Pumpkin? In May? Sure, this sweet treat is associated more with fall and Thanksgiving than spring and fresh fruits. But pumpkin is really one of my favorite dessert flavorings, and with the canned stuff available year round, I can make it year round!
I made these mini version of pumpkin pies but if you're looking for a something slightly easier, you can make one large one instead. You can also buy your own frozen pie dough and skip that step altogether, making this a super quick dessert to make.
Mini Pumpkin Pies: Makes about 24
Crust:
21⁄2 cups (300g) flour
1 cup (200 g) butter or margarine
1⁄2 cup (100 g) sugar
1 large egg
Filling:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 large egg
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk or soy milk
For the crust: Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat to combine, then add the flour and mix until no streaks remain. Gather the dough together into one cohesive ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the fridge, and roll out on a well-floured surface (continuously reflouring during rolling) until about 1⁄2 centimeter thick. Use to cover either a large tart pan or smaller ones. For a large one, roll the dough to a diameter 2" larger than the pan, gently drape the dough over the dish, fit the dough in to the corners then trim the edges. For little pans, use a round cutter that is big enough to cover the bottom and sides of your tart or muffin pans, cut as many circles as possible from the dough and fit in to the molds, rerolling as necessary.
Place all the shells in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Mix together all the ingredients for the filling and whisk until completely smooth. Divide it up evenly among the shells, filling almost to the top but being careful not to overfill.
Bake on 375 F for 20 to 25 minutes until the filling appears to be set. Let cool on a wire rack.
Amy Spiro is a journalist and writer based in Jerusalem. She is a graduate of the Jerusalem Culinary Institute's baking and pastry track, a regular writer for The Jerusalem Post and blogs at bakingandmistaking.com. She also holds a BA in Journalism and Politics from NYU.
