Pumpkin Pie
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
The filling
• 2 small pumpkins (approx. 745g each) or 600g pumpkin pureé from a tin
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 65g xylitol or erythritol
• 3 large free-range eggs, beaten
The crust
• 80g whole pecans
• 170g ground almonds
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 6 medjool dates, pitted
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Topping (optional)
• 10 pecan nuts
• Drizzle coconut oil
• Drizzle maple syrup
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C. Fan 180C.
Lay the pumpkin on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Sprinkle with nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon and drizzle with maple syrup and coconut oil and bake for 45 minutes until soft.
Whilst the pumpkin is cooking, make the pastry crust.
Add the pecans to a food processor and process until they have turned into a coarse flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and process for 15 seconds, until a sticky dough forms.
Press the dough into an 8 inch springform or pie tin, spreading it up the sides and covering the bottom. Prick a few shallow holes in the crust with a fork to keep it from bubbling during baking.
Once the pumpkin has finished baking, reduce the oven to 180C remove the baking tray from the oven and allow the pieces of pumpkin to cool.
Whilst cooling, bake the pastry crust in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
Once the pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh of the pumpkin and discard the skin. You should have about 600g of cooked pumpkin flesh. Put in a food processor and whiz until smooth, adding the eggs and xylitol. Mix until well blended.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake at 180C for 35 minutes, or until the custard has set but is still slightly jiggly in the centre. If the crust starts to brown too quickly, you can cover the pie with foil and continue baking.
Whilst the pie is cooking, place 10 pecan nuts drizzled with maple syrup and coconut oil on an oven tray. Place in the oven with the pie for the last 10 minutes until crispy.Remove the pie from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cool enough to put in the fridge, refrigerate until chilled.
