SURPRISE YOUR GUESTS WITH THIS SPOOKY AND CREATIVE RECIPE FOR HALLOWEEN
With Halloween just around the corner, you might be thinking of getting some friends and family together for a spooky night. Or perhaps you prefer keeping it low-key with a quiet night at home. Either way, we have a scrumptious pumpkin pie recipe for you that will be sure to wow your guests, or you can simply use this festive period as an excuse to indulge yourself (although excuses should never be needed for that)! Pumpkins come into season in fall, so it’s the very best time of year to sink your teeth into the sweet, delicious vegetable – not only as a pie! CRISTEL® has got the perfect kitchenware for the perfect pie, so here’s what you’ll need to do. And never fear, there’s nothing too tricky, this recipe is perfect for cooks of any level and experience, and you can even get the kids involved, under a watchful eye of course.
STEP 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and make sure you’ve got a large chef’s knife and a CRISTEL® frying pan with removable handles. These utensils will be essential to the success of your pie. Using the chef’s knife, peel and chop a medium-sized pumpkin into large cubes.
STEP 2
Heat your CRISTEL® frying pan over a medium heat and once hot, add a knob of butter to the pan. To make things easy, CRISTEL® pans are compatible with all cooktops - gas, electric, glass ceramic and induction. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes until the pumpkin is tender and dry. Set aside the cooked pumpkin in a bowl to cool.
STEP 3
Once cooled, mash the pumpkin until the texture is smooth and consistent. Add three eggs, half a cup of sugar, a generous half cup of milk and another of heavy cream and mix thoroughly. You should now have a deliciously sweet and tasty pumpkin filling mixture. You may wish to add a pinch of cinnamon and/or nutmeg, depending on your personal taste preferences.
STEP 4
Now for the pastry! You can either purchase a ready-made shortcrust pastry dough, or if you are a little more ambitious you can make it yourself which always adds a nice rustic and authentic touch. But a store-bought pastry will do the job just fine too. You can simply clean the same CRISTEL® frying pan you used for the pumpkin, and roll the pastry out into it. Once the dough is in place, add the pumpkin filling and spread it out evenly using a spatula or a wooden spoon.
STEP 5
Your Halloween pumpkin pie is now ready for the oven! You’ll only have to wait 45 minutes until your superb pie is ready - plus a little time for cooling, please resist the temptation to take a bite immediately and scorch your tongue! The best part is that you can unclip the removable handle from your CRISTEL® frying pan and pop it into the oven as though it were a pie pan, cake tin or oven dish. CRISTEL® has designed their range of frying pans to be as practical and high-grade as possible. This also means there’s no need to clog up space in kitchen drawers and cupboards if your pans can also double as oven dishes.
STEP 6
Once the pumpkin pie has cooled a little, grate a couple of handfuls of dark chocolate over the pie for a beautiful touch of contrasting color and complementing flavor. This pie is perfect for 8 servings, and is extra delicious served warm on a cold November evening. Now pick out your favorite horror film and enjoy the spirit of Halloween!