Fresh Pumpkin Pie Recipe

This Fresh Pumpkin Pie Recipe is so light. The pumpkin pie crust is cooked in advance, so assembling the pie is quick at the end.

This particular Fresh Pumpkin Pie Recipe calls for roasted butternut. This gives the pie a lovely rich, nutty intensity. There are two ways of roasting the butternut, both of which can be prepared in advance. Either you can place the whole butternut squash in a moderate oven and bake it on a baking tray for about an hour. Remove it from the oven. Cut it open and discard the seeds. Then scoop out the flesh which you will use in this recipe.

The other option is the one that I favor. It is a little more work up front, but quicker in the long run. Peel the butternut. People tend to hack away at butternut squashes with all manner of knives and implements. I find that a simple vegetable peeler does the job well, plus it saves my fingers from getting chopped off! Simply peel along the length of the butternut. Next, chop the butternut into cubes, discarding the seeds. Place the cubes on an oiled baking tray. Massage a little oil over the butternut cubes and roast them in a moderate oven. Simple!

Ingredients:

1. Put the butternut, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla essence into a food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth.
2. Add the eggs, brandy and cream and blend again.
3. Pour into the pie shell. Bake for about 40 minutes. If the sides of the pie are browning too much, you can cover them with some tin foil. This allows the filling to cook without the pastry becoming burnt. The pie is ready when the filling is no longer sloppy, but just firm. A knife inserted into the centre should come out almost clean. Avoid overcooking the pie - remember that this is essentially a custard, so the filling should be a little wobbly.
4. Remove from the pie tin and serve with cream.