe, once youve mastered it people really do appreciate the amount of time and effort that goes into making it!
Tip* – If you dont fancy making the pastry, do a cheesecake version replacing the pastry with a crumbled up digestives and butter mix: much easier and so much quicker!
Good luck
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