Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Although traditionally served in the United States for Thanksgiving, pumpkin makes a delicious dessert any time and anywhere. The recipe calls for 550g of purée. You'll need almost three times that weight uncooked it sounds a lot but pumpkins can be watery and lose a lot of weight during cooking. Any excess can be used as a vegetable or made into soup.
If you are struggling to find a ripe orange-fleshed pumpkin, use butternut squash as they tend to be consistent in flavour and ripeness.
for the sablé pastry
185g unsalted butter
225g icing sugar
3 egg yolks
300g plain flour
for the filling
1.5kg orange-fleshed, ripe pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into rough chunks
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp mixed spice
A good knob of butter
250g double cream
250g crème fraîche
180g golden syrup
to serve
Pumpkin seeds
Icing sugar
First make the sablé pastry. In a food processor, mixer or by hand, cream the butter and icing sugar together until they are light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks. Mix well, then fold in the flour. Press the dough into a ball and refrigerate for about one hour.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/gas mark 5. Put the pieces of pumpkin in a roasting tray with half the cinnamon and mixed spice and the butter.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes until soft, giving the occasional stir. Take out, drain and cool in a colander. Blend the pumpkin in a liquidiser until smooth and push through a conical strainer if you have one or the colander if you don't (a sieve is too fine) to remove any fibrous strands. You will need approximately 550g of the purée to use for the pie; don't worry if you're a little short.
Bring the cream to the boil, mix with the golden syrup and leave to cool. Gently mix in the crème fraîche and pumpkin purée and add the rest of the cinnamon and mixed spice.
Turn the oven down to 150ºC/gas mark 2.
Roll the sablé pastry on a floured table until 5mm thick. Grease a flan ring or tart tin approximately 4-5cm deep and 20-25cm wide or eight deep individual ones and line with the pastry, trim the edges and refrigerate for one hour. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is lightly golden.
Remove the beans and paper. Pour the pumpkin mix up to the top of the tart case and bake for 40-50 minutes until the filling has set.
To serve, put the pumpkin seeds on some foil on a baking tray, dredge with icing sugar and bake for 10 minutes or so until golden.
Carefully cut the pie into generous slices and scatter the seeds on top.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments