Easy Peasy Pumpkin Pie Recipe

’Tis the season to – carve pumpkins! Have you done one; do you plan to? This year my husband did the honours for Pixie, our eldest. My role was to create something from the flesh – Pixie had requested pumpkin pie so, not wanting to be wasteful, I obliged. Today I’m sharing my delicious – and easy peasy – pumpkin pie recipe, in case you’d like to do the same with your leftovers.

I’d never cooked with fresh pumpkin before, and it was quite the learning curve! When I came to take the chopped innards out of the fridge where Dan had left them for me, I was seriously concerned about the lack of pumpkin – where was it all?!

I found the vast majority of the flesh still nestled inside its skin, un-carved. Dan was at work, so I had little choice but to continue removing it myself.

I urge you never to do this.

Suffice to say, I have a few tips for you before you even get started with the recipe:

1. It’s all well and good wanting to use the pumpkin you’re carving, but trust me – trying to take the excess flesh out of a carved pumpkin without causing damage is not easy. In fact, I’d venture it’s a little bit dangerous.
2. I highly recommend saving the leftovers from carving for another (smaller) bake, or to make soup perhaps – and simply using a can of purée for this recipe.
3. If you’re keen to use fresh, it’s much easier to halve the pumpkin and bake it, after which removing the skin will be a breeze.
4. Note that just like with squash, cooked pumpkin skin is actually edible!
5. If you’re really determined to take the flesh out of your kid’s carved pumpkin, you’ll need a long sharp knife and a lot of patience. It’s literally a case of sliding the knife in and around the pumpkin as close to the skin as possible. This will result in irregular slices rather than nice neat chunks.
6. Just use a can of purée.

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Okay, on with the recipe.

Easy Peasy Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Pie Crust:

I’m not a diehard baker, and this recipe is not called Easy Peasy for no reason.

I used ready rolled shortcrust pastry, available form all good supermarkets.

Filling Ingredients:

• 450g/1lb prepared weight pumpkin flesh, cut into chunks with seeds and stringy portions removed
• 1 (410g) tin evaporated milk
• 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
• 75g/3oz soft dark brown sugar
• 1 lemon, for zest
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 level teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F.
2. To make the filling, bring pumpkin chunks to the boil, and then simmer for around 30 minutes, until tender. Set aside to cool.
3. Line a 20cm pie dish with pastry.
4. Lightly whisk the eggs together in a large bowl. Add the evaporated milk, sugar, spices, and salt. Grate 1 teaspoon of lemon zest into the mixture.
5. Mash the pumpkin and then, using a food processor or electric whisk, blend into a purée.
6. Now combine the pumpkin purée to the egg and sugar mixture and mix thoroughly, using the blender or whisk again to remove any lumps.
7. Pour the filling into your pastry case and bake for 15 minutes.
8. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F.
9. Bake for 30 minutes more, or until a knife inserted into the pie comes out clean.
10. Remove the pie from the oven and cool in the fridge for 30 minutes to finish setting the pie filling.
11. Serve warm, or chilled with whipped cream and dusted in cinnamon.

Et voila – delicious – and easy peasy – pumpkin pie! And simple enough to do with the kids. If you use a can of pumpkin purée.