Autumn is the season when the yellow pumpkin is at its best. It is delicious, tender with a golden color that is impossible not to notice at the stalls of the farmer’s market. Of course my favorite recipe is the “Gluten-free Pumpkin Velouté Soup” (see the recipe here).
The basic ingredients of this pie are, apart from the dough/sheet and the pumpkin, sugar and cinnamon. Apart from these you can add any spice you like, nuts and raisins. My favorite scents are nutmeg, cloves and ginger which go incredibly well with pumpkin. As for nuts, I put my favorite nuts that in my mind I have combined with autumn and winter.
As for the dough, I used the already successful recipe that I also made for Gluten Free Mince pies (see my recipe here).
In general, this recipe is not very sweet, but if you want, you can add more sugar to the filling.
You can also use canned pumpkin puree for convenience. In Greece it is a little hard to find it. They are usually gluten free but you have to check this carefully.
On the other hand, it is so easy to cut the pumpkin into large pieces or ask your greengrocer to cut it for you and without peeling it you bake it and it is almost ready. I prefer fresh fruits and vegetables because they taste better.
As for the pumpkin design on top, don’t worry at all because you don’t need a special cutter. With a cup of espresso coffee or a glass for shots and they become incredibly easy and very, very impressive.
If you make it for the Christmas meal, then instead of the pumpkins shape, you can cut the dough in s stars or Christmas trees shape.
Tip: Check off the ingredients you have used in the recipe or note the ingredients you have and add the rest to you shopping list to buy them. - Attention: All ingredients must be checked that are Gluten-Free and without traces of gluten.
Abbreviations: g=grams • kg= kilograms • cup=250 ml • tsp= teaspoon=5 ml • tbsp= tablespoon=3 tsp=15 ml • ml= millilitre= (1ml=0.034 fl oz / 1fl oz=29.6 ml) • l=litre/liter=1000ml
Cut the pumpkin, remove the seeds and then cut it into large chunks (no need to peel). I used ¼ of a large pumpkin of about 5 kg, about 1200 g.
Spread out the pumpkin pieces on a baking tray, sprinkle them with a little salt, cover them with foil and bake them at 180°C/350°F for about 1 hour until became soft.
Once cooked, uncover the pan and leave it aside, outside of the oven to cool down.
Sift the flour into a large bowl and mix it with the xanthan gum. Add the frozen butter into small cubes.
Rub the butter with the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and add the icing sugar & clementine zest.
Beat the 2 eggs together in a separate bowl and add them gradually.
Use a fork to knead/mix it until it forms a ball of dough that may be slightly sticky.
Wrap the dough in cling wrap film and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes . It’s very important this step because it will make easier to work with the dough. I left it wrapped with cling film in the fridge all night and used it the next day
When the dough is cold enough, roll out into a parchment paper about 3mm/ 1/8” thick or on a floured work surface, or between two sheets of parchment paper. As for the thickness, I found this rolling pin from Tupperware last year that has both 3mm/ 1/8” & 6mm/ 1/4” rings to make an even sheet.
1With the help of the parchment paper, place the sheet of dough in the tart form.
Cut off the excess from the tart form and keep them aside. Prick the dough in several places with a fork. Cover it with a parchment paper and place it in the fridge.
Shape the remaining dough a little and roll it out again into a sheet about 3mm/ 1/8” thick. Use a round cookie cutter or a glass/cup with a small diameter to make our pumpkins shape. Press to cut the dough into a round shape and then place it a little further and press it again to make another circle. As shown in the photo below. Clean around the shape of the pumpkins and make a cord, press it to make it wide and then cut it into small pieces to make the stems of the pumpkin. As you have made these designs on the parchment paper, place them in the freezer so that after freezing a little will be easier to place them on top of the filling.
Scoop the cooled pumpkin flesh into a food processor and blend it well until smooths. As you can realize the skin is peeling very easy now.
Lightly beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the pumpkin pulp along with all the filling ingredients, except the walnuts, and beat them to mix well.
At the end, add the coarsely chopped walnuts and mix them with a spoon.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Take out of the fridge the tart, remove the parchment paper and fill it with the filling you have already made.
18. Take the pumpkin designs out of the freezer, which, because they are frozen, are easy to place on top of the filling.
Brush the dough patterns with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 180°C/350°F for about 55 minutes (depending on how powerful your oven is) until golden brown.
Let them cool well. Optionally sprinkle it with icing sugar and ground cinnamon powder before serving.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the pumpkin, remove the seeds and then cut it into large chunks (no need to peel). I used ¼ of a large pumpkin of about 5 kg, about 1200 g.
Spread out the pumpkin pieces on a baking tray, sprinkle them with a little salt, cover them with foil and bake them at 180°C/350°F for about 1 hour until became soft.
Once cooked, uncover the pan and leave it aside, outside of the oven to cool down.
Sift the flour into a large bowl and mix it with the xanthan gum. Add the frozen butter into small cubes.
Rub the butter with the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and add the icing sugar & clementine zest.
Beat the 2 eggs together in a separate bowl and add them gradually.
Use a fork to knead/mix it until it forms a ball of dough that may be slightly sticky.
Wrap the dough in cling wrap film and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes . It’s very important this step because it will make easier to work with the dough. I left it wrapped with cling film in the fridge all night and used it the next day
When the dough is cold enough, roll out into a parchment paper about 3mm/ 1/8” thick or on a floured work surface, or between two sheets of parchment paper. As for the thickness, I found this rolling pin from Tupperware last year that has both 3mm/ 1/8” & 6mm/ 1/4” rings to make an even sheet.
1With the help of the parchment paper, place the sheet of dough in the tart form.
Cut off the excess from the tart form and keep them aside. Prick the dough in several places with a fork. Cover it with a parchment paper and place it in the fridge.
Shape the remaining dough a little and roll it out again into a sheet about 3mm/ 1/8” thick. Use a round cookie cutter or a glass/cup with a small diameter to make our pumpkins shape. Press to cut the dough into a round shape and then place it a little further and press it again to make another circle. As shown in the photo below. Clean around the shape of the pumpkins and make a cord, press it to make it wide and then cut it into small pieces to make the stems of the pumpkin. As you have made these designs on the parchment paper, place them in the freezer so that after freezing a little will be easier to place them on top of the filling.
Scoop the cooled pumpkin flesh into a food processor and blend it well until smooths. As you can realize the skin is peeling very easy now.
Lightly beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the pumpkin pulp along with all the filling ingredients, except the walnuts, and beat them to mix well.
At the end, add the coarsely chopped walnuts and mix them with a spoon.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Take out of the fridge the tart, remove the parchment paper and fill it with the filling you have already made.
18. Take the pumpkin designs out of the freezer, which, because they are frozen, are easy to place on top of the filling.
Brush the dough patterns with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 180°C/350°F for about 55 minutes (depending on how powerful your oven is) until golden brown.
Let them cool well. Optionally sprinkle it with icing sugar and ground cinnamon powder before serving.
- I made this recipe in two days. The first day I roasted the pumpkin and after it cooled, I collected its flesh in an airtight container, the clean part that I would use and put it at the fridge. I also made the dough and wrapped it in cling film and put it in the fridge too. The next day I did the rest. It seemed easier that way and I didn’t spend many hours in the kitchen for this dessert.
- To make crispier the tart you can bake it on its own as described in the Gluten Free Tart Pastry recipe (see recipe here), but you should let it cool well before adding the filling. In this case, you place the pumpkin designs in the fridge instead of freezer. I didn’t bake it beforehand and it came out just fine.
- Sprinkle a little salt on the pumpkin fortwo reasons. Help to absorb its liquids and also enhance its taste. Salt has a magical way of enriching and enhancing the flavor of sugar and vanilla.
- If you make this pie for the Christmas dinner, then instead of the pumpkins shape, you can cut the dough in stars or Christmas trees shape with cookie cutter.
- Each oven bakes differently. My new oven is slower than the old one. The time I give each recipe is approx. Keep an eye on them as they bake and you’ll see if they take a little longer or a little less time.
Good Luck and Bon Appétit!!!
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