- Preparation time
- 20 mins
- Cooking time
- 80 mins
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Serves
- 12 people
- Meal course
- Baking
- Posted by
- Posted on
- August 22, 2017
So, the first time that I made a Pumpkin Pie (at my husband’s request) I will admit, it was with some trepidation… I mean, pumpkin… in a dessert pie?
I will also admit too though that the prospect of getting a serve of veggies in with dessert was somewhat alluring but.
Suffice to say, my anxiety was foolish because this pie is absolutely worth every delicious bite.
And really, it makes sense when you think about it… pumpkin is sweet, dessert pie is sweet, pumpkin… pie… Ahh look, just make the damn pie for yourself and you be your own judge.
I choose to make my pie filling with Crème fraîche instead of cream because I find the savoury tartness mellows out the overt sweetness, but if you’ve got a seriously sweet tooth and want the full cavity inducing IMAX experience then feel free to use plain old cream instead, it will cook exactly the same.
Enjoy! X
600gms Pumpkin Puree, cooked and drained well ***
4 Extra Large Eggs
1/2 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1 heaped tsp Mixed Spice
1 tsp Ground Ginger
Pinch of Salt
350gms Crème fraîche ***
Spiced Short crust Pastry:
250gm Plain Flour
75gm Caster Sugar
125gm cold Unsalted Butter - cubed
Pinch Salt
1 tsp Mixed Spice
1 extra-large Egg
- To make the Tart shell – In a food processor place all the pastry ingredients except the egg. Pulse together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the egg and blitz until it comes together into a ball. Do-not over work the dough. Roll the dough out between two large pieces of greaseproof paper until 3mm thick and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest. Once rested, remove from the fridge and line your 25cm tart tin with the pastry. Cover the surface with greaseproof paper and fill the shell with baking beads for blind baking. Pre-heat your conventional oven to 160°c and blind bake the shell for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool while you make the filling.
- Place all the pie filling ingredients into the bowl of your food processor. Whiz together until smooth and then pour into your blind baked tart shell - smooth the top with a spatula and make sure it comes right up the sides of the shell. Place the pie back into your 160°c conventional oven and bake for 1 hour. The pie will puff up considerably during baking, but will settle again upon cooling.
- Once cooked allow the pie to cool completely before serving with a dollop of thick cream on the side. Yum!!
- *** TIP: You can use any type of pumpkin for the puree, but butternut will be the sweetest. I just peel and chop my pumpkin then steam for 10 minutes until cooked. You can then just mash it with a fork. I always drain it well in a sieve for at least half an hour to ensure there is no excess moisture in it which will ruin the custard.
- *** TIP: Crème fraîche is a French Soured Cream. You can substitute with ordinary sour cream or alternatively use plain thickened cream instead.
- *** TIP: Make sure you cook your pie on your oven's conventional setting, fan-forced will completely kill your pie. The extreme heat will create an uneven cook and you won't get the same smooth, almost mousse like end result. I always bake these types of custard based pies in the lower/middle of my oven as it also ensures a more even cook.
- ***TIP: If you want a decorative edge for your pie, cut away the excess pastry before blind baking but leave a 2cm overhang, and then carefully fold the overhang back onto itself and pinch the pastry border into a raised ridge about 1cm above the inside edge of the tin - doing this will give you more pie filling area which can only be a good thing, right?
2 comments 
Carolyn said on May 8, 2018 Bree, have you left out the shortening for the pastry crust? (by accident) 
Bree May said on May 21, 2018 OMG I did!! Thank you for pointing that out. I've revised the recipe, it needs butter in the pastry (of course!!). I hope you love my recipe :)