Pumpkin seems to have BOOMED this year. Maybe it's the Starbucks effect- Spiced Pumpkin everything! I made my first Pumpkin Pie about a month ago and it was so easy, I dont know what held me back before. I suppose this year it's easier than ever to get hold of canned pumpkin. I bought this can of Libby's in John Lewis of all places! A couple of years ago I tried to have a Thanksgiving themed dinner and couldn't find pumpkin to save my life. You can get these from Ocado, Waitrose, or in posh food halls- So yay for exported goods! Not wanting to be the girl that ate all the pie, I decided to tone it down and make little mini pumpkin pie tarts. Much less guilt.
Tweaking the recipe from my pumpkin pie experiment, I gathered all the goodies and this is what I used:
1 cup of canned pumpkin
150 ml of evaporated milk
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon each of ginger, cinnamon and vanilla
Put the pumpkin and milk into your mixer and give it a quick swirl. Then add everything else in and leave it to mix for a couple of minutes. Pour the pumpkin juice into a jug. Giggle because you actually made pumpkin juice (10 points to Gryffindor). Done.
See. Easy Peasy.
I bought a packet of pre-made pastry- if it's good enough for Nigella, it's good enough for me! I rolled it out onto a board and used a cutter to make the circles for my pie bottoms.
Then I got out my trusty old muffin tin that I've had since the dawn of time, lightly greased it, and placed the raw pastry into them. Once you've laid all the pastry into the tin, pour the pumpkin juice into each cup- enough so that it reaches the top of the crust.
I wasn't sure if I needed to bake the pastry for a few minutes first, but after a bit of googling, I decided they would be fine and put them into the oven to bake for 15 minutes at 220 c, pumpkin goop and all.
Then I stood in front of the oven making sure they weren't burning anyway.
I needn't have worried. They came out perfectly! From nervous, raw pie wrecks:
To this! Caramelised and perfectly set pumpkin custard filled tarts with a nice golden crust.
There was a tense moment trying to pry them out of the tin, but they came out very easily. My inner Mel & Sue whooped with delight. It pays to keep ancient muffin tins I suppose!
Now all I need is a Halloween party to bring these to! Make do as my kitchen sign reads and EAT
*hiccup*
these are adorable and perfect for someone like me, daunted at the prospect of making a whole pie! i like the rustic looking pan too, shows it's had a lot of love :) x
ReplyDeleteMiho @ Wander to Wonder
it's had far too much love and is probably responsible for about a million calories to have passed my lips! 0_o
DeleteThese look delicious, and I've always wanted to try a pumpkin pie!
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing the pumpkin tin is just like blitzed pumpkin?
Hmm maybe...
its pureed pumpkin, i think if i tried to make it myself i would boil chunks of pumpkin and stick it in the food processor. It tastes how I would imagine Autumn to taste, mmm! all the good holiday season spices!
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