To make a pumpkin pie to serve 4 – 6 people, you will need the following ingredients:
A shortcrust pastry flan case (or line a 20 cm/ 8 inch flat tin with pastry and bake blind)
700 g of pumpkin
85 g of caster sugar
half a teaspoon of ground allspice or cinnamon
a teaspoon of ground ginger
3 medium eggs
150 ml of single cream
approx. half a teaspoon of grated nutmeg
Peel the pumpkin and throw away all the seeds and fibrous bits. Chop the flesh into small cubes.
Put them into a wide, shallow saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water. Cook gently for about 45 minutes. The pumpkin will release quite a lot of liquid. When it is soft and translucent drain it in a sieve.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C, gas mark 5.
Blend the pumpkin in a food processor and then press the puree through a sieve to remove all fibres.
Add the sugar, ginger, allspice, eggs and cream and mix until smooth. Pour into the pastry case and sprinkle the top with nutmeg.
Bake the pie for an hour or until the filling is just set. If the pastry starts to turn too brown, cover with greaseproof paper or foil.
