Pumpkin pie is an autumn favourite in many homes. The sweet flavour is unlike any other and there is also the nutritional value of pumpkin to consider. While many pumpkin pie recipes include some kind or puree with whipped cream, there is another way of making a truly delicious pie with fresh pumpkin instead. The best part is that it is not as difficult as it might sound!

Ingredients:

  • Fresh pumpkin or butternut squash
  • Ready-made pastry or your favourite pie dough (the kind that you can roll out)
  • Sugar to taste
  • Cinnamon (optional but really delicious)
  • Vanilla essence (optional)
  • Egg (beaten for basting the top of the pie)

Method:

  • Start by cleaning your pumpkin or butternut squash. Feel free to set the seeds as side and dry them out before roasting them. They make delicious snacks too.
  • Once cleaned, you need to grate your pumpkin into a large bowl.
  • Keep another bowl nearby and squeeze handfuls of the grated pumpkin so that the juice comes out. Place the squeezed pumpkin into the second bowl.
  • Discard the juice or freeze it if you plan on making pumpkin soup one day.
  • Repeat the squeezing process again if your pumpkin is still very moist.
  • Add sugar to the pumpkin and cinnamon if desired. This is all done to taste and you can even add some vanilla essence too if you like.
  • Prepare your baking sheet with flour before rolling out the pie dough and placing it in the sheet. You want to make sure that the edges are raised so that the juice from the cooked pumpkin does not spill over onto the baking sheet and under the pie.
  • Give your sugary pumpkin mixture a quick stir and fill the tray with the mixture.
  • Add another layer of pastry over the top of the pie.
  • Bake at 180 C for about 20 to 30 minutes or until you notice the pumpkin is soft and cooked inside.
  • Baste the top of the pie with the egg wash and bake until golden brown on top.
  • Allow the pie to stand and cool for at least 30 minutes before you cut and serve that delicious pumpkin pie!

This pumpkin pie recipe is delicious and simple. It is also really versatile. For example, if you like, you could do pretty much the same thing but using cleaned and chopped apples instead. Skip the vanilla in this case and make sure that you cook your apples for a few minutes before adding them to the pie. Not all pies are round so feel free to use a rectangular, oval or any other dish you like. When you want to pamper a loved one this autumn with a delicious gift, consider including some fresh pumpkin pie too!