by sy (architect by day, entertaining maestro any other time)
In the last segment on pies we lay down the simple rules on making short crust pastry which is the basis of pie making. How about trying your hand in making a real pumpkin pie in preparation for wild ghoulish Halloween party!
Short Crust Pastry for Pumpkin Pie
(serves 
1 1/4 cups plain flour (sifted)
100g butter (chopped, still hard)
2 tsp castor sugar
4 tbsp ice water
1 egg yolk lightly beaten mixed with 1 tbsp milk for glazing
Small pinch of salt
- Place butter, sifted flour and salt in a food processor and pulse until mixture is fine and crumbly. Add all the ice water and pulse until ingredients come together. Put pastry ball onto a piece of greaseproof paper large enough to cover the base and sides of a 230mm diameter pie dish.
- Roll out pastry to 3mm thickness and transfer the thin pastry carefully onto the dish. Trim excess with a sharp knife and crimp the edges with your fingers to make smooth curves. Roll out left over pastry to 2mm thickness for decorations i.e. leaves or Halloween shapes (up to your imagination!) Refrigerate the pastry in the dish for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180 C. Lightly press fork to base of pastry all over so that pastry will rise evenly in the oven but not too hard (or else there will be holes). Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and spread dry rice or beans over and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, discard paper and beans and bake bare for another 10 mins till pastry is golden brown. Brush pre-cut pastry decorations with egg/milk and bake for 10-15 minutes till golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Filling for Pumpkin Pie
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup soft brown sugar (this amount may be reduced if less sweet filling is desired)
- 500g cooked pumpkin, mashed and cooled
- 1/3 cup cream or evaporated milk (not condensed ¨C too sweet)
- 1 tbsp sweet sherry or rum
- 1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
-
- Whisk eggs and sugar in bowl with electric mixer.
- Add cooled pumpkin, cream or milk, sherry and spices and mix thoroughly.
- Pour the mixture onto the pre-baked pastry shell, smooth the surface with spatula and bake in the oven at 180 C for 40 minutes or until the filling is set. Allow the pie to cool at room temperature and place pre-baked decorative pastry shapes on top.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Key Lime Pie (serves
This is a wonderful dessert as it has a zangy tangy lime flavour which will certainly make you perk up if you are feeling sleepy after dinner. It is also very easy to make as it does not involve a pastry base but a crushed biscuit base.
Biscuit base
125g sweet wheatmeal biscuits (MacVites ‘Digestives’ are good)
80g butter (melted)
4 egg yolks (lightly beaten)
400g condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice (big green limes)
2 tsp finely grated lime rind
whipped cream for garnish, if desired
- Place biscuits in a food processor and pulse for 30 secs until finely crushed (fine crumbs)
- Transfer to large bowl, add butter and mix the crumbs till evenly moistened with butter and press mixture onto the bottom and sides of a 230mm pie dish. Regrigerate until firm ( more than 1 hour)
- Preheat oven to 180C
- Using electric beaters beat the egg yolks, condensed milk , lime juice and lime rind until well combined. ( about 1 minute). Pour onto the refrigerated crust and smooth out surface with spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set. Allow pie to cool . Refrigerate pie for at least 2 hours before serving (well chilled). Decorate with lime rind and whipped cream if desired just before serving.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
