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.

Turkey and Pancetta Pie

I had a few ingredients I needed to use up, and so decided to make a Turkey and Pancetta pie. You can always use chicken instead of turkey, or bacon instead of pancetta for this. The rest of the ingredients are all standard store cupboard stuff, apart from maybe the mascarpone - which is one of the ingredients I wanted to use up.

A simple light shortcrust pastry, and you are well on your way to a tasty supper.


Ingredients:

• 30g butter
• 3 Turkey escalopes (or chicken breasts) diced (approx 420g)
• 130g pancetta cubes ( or diced bacon)
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 250ml chicken stock
• 100ml semi-skimmed milk
• 2 dessert spoon mascarpone (optional)
• 2 tsp fresh chopped tarragon ( or 1 tsp dried)
• Enough short crust pastry for a base and lid

Method:

1. Melt butter and add a dash of olive oil
2. Add the pancetta and let it simmer for a minute or two to allow the fat to render
3. Add the turkey breast and stir until browned
4. Take out the turkey and pancetta with a slotted spoon and put aside
5. Add in the diced onion and simmer for a few minutes until softened
6. Add in the crushed garlic and stir through
7. Sprinkle over 2 level tablespoons of plain flour
8. Stir through and allow the flour to cook out for a minute or two
9. Slowly add the stock a bit at a time, stirring well to remove any lumps
10. Then add the milk
11. Now add in the mascarpone if using (you can switch this for a bit of cream if you want)
12. Add in the tarragon
13. Finally add in the turkey and pancetta then allow to cool slightly while you prepare the pastry
14. Roll out the pastry and line the greased tart tin. Trim off any excess leaving it a little proud of the edges to allow for a little shrinkage
15. Prick the pastry bottom, then cover with greaseproof and fill with baking beans
16. Bake at gas mark 4 for 10 minutes
17. Take out the beans, brush with some beaten egg, and put back in oven for 5 minutes to seal the base
18. Place the filling into the base, and cover with more rolled out pastry. Seal the edges, and brush with more beaten egg. Place a couple of slits to allow steam to escape
19. Bake in the oven at gas mark 5 for 30 minutes. Check after 20 mins as you may need to put a circle of greaseproof paper around the edges to prevent burning.
20. Eat immediately with some lovely green veg & creamy mash, or chill once cooled and eat cold - it is just as nice.
 

TIP:
Once cooled, it can be frozen. Reheat only once it is fully defrosted. Try freezing it in portion sizes - that way you don't have to defrost the whole pie!

Servings	8
Calories per serving	582

Toffee Apple Crumble Pie

I have several batches of toffee apple pie filling in the freezer, and I took one out yesterday and couldn't make my mind up whether to make a pie, or a crumble. As I had some left over pastry, I decided to go for a pie ... that was until I realised I only had enough dough for a base.

All was not lost, when I realised I could have the best of both worlds, and made a crumble topping.

Toffee and apple are made for each other, and this easy to make filling can be made with any cooking or dessert apple, and can even be made in huge batches and then frozen in portion sizes for later use.

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 125g butter
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 4 tbsp water
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g dark brown sugar
• 700g apples, peeled and diced

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan
2. Stir in the flour to form a paste
3. Add the water and sugar and stir well in
4. Bring to the boil, until the mixture starts to turn golden caramel brown
5. Reduce heat, and add the apples.
6. Simmer for a few minutes until apples start to soften.

If freezing, put mixture into freezer bags once cooled, then place into freezer. Allow to fully defrost before using in a pie or crumble.

Crumble Topping:

• 150g plain flour
• 100g sugar
• 100g butter

1. cut the cold butter into cubes
2. place in a bowl with the sugar and flour
3. rub together with finger tips until a fine crumb is formed.

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4  / 350F / 180C
2. Line a 9" tart tin with sweetcrust pastry, and blind bake for 15 minutes
3. Remove baking beans, and brush with a beaten egg, then put back in the oven for 5 minutes
4. Place the apple filling in the pastry base
5. Sprinkle to crumble topping evenly over the top, but not over the edge of the pastry
6. Bake in oven for 40 minutes

TIP: You may need to cover the edges of the pie crust with a circle of greaseproof to prevent burning for the last 10 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream, cream, or custard.