Ingredients:

For the pie crust:

·       225g plain flour

·       3 tsp icing sugar

·       110g unsalted butter (plus a little extra for greasing the tin if using a non-stick pie tin)

·       60ml chilled water

·       ½ tsp cinnamon

For the filling:

·       ½ tsp cinnamon Pumpkin Spice

·       ½ tsp nutmeg

·       ½ tsp ginger

·       ½ tsp vanilla

·       450g (16 oz) pumpkin puree

·       400g (14 oz can) sweetened condensed milk

·       2 medium eggs

·       ½ tsp salt

Method:

1.     First make your pastry. In a medium bowl, combine flour, icing sugar and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Add in the butter and break it up with your fingers with the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Make sure there are no pieces of butter larger than the size of a pea. (Try to do this quickly so that you don’t melt the butter too much). 

2.     Add in a little water (about 20ml at a time) and stir to combine. When the water has been absorbed, add a little more until the mixture comes together, and you can roll it into a ball – if it seems dry, keep adding the water bit by bit.

3.     Form the dough into a disc, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

4.     After 30 minutes you can take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out to fit the tart tin. It should be about 1.5cm thick. Try and do this as quickly as possible so that the butter in the pastry doesn’t melt! If you can’t roll the dough well as it’s too warm in your kitchen, sprinkle the dough in small clumps over the bottom of the pie tin. Then, using a measuring cup or your fingers, evenly press the dough into the bottom and up the sides (flour the cup or your fingers occasionally to prevent sticking).

5.     Place the tart tin back in the fridge to chill while you work on the pumpkin filling.

6.     Heat your oven to 180C/350°F and place the rack on the middle shelf.

7.     Next blend or whisk the eggs, condensed milk, spices and pumpkin until smooth and well combined. If you don’t have vanilla powder then vanilla extract will work just as well.

8.     Now pour into the chilled pie crust and place in the middle of the oven and bake for about 40 minutes – until the top starts to turn a golden brown and the filling is set, but slightly jiggles in the centre.

9.     Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before serving it plain or even with some fruit or whipped cream on top.

10.  Store in the fridge for up to 3 days and do not reheat as it’s best served chilled.