This year, give your Halloween a Celtic twist with a spooky and scrumptious Irish Pumpkin Pie.

Preparation

Pumpkin Puree

Cut a medium-sized pumpkin into wedges and discard all the seeds. Cook the pumpkin in the microwave on high power for 12 minutes. Scrape off all the cooked flesh and purée it quickly in a blender until smooth. (If you are using canned pumpkin purée you’ll need to spoon it onto a clean tea-towel and squeeze away as much liquid as possible.) You’ll need 400g/14oz prepared pumpkin purée for the pie.

Ingredients + Instructions

Pie pastry and base

2 cups plain flour (250g)
1/2 cup butter (100g)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (75g)
1 medium egg
A little cold water
3.5oz crushed gingernut biscuits (100g)

Rub the butter into the flour until its like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mix in. Break in the egg and quickly pull the pastry together adding a little cold water if needed. Roll it out and line a floured 10″ Pie Dish (about 1.5 ” deep). Trim off any extra pastry. Crumb the ginger nut biscuits in a blender or by placing them in a sandwich bag and rolling them with a rolling pin until fine. Sprinkle the biscuit-crumb over the pastry base, pat it down and refrigerate until needed. Crush the gingernut biscuits and gently press them onto the sweet pastry.

Irish whiskey pumpkin pie filling

3 medium eggs
1 cup light brown sugar (160g)
1 2/3 cups (1x 410g can) evaporated milk
1 tspn ground cinnamon
1/2 tspn ground ginger
A pinch of ground cloves
1/2 tspn salt
1 2/3 cup pumpkin purée (400g)
2 tbspn Irish whiskey (35ml)

Break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them well. Add the brown sugar and mix in for 30 seconds until they’re thick and creamy. Add the can of evaporated milk and mix well for about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin purée along with the flavorings and mix everything together until smooth. Lastly, add the whiskey and stir it into the filling. Carefully pour the mix into your pie dish and tap the side of the dish a few times to help raise the air bubbles to the top. Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven at 320°F / 160°C for 40 minutes.

Have a spooky Samhain!