Spiced Pumpkin Pie with Whiskey Caramel

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Pastry:

250g flour

200g unsalted butter

100g brown sugar

Pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg, beaten

Pumpkin Filling:

425g pumpkin, cut in chunks (or 425g pumpkin puree)

1/2 C brown sugar

1 C cream, hot

100g unsalted butter, melted

2 egg yolks

1 whole egg

2 Tbsp flour

1 ¼ tsp each cinnamon, ginger, mixed spice

Pinch salt

Whiskey caramel sauce:

200g condensed milk caramel

50g unsalted butter

3 Tbsp whiskey (or to taste)

Pinch salt

Method

To make the pastry:

Place the flour, butter, salt, and brown sugar into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the egg and vanilla and pulse until the mixture comes together. 

Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160°C. 

Lightly flour the bench, roll out the pastry, and line a 28cm loose-bottom tart tin. Leave the pastry slightly higher than the top of the tin to account for a little shrinkage (there will be a small amount of pastry leftover).

Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with rice or baking beans. 

Bake at 160°C for 15-20 minutes, then remove the paper and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until lightly cooked through.

While the pastry is cooking, prepare the filling.

Pumpkin filling:

Place the pumpkin chunks in a covered microwave container and cook on high for around 4-5 minutes until very tender. (Skip this step if using pumpkin puree)

Transfer the cooked pumpkin into a food processor with the brown sugar and pulse until smooth.

Add the cream, egg, egg yolks, flour, salt, and spices. Process until the mixture is smooth.

Pour in the melted butter and process until well mixed. 

Reduce the oven to 150°C.

Place the par-baked tart shell onto an oven tray and put it on the oven rack. Pour in the filling (it will be quite liquid).

Bake for 30-40 minutes until the filling is just set. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.

While the pie is cooling, make the sauce.

Whiskey sauce:

Melt the butter and whisk in the caramel. Add whiskey to taste and whisk until smooth.

Place the pie on a serving plate and either pour the sauce over the tart or serve to the side.