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500 g ready-made dessert pastry
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1 large butternut squash, quartered and seeds reserved
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¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
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¼ teaspoon ground ginger
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¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
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4 tablespoons maple syrup
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6 tablespoons caster sugar
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3 large free-range eggs, beaten
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200 ml double cream
Method
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Roll the pastry to the
thickness of a pound coin. Get a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin, line with
the pastry and bake blind for 20 minutes. Set aside.
Lay the squash in a baking tray. Sprinkle with the nutmeg, ginger and
cinnamon and drizzle with the maple syrup. Cover the tray tightly with a
double layer of tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes until soft. Reduce the
oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
Allow the pieces of squash to cool, then scoop out the flesh. You should
have about 600g of cooked squash flesh. Don't forget to scrape out the
bits in the tray and the maple syrup. Put in a food processor and whiz
until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the
eggs. Mix well and stir in the cream.
Fill the cooled tart case with the mix and bake for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash the stringy bits of squash off the seeds, dry them and
lay them flat on a tray. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and place in
the oven with the pie for the last 10 minutes until crispy.
Remove the tart from the oven. Sprinkle with the seeds when cool. Serve with cream or ice cream, if you're feeling naughty.