Tom's pumpkin pie with cardamom and maple syrup

This pie is a game of two halves.

Part one: Sweet Baked Pumpkin

Use this sweet pumpkin recipe in my delicious gluten free pie or as a filling for pastries.

Ingredients (Serves 8)

600g pumpkin

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of ginger

6 cardamom pods

50 ml maple syrup or honey

50g Sugar

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  2. Cut the pumpkin into wedges about 1-2 inches thick. Keep the seeds to roast later. Place on a baking tray.
  3. Sprinkle with the sugar and spices and drizzle the maple syrup over the top.
  4. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the pumpkin is very soft. Remove the foil and allow to cool a little. Scrape all of the pumpkin flesh of the skin back into the tray with the sweet spicy juices.
  5. Mash together with the juices using a fork. Spread on toast for breakfast or make my pumpkin pie or pancakes below.

And now to the pie...

Ingredients (Serves 8)

For the filling

1 quantity of sweet baked pumpkin (above)

3 Eggs, beaten

200ml Dbl cream

For the crust

100g walnuts or pecans

100g cob nuts

100g English rolled oats

300g dates

2 tbsp water

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 160c
  2. First make the pie crust. Blend the nuts, oats and dates until they are fine and sticky. Add the water and pulse a few times until mixed. Remove from the blender and mix by hand. Line a nine-ten inch tart case with parchment. Press the crust into the bottom firmly with your fingers.
  3. In a bowl mix the sweet baked pumpkin with the eggs and cream.
  4. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the tart case. Bake at 160c for 35 minutes or until it sets.
  5. Serve the tart with ice cream or whipped cream and a sprinkle of roasted seeds.
  6. Storage: The pie will keep well for 4 days covered in the fridge.

More recipes and variations

Maple pumpkin seeds. Clean the seeds by washing them in water. Dry with a tea towel. Spread out on on a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet and put into a preheated oven at 150C for 30 minutes until dry, drizzle with maple syrup return to the oven and allow to dry and caramelize once more.

This recipe was kindly donated to the #PumpkinRescue campaign by Tom Hunt, it can be found along with many other seasonal recipes in The Natural Cook: Eating the Seasons from Root to Fruit.
Photo: The Natural Cook by Tom Hunt (Quadrille £20) Photography: Laura Edwards.