Pumpkin Pie

Sadly, due to the inclement weather this year, my squash patch was pretty much a wash out. The incessant rain caused mold on the broad leaves, and any budding squash was soon munched on by the army of slugs and snails that invaded my garden this year.

I was devastated, my grand plans of producing enough pumpkin and squash puree to last me through many soups and pies were dashed. However, a delightful friend from the US happened to mention that she used canned pumpkin. All was not lost, I thought.


Canned pumpkin however, is not a staple item of the British supermarket. The internet came to my rescue, and several cans were ordered and delivered. The most famous brand is of course Libby's, which is actually a puree of Dickinson's Select, something more akin to a squash than an actual pumpkin. Fresh pumpkin tends to be a little too stringy or fibrous to give a truly smooth finish.

I am not sure why it is but, Butternut aside, fresh squash is largely ignored in our supermarkets. It is a delicious and nutritious ingredient and I love cooking with it, and wish more people did. Many people I have spoken to have also never tried a pumpkin pie. The British as a whole seem to have trouble accepting the idea of a vegetable based dessert.

The dish is quite sweet because of the condensed milk, so I reduced the sugar from the original recipe. Next time, I might switch the sugar for Maple Syrup which will add a taste of New England to this autumn classic.

Ingredients:

• 40g caster sugar 
• 40g light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 ounces)340g condensed milk
• Pastry for one 9” pie tin 

Method:

1. Prepare shortcrust pastry, or buy ready made.
2. Line a greased 9" pie tin, then cover with clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes
3. Cover with greaseproof paper, and fill with baking beans.
4. Bake blind at gas mark 6/200c/400f for 15 mins then remove the paper and beans
5. Brush with a little beaten egg, and place the pastry shell back in the oven for a further 5-10 minutes until golden.

6. Mix sugar, salt, and spices in small bowl, and set aside.
7. Beat eggs in large bowl, then add pumpkin puree and spice mixture.
8. Gradually stir in condensed milk.
9. Pour into pie shell
10. Bake at Gas Mark 4/180c/350f for 40-50 minutes, until firm but there should still be a slight wobble in the middle.
11. Leave to cool on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour before turning out and serving with a dollop of whipped cream.

Coconut Ice

If you like coconut, then you will love coconut ice! It's soft, and coconutty and oh-so-sweet.

I have had coconut ice before that is quite hard, but this recipe is softer, and more melt in the mouth. You could make it firmer by adding more icing sugar, coconut, or by leaving it out longer to allow the icing to set.

The best thing about this recipe is that there is absolutely no cooking involved. There is another way to make coconut ice that does involve cooking the sugar in much the same way you would fudge, but that gives a much harder result.


Ingredients:

• 397g can condensed milk
• 350g desiccated coconut
• 350g icing sugar 
• red food colouring

 Method:

1. Line a tray with greaseproof paper
2. Put a whole can of condensed milk into your mixing bowl
3. Next, stir in the icing sugar. You should have a reasonably thick paste at this stage.
4. Now add in the coconut. This will be quite hard work, so if you have a mixer it will make your life a lot easier.
5. If the mixture is still a little sloppy (it should stay on the spoon when turned upside down) add more icing sugar
6. Split the mixture in half, pressing the white half into the bottom of your tray.
7. Add 1 or 2 drops of red colouring to turn it pink, then carefully dot lumps of the pink mixture on top of the white
8. Using a spatula, carefully tease the pink mixture over the white. 
9. Cover with a clean tea towel, and leave over night
10. Will keep in airtight container for up to 4 weeks

TIP:
If you are bagging these up as gifts, try rolling the pieces in a little icing sugar to stop them sticking together.
You could try using strawberry flavouring instead of just red colouring as this will add colour as well as flavour.
As another flavour alternative, why not add 75g of dark chocolate instead of colouring, then prepare as normal.