Mama’s Retro Pumpkin Pie: can you bear it?

My little sister Gabe, who is developing a  farm  in New Zealand, wrote to me yesterday, asking for our Mums Pumpkin Pie recipe. Coincidentally my little brother T asked for the recipe a couple of weeks ago as well.  And yes they are both Littlies.   You will remember the Littlies from the beach house stories.  This pumpkin pie is creamy and fresh and pumkin-y without all the strong spices.  No wonder it was a favourite in our house. 

Mum loved the taste of pumpkin and so only scared the pie with a little freshly grated nutmeg, and a few drops of good vanilla,  enhancing the rich pumpkin taste.  It has a sugar free pastry base and is topped with a coconutty meringue. I am fairly sure I have got this right but you know our mother. She never cooked the same thing the same way twice.

Pastry.

My rule of thumb  for pastry is: half butter, half  flour and a little ice cold water to mix. So,  in  a food processor:

• 40z butter (previously chopped and chilled in the freezer),
• 1 big cup flour. Pulse.
• 2-3 tablespoons iced water
• Pulse until you get a wet breadcumby look, shape  into a ball, rest in the fridge for 30 minutes, then roll out and  bake blind in a pie dish. Cool. You all know this anyway. Mum probably bought frozen  pastry sheets, this was the 70’s after all.

Filling

• 4 cups cooked and cooled and roughly mashed pumpkin
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of salt
•  a breath of freshly grated nutmeg. This is an accent NOT a taste. It should lift the dish not dominate it. Like the third note of a perfume. With Mums pumpkin pie you can taste the sweet pumpkin. (Told you it was different)

In a small bowl mix :

• 1 cup sultanas,
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar, though I use honey.
• 1 tablespoon flour

Add to pumpkin mixture.

Meringue

See the meringue recipe and then add in 1/4 cup of shredded coconut. Fold in gently.

SO: Pour the cool pumpkin mixture into the cooked pastry shell, spoon the meringue on top.  Sprinkle a little coconut on top.

Cook at 325F ( 175C ) or lower. (So the meringue does not brown too much.)  For about 45 minutes. For Gabe we pull it out of the oven now as she likes her meringue, soft and fluffy.

I like the meringue crunchy and caramelly, so I turn the oven off and leave the pie in there for another hour to dry right out.  YUM!

John is appalled of course as coconut and sultanas and meringue do not belong in pumpkin pie. Then he  popped a huge slice in his lunchbox and said it was OK for me  to make it again for Thankgiving. So it cannot be that bad!

Frozen thistle from  the our morning walk.

c