’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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Note that just like with squash, cooked pumpkin skin is actually edible!
- 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.
- 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:
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F.
- To make the filling, bring pumpkin chunks to the boil, and then simmer for around 30 minutes, until tender. Set aside to cool.
- Line a 20cm pie dish with pastry.
- 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.
- Mash the pumpkin and then, using a food processor or electric whisk, blend into a purée.
- Now combine the pumpkin purée to the egg and sugar mixture and mix thoroughly, using the blender or whisk again to remove any lumps.
- Pour the filling into your pastry case and bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F.
- Bake for 30 minutes more, or until a knife inserted into the pie comes out clean.
- Remove the pie from the oven and cool in the fridge for 30 minutes to finish setting the pie filling.
- 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.
