Refika’s Pumpkin Pie! One of the Easiest and Great Tasting Pumpkin Pies Ever! My Promise 😘
Refika’s Kitchen
Winter is coming… so is pumpkin time!
For all my childhood, we had this one pumpkin dessert recipe where pumpkin slices boiled in syrup and topped with walnuts and sometimes tahini. Today, I will give you this classical recipe and my twisted version of it. With the same ingredients you can turn the dessert into a pumpkin pie with crunchy walnuts and cream. This recipe was born on a Saturday when my mom has her guests and there weren’t enough pumpkin dessert to serve them. So I mashed the slices and shaped as a small pie. Now it is one of the favorites of my kitchen. Plus there is a bonus pumpkin soup recipe to use the scraps! 😍
2 kg pumpkin, roughly chopped (you can use butternut squash as well)
40-50 ml water (4-5 tablespoons)
3,5 cups sugar (alternatively, 4 cups of molasses or 2,5 cup maple syrup)
6-7 cloves
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2,5 tablespoons water
A few lemon drops
5 good handfuls of walnut, roughly crushed (or pecan, macadamia)
100 g cream (35% milk fat)
1/3 nutmeg
2 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves picked
• Cut the green parts of the pumpkin. Green parts usually tend to be less sweet, so it would be better to use them for a soup or any savoury dish.
• Put the pumpkin into a pot. Add the water and sugar into it on medium heat.
• Add 6-7 cloves. Crush the top parts before adding to enhance their flavour.
• Cover with the lid partially, so water can continue to evaporate. To make the classical pumpkin dessert, cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Go for another 10 minutes for the squashed pumpkin pie.
• To make the coated walnuts, add the brown sugar and water to a pan on low heat.
• Stir until the sugar is melted. Squeeze a few lemon drops and add in the walnuts after 1,5 minutes of boiling.
• Toss until the walnuts are evenly coated. Turn the heat off and allow walnuts to cool and get harden.
• Transfer the pumpkin in a large bowl and leave the excess water in the pot. You can make a pumpkin soda or sorbet with that later.
• Mash the pumpkin with a fork or an immersion blender. Let it sit to cool down.
• Whisk the cream for about a minute. Cream should be still runny but fluffier.
• Put a 20-25 cm diameter ring on your serving dish and spread the pumpkin puree into it.
• Arrange the walnuts around the edges and make a inner circle around centre. You can refrigerate at this stage until the serving time.
• Pour over the cream on the pumpkin between the walnut walls
• Finally, grate the nutmeg and sprinkle some mint leaves. Take a full spoon and feel the pumpkin, walnuts and cream. Then mint will prepare you for another bite!
Pumpkin soup, best way to use the scraps:
750 g pumpkin, roughly chopped (especially green parts)
3 cloves of garlic
1 onion, halved
1 potato, roughly chopped (optional)
Walnut sized ginger, peeled and chopped
4-5 cups of water
Salt & black pepper
• Put the pumpkins in a pot.
• Add the garlic, onion, potato and ginger.
• Add the water and boil on medium heat for about 30 minutes.
• Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.
• Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Voila! Your silky pumpkin puree is ready.
