Pumpkin Pie

We have an American gal from Texas staying with us right now, so when  we were on our way home from work, I asked her about pies from the US to get some inspiration for the Sweet Adventures Blog Hop this month. Pumpkin pie immediately sparked my interest as I have heard that in the States Pumpkin Pie comes right out of a can and into a pre made pastry case, so I thought it might be a challenge to make one from scratch, but where to start? Fast forward to a few mins later when I sat down to think about our menu for meals for next week. I pulled my June '06 copy of Delicious Magazine from the shelf, opened it at a random page to start flicking through, and there it was....Jill Dupleix's recipe for Sweet Pumpkin Pie. It was a sign! So, here we are!

Jill's recipe calls for store bought shortcrust pastry. Whilst I'm a fan of this for making quick pies in my pie maker, today's pie for a Blog Hop called for a home-made pastry too. I also jazzed up the presentation with a blow torch to the marshmallows on top. Whilst this recipe is heavily based on Jill Dupleix's, I adapted it a little too, so here goes:

Pumpkin Pie

Pastry
200g Plain Flour
100g Chilled Butter
Pinch of salt
2-3 tablespoons of water

Filling
1 Butter nut pumpkin
3 eggs
60g fine breadcrumbs
200g brown sugar
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
250ml evaporated milk
Marshmallows to decorate

• Preheat the Oven to 200C;
• Halve the pumpkin and lay seed side down on a greased baking tray. Cook until tender for approx 45 mins (fan forced);
• Meanwhile, prepare the pastry: In the food processor blitz flour, salt and butter till it resembles breadcrumbs; Add water to bind, 1 tbsp at a time. When it starts to form clumps turn it out onto a floured bench top and knead till smooth;
• Wrap in cling wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 mins;
• After chilling, roll out the pastry to around 3mm thick. Prick the base a few times with a fork and return to the fridge for around 20 mins to chill again (this prevents the pastry from shrinking in the oven);
• Line pastry case with the pastry, and then cover with baking paper and pastry weights;
• Remove pumpkin from the oven and turn off fan;
• Blind bake the pastry for around 10 mins, then remove weights and baking paper and bake for another 10-15 mins until browning;
• Meanwhile, remove 350g pulp from the baked pumpkin and set aside to cool;
• Into the food processor, add the three eggs and whizz gently to lightly beat;
• Add the pumpkin flesh and process till smooth;
• Pour in spices, sugar, breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt. Beat till combined;
• Finally add evaporated milk and blitz till all mixed in and smooth;
• Pour the mixture into a slightly cooled pastry case and return to oven for 25 mins or until the filling is set;
• Remove from oven to cool slightly (can be served warm);
• To serve, line white marshmallows around the outside of the pie. Blow torch to brown the marshmallows;
• Serve with vanilla ice cream or pouring cream.

Thanks as always to the #SABH team, especially the Kitchen Crusader, for hosting this month's Bloghop!