Pumpkin Pie

It's that time of year again. We've had sunshine soup, now this is sunshine pie. And it tastes as good as it looks.

First, cook your pumpkin. I find the easiest way to do this is to cut it into big wedges, scoop out the seeds and pith, and boil the wedges until they are soft. Save the seeds, we'll use them later. Then allow them to cool, and simply rub the skin off. You can peel it first if you like, but it makes my wrists ache. Once you've rubbed off the skin, mash the pumpkin until it looks like this:
Pretty, isn't it? You can leave it to finish cooling now.

You'll need a 9 inch pastry case. I cheated and used the ready rolled stuff (don't disown me, Mum). Bake this blind for 5 minutes at 220c, 425F.

Now take 4 oz sugar, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg and a shake of mixed spice. Stir them together
Add 1lb of the pumpkin, 1/2tsp vanilla essence, 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons spoons lemon curd. Mix well, then add 8floz milk. Mix to a soupy consistency
Remind you of anything? Don't worry, a completely different flavour.

Pour the pie filling into the pastry case and bakefor 20 minutes at 220c/425f. Then lower oven temp to 140c/275f and bake for a further 40 minutes until it looks like this and is set in the middle
Allow to cool before eating - this pie definitely tastes better warm or chilled rather than piping hot. Delicious by itself, with cream or ice cream.


Remember those pumpkin seeds? Wash the stringy bits off them and spread them out on a baking tray. Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle freshly ground salt and pepper over the top. Then roast them until they are brown and toasty
Allow them to cool and put them into a little bowl. Like this
Munch at will.
NB if you decide to serve these as an appetizer, and pumpkin pie as a pudding, it's probably best not to use up the rest of that pumpkin puree in a soup. Unless you really, really like pumpkin, that is. Any one got any recipes for me to finish off the pumpkin?
Tia