Mini Autumnal Pumpkin Pies

There is a slight chill in the air, Autumn is here. I love nothing more than to bake some cosy comfort food this time of year. One of my favourites is the classic pumpkin pie. A dessert pie with a spiced, pumpkin based custard filling with a sweet shortcrust pastry. This time round I decide to tweak it a little and instead of baking one big pie I made mini pies that can be devoured in one mouthful.

To get that perfect pumpkin spice flavour that you find in your Starbucks latte you need the following mixture of spices; ground cinnamon with ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg & ground allspice. Below is all the ingredients you need along with step by step guide on on to make them.
​Happy Baking!!!!

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Ingredients

Pastry

• Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

Filling

• 450g Pumpkin Flesh/Puree
• 2 Large Eggs plus 1 Yolk
• 75g Soft Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
• 275ml Double Cream

Whipped Cream

• ​235ml/1 cup Whipping Cream
• Dash of Vanilla Essence
• 3 tbsp Icing Sugar

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Method

1. Pre heat Oven to 180oC
2. Roll the pastry and using a pastry/cookie cutter, cut out even slices and place each slice into a buttered patty tin. By buttering the tin your pastry won't stick. Leave this to one side as we are now going to make the filling.                                                                                                                                                N.B If you wanted to make a pie rather than mini's then roll out pastry to line a 25cm/9in pie tin. This will have to be baked before you put the filling in.  Pre heat over to 220oC and bake blind for 20 mins.​
3. Lightly whisk the eggs and extra yolk together in a large bowl.
4. Place the brown sugar, spices and the cream in a pan and bring to a simmer, giving it a whisk to mix everything together.
5. Then pour the mixture over the eggs and whisk it again briefly.
6. Now add the pumpkin puree, still whisking to combine everything.                                                             N.B If you wanted to use a real pumpkin rather than a tin of pumpkin puree, cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and all the stringy bits. Place both halves in the oven. When soft, take out of the oven and leave to cool or you will burn your hands. Once cooled, scoop out the flesh and push down through a sieve to make a puree. This will then be ready to be added to your mixture.
7. Pour the filling into to your individual pastry slices. Egg wash the edges of the pastry. Bake for 20 mins or until the edges are a golden brown and the filling is set but slightly wobbly in the centre.​                                                                                                                                                                                                   N.B If you are making a pie bake for 35-40 mins. Line the edges of the pastry with foil so it doesn't burn.
8. Once baked, turn off the oven and leave to cool in the oven. This will stop cracks forming n the filling.
9. Once cooled, prepare the whipping cream. Electric whisk together the whipping cream, a dash of vanilla essence and icing sugar. Whisk until fluffy but don't over whisk. 
10. Put the whipping cream into a piping bag and pipe a small size  in the centre of each of your mini pumpkin pies. Et voila, it's ready for serving :) xxxxxx