October brings with it several celebrations that we cannot miss out on. Thanksgiving Day, Halloween, and last but not least… National Dessert Day! In the celebration of desserts, this month’s recipe will feature pumpkin pasties that are perfect for the crispy autumn weather.
A pumpkin pasty is a small hand pie inspired by traditional British pasties with sweet and spiced pumpkin filling inside. This recipe is an ideal choice if you are looking for something light that carries the fall vibe, spicy and sweet flavours, and is easy to share at a festive table with family and friends.
Ingredients:
- 2 puff pastry or pie crust sheets (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 cup of pumpkin purée (around half a 425 g can)
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
- ⅓ cup of cream cheese, room-temperature
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon of each spice of your choice (recommendation: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove)
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ of white sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder
Tools:
- Baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Small plate
- Whisk or fork
- Cookie cutter or small bowl
Yields 10-15 pasties (depending on the size)
Cooking time: 1 hour
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and lay a piece of parchment paper on your baking pan.
- In a small plate, make the cinnamon sugar topping in advance by lightly mixing the white sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder together with a fork.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in pumpkin purée, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and all spices to mix everything. Once it is well-incorporated, add in the cream cheese to thicken the texture and enhance richness in flavour.
- After mixing everything together, set the pumpkin cream cheese filling aside in the fridge to chill until usage. Then get the pastry sheets out of the fridge, flatten them out, and cut them into circles by using a cookie cutter or a small bowl.
- On half of each dough, place a small scoop of the chilled pumpkin filling, fold the dough over the filling, and pinch the edges using a fork or your fingers. On a baking pan, place the half-moon-shaped pastry dough, brush the surface with beaten egg, and finish by sprinkling them with the cinnamon sugar topping you made at the start.
- Bake them in the oven for 10-12 minutes or just until they are golden brown and enjoy a piece of autumn!
