Pumpkin pie
Pumpkin pie is a classic American dessert and a real celebration of autumn – serve this traditional version in generous slices with swirls of whipped cream.
For this recipe, you will need a round metal pie tin with a base measurement of 20cm/8in; baking beans, rice or dried pulses; a leaf shape cutter (optional).
Ingredients
For the brown sugar pastry
- 250g/9oz plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
- 150g/5½oz unsalted butter, chilled and diced
- 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 2 tbsp ice-cold water
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- pinch salt
For the filling
- 425g tin pure pumpkin ±è³Ü°ùé±ð
- 2 free-range eggs
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 125g/4½oz soft light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 150ml/5fl oz double cream
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- pinch salt
To serve
- whipped cream
Method
To make the pastry, tip the flour into a large bowl and add a pinch of salt. Add the butter and use a round-bladed knife to cut the butter into the flour, repeating the process until the pieces are half their original size. Use your fingertips to continue rubbing in until there are only small flecks of butter visible. Add the brown sugar and mix to combine.
Make a well in the middle of the mixture, then add the egg yolks, ice-cold water and lemon juice and mix using the knife until the dough starts to clump together. Use your hands to gather the dough into a ball and very gently knead for 20 seconds until smooth. Flatten into a disc, wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Put the dough on a lightly floured work surface, cut off one-quarter and set aside. Roll out the remaining dough to 2–3mm/⅛in thick and use to line the pie tin. Trim off any excess pastry with a sharp knife, then prick the base with a fork and chill for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Roll out the reserved dough to 2–3mm/⅛in thick. Cut or stamp out decorative leaf shapes and chill until needed.
Line the pastry case with foil and fill with baking beans (or uncooked rice or pulses) and bake for about 20 minutes, until starting to turn golden at the edges. Remove the foil and beans and cook for about 4 minutes more to dry out the base.
While the pastry is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Brush the underside of each pastry leaf shape with a little water and arrange around the edge of the pastry case. Brush the top of the leaves with a little milk and sprinkle with caster sugar. Carefully pour the pumpkin mixture into the pastry case and return to the oven for 25–30 minutes, until the filling is just set with a slight wobble in the middle.
Leave the pie to cool at room temperature before slicing. Serve with whipped cream.
Recipe Tips
If your filling cracks as it cools, simply pipe whipped cream in artistic swirls over any gaps to hide them when serving.
