Alrighty ladies and gents, I have a challenge for you. A Homemade Pumpkin Pie. That’s right, no canned pumpkin, no cheats, when I say “homemade pumpkin pie”, I mean making it from scratch. And I know that may sound intimidating, but once you have the pastry done and dusted, it really isn’t all that difficult. And that is part of my inspiration for doing this recipe. But the other reason I wanted to make this is because I noticed many people didn’t use fresh pumpkin to make their pie. So I thought that perhaps it’s time to change that and take things a level up.
Honestly, I’ve never been the biggest fan of pumpkin growing up. But as I got older and my taste buds matured a bit, it started to grow on me. But it certainly hit me just how much I like it in the form of a sweet pumpkin filling. And the spices just make it that little extra comforting, and let’s be honest, you need all the comfort you can get on Halloween am I right? Or am I just a big woos.
Speaking of Halloween, do any of you celebrate it? I am from Australia so we do, but probably not quite as hardcore as you Americans. But what kind of treats do you like on Halloween? Is pumpkin pie, spooky meringues, spider web cotton candy or as we call it here…fairy floss?
Ok, so I’ve done my homework for this post. And I just wanted to go over what I believe is the most important part of this recipe for getting a good result, apart from making it from scratch. I cooked it slowly. Having a really hot oven can easily make the pie go dry and overcooked. And what you are looking for is a smooth consistency. I’m sure many people who have made pumpkin pies or something very similar would know all about the cracks of doom. The cracks forming in the pie is an indication that you’ve cooked it too much. So be patient while the pie is in the oven and just let it do its thing. It’s also worth mentioning that you probably should avoid putting the pie on the high rack in the oven. I always put in around the middle area.
Other than that, thanks so much for the time you spent reading this post. It always means a great deal to me. If you decide to make this, let me know how it went. Have an awesome day and a wicked Halloween.
- 250g of plain four (plus extra for dusting)
- 125g of butter (plus a bit extra for greasing)
- 80ml (1/3 cup) of cold water
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- Baking beans or just a few good handfuls of uncooked rice.
- 530g of peeled fresh pumpkin cut into inch thick dices
- 30g of butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons of cornflour
- 14oz (395g) of sweetened condensed milk.
- A pinch of salt
- Put the sugar and water in a bowl or container, then stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Put the flour and butter in a large bowl, then use your finger tips to pinch the cubes of butter in the flour. Keep doing this until the mixture resembles a breadcrumb consistency.
- Next, add the sugary water mixture and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to stir the mixture (use you hands if you need to). Stop mixing as soon as the pastry comes together. And don't knead the pastry otherwise it can go tough. Sprinkle some flour on a clean surface, then put your pastry on top of that flour. Sprinkle a bit more flour on top of the pastry. Wrap it in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
- Lightly grease a tart case with butter. Dust some flour over it so it sticks to the butter, Once you have coated the tart case with the flour, shake off the excess and set aside.
- Take your pastry out of the fridge and unwrap it. Lightly dust a flat clean surface and a rolling pin with flour then roll your pastry until it's about 5mm thick. If the mixture starts sticking to the surface or the rolling pin, just add a touch more flour.
- Make sure the pastry isn't sticking to the surface. Gently lift the pastry by rolling it up on the rolling pin, then carefully unroll it on the tart case. Carefully ease the pastry into the edges. Use a fork to just lightly poke a few holes in the the pastry. Chill in the fridge again for another 10-15 minutes. At this point, start pre-heating your oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees F).
- Take your pastry out of the fridge. Get a sheet of baking paper, scrunch it up, open it up again then place it in your tart case over the pastry. Then fill with your baking beans or your uncooked rice to weigh the paper down. Place in the oven and cook/blind bake for 10 minutes. Take the pastry out of the oven, remove the beans/rice and baking paper, then put back in the oven and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to 150 degrees Celsius (300 degrees F) on the oven.
- Get a large pot of salted water and add your pumpkin. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, cook the pumpkin for a further 8-10 minutes until cooked through. Drain the pumpkin, then transfer on a plate lined kitchen paper to dry the pumpkin out.
- Get your butter in a small pot or pan and melt on low heat. Once the butter starts bubbling, simmer it for another 5 minutes until it develops and light brown colour (be careful not to burn it).
- Put the browned butter and cooked pumpkin in a large bowl and mash together with a fork until the pumpkin gets a nice puree consistency. Next, add your eggs, egg yolk, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornflour and a pinch of salt.
- Whisk together until well combined.
- Put the tart case on a baking tray.
- Transfer the filling to a measuring jug, then that makes it much easier to pour in the pastry case.
- Once the pastry case is almost filled up (meaning you may not need to add all the filling mixture). Very carefully place in the oven and cook for 1 hour.
- Once the pie is done, let it cool. Then you can top it with whatever you like. I topped it with some toasted pumpkin seeds, crushed store bought meringue and a strawberry coulis.
- And now you are ready to serve your homemade pumpkin pie! Enjoy.
- Making the pastry in advance can make your life much easier.
So you liked this Halloween Homemade Pumpkin Pie? Then you may also like these Spooky Haloween Pavlovas: http://www.blogtasticfood.com/mini-halloween-pavlovas/
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