Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Pepitas

pumpkin pie

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang

My mum has a huge recipe archive. But unfortunately it has got to be one of the least organised collections in history. I remember poring over it as a kid, in the days before food blogs, Pinterest boards and dedicated recipe websites, going through hundreds of scraps of paper, magazine cutouts, handwritten notes and carefully saved labels from cans and boxes – in no particular order. Quite painful if you were looking for one particular thing!

How things have changed! We are now completely spoiled when it comes to sourcing quality (and most importantly reliable) recipes online. Over the years, some of my favourite recipes have come from chefs, like this Chocolate Tart from Matt Moran, which is why I have been using Goodfood.com.au for the last few months. The online arm of Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food, it features recipes suited to all skill levels from some of Australia’s top chefs like Frank Camorra and Neil Perry, plus news, restaurant reviews, drink guides, helpful recipe collections and also great photography.

Choosing a recipe to review was fun. I wanted something sweet that I could share with some friends for my birthday weekend, but that wasn’t a cake! Coupled with the fact that I just booked flights to New York for mid-July (!!) this American-inspired Pumpkin Pie from Jeremy and Jane Strode seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

pumpkin pie

I used Careme Vanilla Bean Shortcrust pastry, because with my busy weekend of birthday festivities I didn’t have time to make pastry from scratch as I normally would. But unfortunately I found that it shrunk in the oven and didn’t blind bake properly. Next time I would use this recipe that I know works wonderfully!

As for the pie filling, I stayed very close to the recipe as it was written, only adding a little extra pumpkin puree (my 1.4kg piece of pumpkin made about 350g of puree), plus a little bit of cinnamon and vanilla. The filling was quite rich and eggy, and could maybe have stayed in the oven for a just a few minutes longer. I loved the idea of using caramelised pepitas for a crunchy topping, and it turned out wonderfully. I think it would be delicious served with a cinnamon or even caramel ice cream.

To find a drink match, I read this article about Fortified Wines and chose a Patina Wines Old Tawny Liqueur from Orange in NSW. A stunning match, with rich raisin and toffee flavours that complemented the spices in the pie and the caramelised pepitas on top. Delicious!

pumpkin pie

I also have five prizes to give away to five lucky readers. Winners will have the choice of these three different guidebooks from The Age and Sydney Morning Herald:

  • Good Food Under $30 (Sydney edition) 
  • Good Food Under $30 (Melbourne edition) 
  • Good Wine Guide 2013

Just leave a comment below answering the question, ‘Which recipe would you love to try from Goodfood.com.au?’ and nominate which guide book you’d love to win!

Entries close Monday 8th July at 5pm. For full terms & conditions please click here. Good luck!

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