Gramma Pie

Gramma Pie is Australia's version of the America's pumpkin pie.

Recipe Ingredients:

For Crust:
1 1/4 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1/2 cup (125g) butter, chopped
2 teaspoons granulated (caster) sugar
4 tablespoons chilled water
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk for glazing

Filling:
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups (500g) pumpkin, cooked, mashed and cooled
1/3 cup cream
1 tablespoon sweet sherry
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Cooking Directions:

1. For Crust: Sift the flour into a bowl and add chopped butter,using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture is fine and crumbly. Stir in the sugar, add almost all the water and mix to a firm dough, adding more water, if necessary.
2. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, press together for 1 minute or until smooth. Roll out the pastry until it is large enough to cover the base and side of a 9-inch (23cm) diameter pie dish, line the dish with pastry, trim away excess; crimp the edges; brush with egg glaze. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), cut a piece of parchment (baking) paper to cover the pastry lined pie dish, spread a layer of dried beans or rice over the paper, bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and discard the paper and beans, return pastry to the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool.
4. For Filling: Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl, add the cooled pumpkin, cream, sweet sherry and spices and stir to combine thoroughly, pour the mixture into the cooled pastry shell, smooth the surface with the back of a spoon, then bake for 40 minutes or until set. (If the pastry edges begin to brown to much, cover the edgeswith foil.) Allow the pie to cool to room temperature and then decorate. Serve with cream or ice cream.

Makes 8 servings.