• Pumpkin and dark chocolate are a surprisingly good combination – perfect with a steaming cup of espresso. It’s the perfect comfort food, so raid the pumpkin patch (and your pantry) and whip up a yummy  pumpkin and dark chocolate pie that the whole family will love! 

    Pumpkin and dark chocolate pie

    Serves: 6
    Cooking Time: 1 hr 40 mins

    Ingredients

    • Pastry

    • 120g (1 cup) cake flour
    • 45ml (3 tbsp) icing sugar
    • 70g cold butter, diced
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • Pie filling

    • 400g pumpkin, peeled and diced
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) avocado oil
    • 20ml (4 tsp) honey
    • 2,5ml (½ tsp) cinnamon
    • 7,5ml (1½ tsp) treacle syrup
    • 45ml (3 tbsp) treacle sugar
    • 2,5ml (½ tsp) ground cinnamon
    • 1,25ml (¼ tsp) ground ginger
    • 125ml (½ cup) fresh thick cream
    • 100g Caramel Treat (thickened condensed milk)
    • 125ml (½ cup) cream cheese
    • 2 large eggs
    • Chocolate ganache

    • 110g dark chocolate
    • 80ml ( cup) fresh cream
    • fresh mint, to garnish

    Instructions

    1

    For the pastry, sift the flour and icing sugar together. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and mix until the dough comes together. If it needs more moisture, add a little cold water. If it is too wet, add extra flour. Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

    2

    Lightly grease a 22cm quiche/tart tin. Roll the pastry out on a floured work surface to a thickness of 2mm. Line the tin with the pastry and place it back in the fridge for 20 minutes.

    3

    Preheat the oven to 180°C.

    4

    Prick the bottom of the pastry case and line with baking paper topped with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, and set aside to cool.

    5

    For the pie filling, turn the oven up to 200°C. Combine the pumpkin, oil, honey and cinnamon, and turn out onto a baking tray. Roast until fork-tender, 15 – 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

    6

    Turn the oven down to 180°C again.

    7

    Gently heat the treacle syrup, treacle sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cream and Caramel Treat in a saucepan. Melt over low heat, making sure it doesn’t boil.

    8

    Place the cooled pumpkin in a food processor, add the warm caramel mixture and blend until smooth. Pour in the cream cheese and eggs, and blend to combine.

    9

    Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pastry case and bake until set, 20 – 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.

    10

    Gently heat the chocolate and cream over a bain-marie until melted. Allow to cool slightly and drizzle over the tart. Allow to set, garnish with fresh mint and serve at room temperature.

    Notes

    Cook's tip: For an easy clean-up after roasting, line the baking tray with foil or baking paper and discard after cooking the pumpkin.

    Author

    Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine.  www.imkawebb.com

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