With COVID-19 quickly taking over everyday life, the world is becoming a rather surreal place to be. Luckily for me, I feel quite content staying at home baking and spending time with my lovely housemates (who just happen to be some of my favourite people). However, last weekend when school closures were announced, it was a shock to the system. While it was all in due time, and not unexpected in the slightest, it was a rather bizarre way to end my first term of teaching. Rapidly transitioning to remote learning has been even stranger. It doesn’t feel right without the abundance of questions and the liveliness that defines a Grade 1/2 classroom. I’m curious to see what next term brings for my school, students and myself. Only time will tell.
In the meantime, my household is quickly turning to using baked goods as a way to boost morale. For instance, last Sunday it was none other than Thea’s beloved pumpkin pie that stole the show. With a freshly picked pumpkin from Thea’s boyfriend’s garden, we immediately knew that this recipe was on the table. Although our home grown pumpkin ended up not having as much flavour as we had hoped, it still made the most amazing Sunday treat and definitely put a smile on everybody’s face!
Ever since we moved into our beautiful home back in 2018, Thea’s giant pumpkin pie has made a frequent appearance. It is buttery, fragrantly spiced and the cosiest treat to have at any time of the year (but especially in the cooler months). I‘m sure most of you already know, but the combination of pumpkin with nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger is perfection.
I hope that you are all coping well and staying safe during these uncertain times, and that Thea’s pumpkin pie can boost morale in your homes too! I’m sure you will see many more blog posts in the next couple of weeks as I spend school holidays at home.
Notes
- Recipe is adapted from The Joy of Cooking.
- You can half the recipe to make one smaller pie.
- For another great Autumn recipe, check out this delicious fig cake.
Thea’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Pie Dough
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 170 g unsalted butter
- 4 tbs chillled water
Pumpkin Filling
- 4 cups steamed pumpkin
- 2 375ml cans of evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup brown suger
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp all spice
- 4 eggs, beaten
Method
The crust
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Sift dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
- Using your fingertips, rub the butter into flour mixture.
- Sprinkle the dough with the water and stir until the dough comes together. If necessary, you can add a little more water.
- Press the dough into a 30 cm pie dish or two 9-inch pie dishes. Make sure you press the dough up around the edges.
- Lastly, prick the pie base and blind bake for 10-15 minutes.
The Filling
- First, puree the pumpkin by squashing it with a fork or using a blender/food processor.
- Stir in the other filling ingredients until well combined.
- Preheat oven to 220°C.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pre-baked pie crust.
- Bake for 12 minutes at 220°C, then reduce the heat to 180°C and bake for 20 minutes before checking.
- Cook for up to 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
- Serve with a dollop of cream.