Pumpkin pie recipe brings a taste of American autumn

Sweet pumpkin pie is a simple way to use this vegetable for dessert. In the version with added condensed milk, it will literally melt in your mouth, and additionally won't be too strong with the characteristic pumpkin flavour. Pumpkin pie tastes great served warm, but it is also excellent cold. It pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea, creating an aromatic and tasty dessert for autumn-winter days.

To prepare the perfect sweet pumpkin pie, it is worth paying attention to the type of pumpkin you choose. Not every pumpkin is suitable for baking cakes. Choosing the right type of pumpkin can significantly affect the taste and texture. The best and easiest to buy is the Hokkaido pumpkin. Its flesh is sweet, creamy, and easy to blend, making it perfect for desserts. This pumpkin does not require peeling, which shortens the preparation time.

To give the pie the appropriate taste and texture, it is worth combining pumpkin puree with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. The whole thing is complemented by eggs, which act as a binder, and condensed milk, which adds the right sweetness and delicacy. The proportions are given for a 20-centimetre cake pan.

Ingredients for the crust:

• 200 grams of wheat flour,
• 125 grams of butter,
• 50 grams of caster sugar,
• 1 egg.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 500 millilitres of pumpkin puree,
• 1 can (400 grams) of condensed milk,
• 2 eggs,
• 6 grams of cinnamon,
• 3 grams of ground ginger,
• 2 grams of ground nutmeg, 3 crushed cloves.

Preparation:

1. Sift the flour, add chopped cold butter, sugar, and egg. Chop everything with a knife, gathering it to the centre. Then knead it into a smooth dough, make a ball, and put it in the fridge for about an hour.
2. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds, and cut it into small pieces. Put it in a pot with a small amount of water and cook until soft so that it begins to fall apart. Blend into a smooth paste.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line the baking pan with parchment paper or grease with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
4. Pour the condensed milk into the pumpkin puree, add the spices, and mix thoroughly. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add the yolks and, in parts, the pumpkin puree, gently mixing with a spatula.
5. Take the dough out of the fridge, roll it out for the crust, and line the bottom and sides of the pan. Pre-bake the crust for about 8 minutes.
6. Then pour the pumpkin filling onto the crust in the pan. Put it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 200°C, then about 40 minutes at 170°C.
7. Before baking, you can add decoration from part of the shortcrust pastry for a nice presentation of the pie.