Ingredients

• Pie mixture
• 15oz - 430g pumpkin puree (See my recipe)
• 4 eggs (1 whole 3 yolks)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (or freshly ground)
• 1 lemon (for zest only)
• Butter scotch (or use condensed milk)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy (full) cream
• Pie crust
• 250g - 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 200g - 7.2oz butter
• Half cup cold ice water
• 1/4 cup icing sugar (for pumpkin face)
• pumpkin-pie-stencil

Steps

• Step 1

  Add flour to a food processor.

• Step 2

  Cut up the cold butter into small pieces.

• Step 3

  Add one tbs white sugar.

• Step 4

  Add one tsp salt and give it a couple pulses to mix dry ingredients.

• Step 5

  Add the butter pieces and pulse processor approx 12 times (The texture should look like oats)

• Step 6

  Transfer mixture to mixing bowl and have your iced water ready.

• Step 7

  Add the water one tbs at a time as you fold the mixture with a soft spatula.

• Step 8

  Repeat process and feel the mixture between your fingers, if it falls apart, keep adding water until you can clump it together.

• Step 9

  Shape the dough into a ball, flatten a little, wrap in cling film and refrigerate a minimum of two hours, ideally four hours to overnight for best results.

• Step 10

  Remove from fridge, take off the cling film and flour your bench and the dough.

• Step 11

  pound the dough to flatten using the rolling pin. Turn over and repeat process until it’s about half an inch (1 cm) thick.

• Step 12

  Roll out the dough from the centre outwards. Check the size against your pie dish, you will need at least 1 inch (2cm) over size.

• Step 13

  Roll the dough, wrapping around your pin and place it over your pie dish, then unroll. Press the dough well into the dish, but do not stretch the dough.

• Step 14

  Using a knife or scissors, trim off excess dough leaving some overhang.

• Step 15

  Fold the edges of the dough back into the dish (makes the crust twice the thickness).

• Step 16

  Crimp the dough using your fingers, a fork or your favourite technique.

• Step 17

  Prick the dough using a fork.

• Step 18

  Blind baking – optional for a better crust – Add parchment paper and weigh it down with either dry beans, dry rice or special blind baking beads.

• Step 19

  Bake for 20 minutes at 200ºC or 400ºF.

• Step 20

  Remove parchment paper and weights, return to oven for another 5 to 10 minutes at 200ºC or 400ºF. Then leave to cool.

• Step 21

  For the butterscotch, in a saucepan, add the half cup of sugar with enough water to barely wet it.

• Step 22

  Turn on medium heat and make a caramel. Once you start to see the caramel brown around the sides, give the saucepan a mix, do not use utensils to mix. Be extremely careful as caramel is dangerously hot.

• Step 23

  Once caramel reaches a nice golden brown colour (not too dark) then gently add the cream.

• Step 24

  Turn the heat to low until the caramel has dissolved into the cream. Leave to cool.

• Step 25

  In a large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree.

• Step 26

  Add one whole egg and three egg yolks.

• Step 27

  Add all the spices.

• Step 28

  Add the salt.

• Step 29

  Add half a lemon zest.

• Step 30

  Combine all the ingredients thoroughly.

• Step 31

  Slowly pour as you mix some of the butterscotch (poor slower if still hot). Continue this process until all the butterscotch is mixed.

• Step 32

  Poor the mixture into your lined pie dish, do not over fill. Give it a few gentle shakes to flatten the top and a few taps to release any trapped air bubbles.

• Step 33

  Bake for 15 minutes at 220ºC or 425ºF.

• Step 34

  Then turn the oven down to 180ºC or 350ºF and continue baking for 35 minutes.

• Step 35

  Insert a knife 1 to 2 inches from the edge to check if it’s cooked. The knife should come out clean. If not, return to oven until cooked. If the pie appears a little uncooked in the centre, that’s usually perfect, it will continue to cook out of the oven.

• Step 36

  Optional – Cut out the Halloween face, keeping only the black parts and place over cooked pie in shape of face.

• Step 37

  Sprinkle icing sugar (from up high) until completely covered and remove stencil with tweesers ensuring you don’t spill any sugar for a clean edge.

• Step 38

  Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a dust of cinnamon on cream.

Little Tips

When working with the dough, a cold environment is preferable. It's best to let the dough rest a second time in the fridge, once the pie dish has been lined. I personally feel you get a better result in a metal pie dish. To cut corners, you can also buy the pumpkin puree, buy the crust and substitute the butterscotch cream with 1 x 14oz (2 cups) can of condensed milk.