Thanksgiving is an important date in the US and Canadian calendar; a national holiday when members of the family gather together. The event is officially held to give thanks for the year’s harvest, but these days it’s used more as an excuse for a holiday and the traditional meal, consisting of turkey followed by pumpkin pie.
This pumpkin pie recipe uses a non-traditional ingredient – espresso. The result is a rich, moist pie, not as sweet as some recipes and with no trace of the extra ingredient in the taste.
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Roll out the pastry according to the packet instructions, and line a 22cm deep pie dish. Prick the pastry all over the base with a fork, and put in the oven to blind bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the pumpkin in a heavy-based saucepan with two tablespoons of water, and heat gently until the pumpkin is soft and mushy. Blend using a food processor, or push through a sieve, and set aside.
Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a large bowl and the whites into a smaller bowl, and whisk the egg whites until they stand up in stiff peaks.
Add the pumpkin puree and spices to the egg yolks, and pour in the milk and coffee. Mix thoroughly until full combined.
Carefully fold in the egg whites, trying to keep as much volume in the mixture as possible. Pour the filling into the pastry case, and return it to the oven for 30 – 35 minutes until the filling is firm and set. Check the pie during cooking, as you might need to cover it with foil if the top becomes too brown).
Serve with whipped cream.
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