You have to admit- Halloween is always a little weird in Australia. Spring is springing and Summer is on it’s way…we want bright cheerful colours- but the northern hemisphere traditions around Halloween persist. Granted, who doesn’t love a holiday devoted to eating something a little sweet.
Pumpkin Pie is one of those traditions that has made it down under these days. While Australians are used to eating pumpkin as a savoury, our northern cousins eat it as a sweet. Well, why not.
Homely cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg spice up this fresh version of Pumpkin Pie. We know from our Food waste adventures- that an ENORMOUS amount of waste is created through the tradition of carving pumpkins. Here are Minifarms- we aren’t fun haters- telling you not to adopt holiday traditions- instead we support everyone taking small steps in their own lives that help shift the thinking, narrative and action on food waste.
So- when you are making that carved pumpkin- scrape out as much of the inside flesh as you can to make this yummy fresh tasting pie. Better yet- instead of carving a pumpkin- get creative with paints- and then you have a whole fresh pumpkin to play with after the festivities. No heavy gloppy pie here- light, cinnamon spiced and just the right amount of creamy texture. Delicious cold or warm served with whip cream, ice cream, sprinkles, or just on it’s own! We experimented with making big pies, smaller lunch boxed size treats and even a crust free “Brûlée” type version in cups. All were a hit and provide versatility to this recipe.
There is no reason to save this pie for holidays- have a spare bit of pumpkin left? Give this a go!
Helpful Hint- I used a hand mixer to get a super smooth consistency. (I also may have used up a bit of left over COYO as part of my ‘cream’… ssh- don’t tell.)
What You Need:
Pie Filling:
3 large eggs
2 cups of pumpkin puree (steam or roast pumpkin til soft and puree)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin or “Mixed” Spice (see below)
Method:
You can obviously use any pie crust you prefer. If you need a pie crust recipe- the one below works well. We also made some crust-less versions along the lines of a brûlée, with the pie filling mix, that were fun. Try lunch box sized tarts- just adjust your cooking time for smaller portions.
Preheat your oven to 220 degrees C.
Whisk in the pumpkin, cream and vanilla extract until combined.
Add sugar, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice and mix until completely combined. I then used a stick blender to get it super creamy smooth because my pumpkin puree was a little lumpy.
Pour the filling into unbaked pie crust.
Bake for 15 minutes at 220 degrees C.
Reduce the temperature to 175 degrees C and continue to bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. It may be a bit wobbly still, but it will firm-up as it cools.
Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack for 2 hours (Be patient! This is important). Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Associated Recipes:
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice (1 TBS)
If you can’t find “Mixed Spice” or “Pumpkin Pie Spice” at the shops in Australia- here is a handy DIY mix. This is actually a handy mixture to make up and use through to Christmas. Stir the following spices together and use 2 tsp of this in the recipe in place of the pumpkin pie spice!
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp allspice
Pie Crust:
156 g all purpose or pastry flour
½ tsp salt
1 Tbs caster sugar
1/2 cup salted butter chilled, and cut into 1 inch pieces**
¼ cup ice cold water
Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor fitted with an “S” blade and pulse to combine.
Add the butter and slowly drizzle in cold water and process until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, begins to stick together, and holds together when pinched.
Remove dough from processor (will be crumbly) and form into a ball.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or overnight
