American Pumpkin Pie

Being a lover of most things American (especially the food!), I have this beautiful pumpkin pie recipe which I like to make each year around this time, when pumpkins are readily available in the shops. Try to get one of the culinary pumpkins as opposed to the ones for carving!

This tastes gorgeous warm or chilled and on this occasion I have served it with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 sweet pastry or biscuit base for a (23cm / 9 in) pie

1kg pumpkin, cooked and mashed

1  tin condensed sweetened milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground all spice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 220 C / Gas mark 7.

2. In a large bowl, combine mashed pumpkin, milk and eggs. Season with cinnamon, ginger, all spice and salt. Mix together with a wire whisk until thoroughly blended. Pour filling into pie dish.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180 C / Gas mark 4 and bake another 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

** can be made with fresh or tinned pumpkin - for fresh peel and chop your pumpkin, discarding the seeds. Put in a saucepan with a little water and put on a medium-low heat and cover. Cook for about 20 mins until the pumpkin has softened. Mash the pumpkin or blitz in the food processor**