Octobers are made for Pumpkin Pies!

“Notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.”

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Who does not love this time of year, full of coziness, togetherness, hygge! Things slow down, the pace changes, we get into habits and routines. Who else spends hours in the kitchen around this time trying new recipes and snacking in between? Hopefully you are one of the kind and to fill your upcoming weekend with cozy Autumn smells, you will enjoy the Nut Pumpkin Pie with Spiced Honey recipe offered by our beautiful friend Aimee Twigger!

You can buy yourself a pastry tart, however, if you want to prepare one at home, you will need the following ingredients:

• 200g squash or pumpkin purée (roast a medium squash and then purée the flesh discarding skin and seeds and weigh out 200g) 
• 240ml whole milk warmed in microwave 
• 2 large eggs and one yolk
• 70g brown sugar (I used a mix of dark and light)
• 60g runny honey
• 50g ground almonds
• 100g chopped mixed nuts plus a few whole ones for the top (pecan, hazelnut, almond, walnut)
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 
• 1 and a half tsp Cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp All spice (alternatively you can use pumpkin spice if you have some)
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg 
• Salt

So how do we make a pastry tart? Roast squash and purée and put through a sieve and then weigh out 200g. Mix warmed milk and pumpkin purée with eggs and yolk, brown sugar, honey and spices and vanilla, add a good pinch of salt and the ground almonds. Add half the chopped nuts in the base of the blind baked tart case then pour in pumpkin filling and add the rest of the chopped nuts and a few whole nuts. Brush around the edge with egg wash and pastry leaves, then brush the pastry leaves with egg wash and sprinkle over sugar and bake for 25/30 mins at 160c fan or 180c turning half way. It is done when the edges are set and the center has a slight wobble. Cool then chill for at least 1 hour before slicing. Blind bake tart shell and make leaves with off cuts. 

 For the pastry we will need:

• 220g plain flour 
• 110g unsalted butter cold cut into small chunks 
• 15g sugar 
• 1 egg + 1 tsp of cold water as needed 
• 1 tsp salt 

How to make the pastry?  Rub butter together with flour, salt and sugar until it resembles bread crumbs then add the egg and mix and add water if needed and bring together into a ball, flatten and cover and chill for 20 minutes. Roll out and line pie tin with pastry, cut off excess and line with baking paper and add baking beans and blind bake at 180c for 15 mins. Remove baking weights and paper and bake for another 10 minutes until golden. Enjoy!

By the way, use off cuts to make leaves! Please visit her Instagram profile to see Aimee’s tutorial on making the leaves!