This is the ultimate Autumn pudding. If you have never tried pumpkin pie, now is the time to give it a go! Although pumpkins are a very seasonal fruit, but a butternut squash will work just as well.

You will need:

Pastry:

• 115g Butter
• 100g Caster sugar
• 1 Egg
• 250g Plain flour

Filling:

• 600-700g Pumpkin (raw and unpeeled weight)
• 397g Can of condensed milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1tsp Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Ground ginger
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg

Method:

Start making the pastry first:

Pastry:

• Combine the butter and sugar with an electric whisk.
• Add the egg and mix well.
• Sieve in the flour and mix with a fork until it comes together into a ball of dough.
• Chill for one hour before using.
• Grease a 9” flan tins or pie dish and pre heat the oven to 170degrees.
• Flour the surface and rolling pin, roll out the pastry until even and about ½ cm thick.
• Line your chosen dish and push the pastry into the sides and trim the excess off.
• Blind bake for 10-15mins.
• Keep any pastry trimmings in the fridge.

Filling:

Start the filling while the pastry is resting.

• Pre heat the oven to 160degrees and butter an oven proof dish.
• Cut the pumpkin into wedges, arrange on a heat proof dish, cover and bake in the oven for about 30 mins – 1 hour.
• The pumpkin should be quite soft, allow to cool slightly so you can handle it to remove the skin. This should peel off easily.
• Place in a liquidizer with the condensed milk, eggs and spices.
• Blitz until smooth.
• Pour into the pastry case and return to the oven for 40mins – 1hour. Until set, but still has a slight wobble.

Serve warm or cold with cream or ice cream or on its own.

Best kept in the fridge and will keep for about 3days.

Tip: any leftover pastry and filling can be made into small individual pumpkin pies in your bun tray, the pastry will not need to be blind baked before use.

I topped my mini pumpkin pies with Italian Meringue.