Recipe makeover: Pumpkin Pie

The all-American pumpkin pie is a thanksgiving tradition. And while it's not really a 'thing' here in Aus, I was curious to see what a sweet pie made from a vegetable could taste like… Not that it's anything new- teaming vegetables with dessert- just think how delicious carrot cake is! I mean, it has the potential to be healthy AND delicious! But most classic pumpkin pie recipes are overloaded with cream, butter and sugar, defeating the goodness of the pumpkin. So here is my (healthy AND delicious) version of pumpkin pie :)

Notes: This recipe makes enough pumpkin filling for 1 large pie and 4 individual pies. You can cook the pumpkin in any way you like (boil, steam, roast) but roasting is the method I use here because it brings out the sweetness of the pumpkin a lot better. Despite mashing the pumpkin, the filling will still contain some small lumps of pumpkin- to get it completely smooth you will have to mash then strain the pumpkin before mixing with the other ingredients.

Pumpkin Pie

Pastry:

1 C wholemeal flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp castor sugar

4.5 Tbsp margarine, softened

4.5 Tbsp oil (e.g. macadamia, olive or canola)

6.5 Tbsp ice cold water

Filling:

~800g pumpkin (butternut or kent)- enough to make 2 C mashed pumpkin

185mL can Carnation Light and Creamy Evaporated Milk

2 eggs

½ C brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp allspice

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves

Optional: Decorate with pecans before baking

      1. Roast pumpkin in large chunks with the skin on at 200°C for ~45mins or until a knife cuts through easily. Set aside to cool.
2. Make pastry: Rub dry pastry ingredients and margarine until crumbly. Add oil, and then water a bit at a time, mixing lightly by hand until pastry stays together when rolled into a ball.
3. Roll out 2/3 of the pastry between 2 pieces of wax/baking paper until large enough to hang over the edges of a 20-22cm (8-9inch) pie or flan dish- this will become the base for the large pie. The pastry should be no thicker than 0.5cm.

     4. Place pastry gently over pie dish that has its base lined with baking paper and the sides sprayed lightly with oil and press to hold. Let the pastry come up above the side of the pie and neaten edge with a knife. Prick the base of the pie with a fork.
5. Repeat with remaining pastry, rolling out over one smaller pie dish or 4 individual tart dishes (I used egg rings, sprayed with a little oil, for mine).

6. Bake pies at 220°C for 5-10mins or until just cooked and lightly brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
7. Meanwhile, remove skin from roasted pumpkin and mash until smooth. Whisk in remaining filling ingredients and pour into pastry cases.
8. Bake large pie at 180°C for ~40mins and individual tarts for 15-20mins, until filling is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
9. Serve at room temperature with reduced fat and sugar vanilla yoghurt or ice cream and store remainder in fridge.

Makes 1 large pie and 4 individual tarts.