Pumpkin pie with pecan pastry
Serves: 10
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Toby Scott
Pumpkin pie with pecan pastry
Pecans give traditional pastry an extra-short buttery texture in this classic American dessert. The creamy pumpkin filling is richly spiced and a dark chocolate web adds the fright factor!
Serves: 10
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
366Kcal
Fat
26gr
Saturates
13gr
Carbs
27gr
Sugars
13gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
5gr
Salt
0.5gr
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our former Junior Food Editor. An obsessive foodie with a sweet tooth, she is happiest when baking and is a firm believer that there is always room for dessert (preferably following a big bowl of pasta)
See more of Abigail Spooner’s recipes
Ingredients
- 350g roughly chopped pumpkin or butternut squash (prepared weight)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 200ml double cream, plus extra to serve
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp black treacle
- 50g light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 2 medium eggs, plus 1 yolk
For the pastry
- 50g pecans
- 225g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 115g cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1 medium egg yolk
To decorate
- 50g dark chocolate, finely chopped
Step by step
Get ahead
Prep to the end of step 4 the day before. Keep the baked tart case in an airtight container at room temperature and the roast pumpkin or squash in the fridge. The finished pie will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, or leftovers can be frozen.
- For the pastry, add the pecans and flour to a food processor with a pinch of salt and blitz until the nuts are finely ground. Add the diced butter and pulse until the mixture is crumb-like. Beat the egg yolk with 1½ tablespoons cold water then add this to the dry ingredients and pulse until clumps start to form. Tip out and shape into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use to line a fluted 23cm tart tin. Chill for at least 45 minutes and preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.
- Toss the pumpkin or squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Spread out on a large baking tray and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, drizzle over the maple syrup, toss to coat and roast for a further 10 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.
- Line the tart case with crumpled baking paper and fill with baking beans; place on a baking tray and blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and cook for 8-10 minutes more, or until the pastry looks crisp and pale golden. Set aside to cool, and reduce the oven temperature to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas 3.
- Pour the cream into a saucepan and add the spices, treacle and brown sugar. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the cream is beginning to steam. Leave to cool and infuse for 10 minutes.
- Place the roasted pumpkin or squash into a clean food processor with the icing sugar, orange zest, whole eggs and yolk. Add the spiced cream and whizz until smooth. Pour into the tart case, still on the tray.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until just set – it should still have a slight wobble in the centre. Remove and allow to cool completely.
- To decorate, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between bursts, or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a fine nozzle (or snip the very end off if using a disposable bag). Pipe evenly spaced lines radiating from the centre of the tart and then curved lines around the tart to connect each spoke. Place in the fridge to set and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve with pouring cream, if you like.
