how to make perfect pumpkin pie with a Polish twist

American pumpkin pie is a traditional autumn dessert. With the growing popularity of pumpkins, it's no surprise that we also enjoy baking these treats in Poland. To adapt it to Polish taste buds, it's best to add a popular sweet ingredient. Here are some simple rules on how to make this dessert.

Sweet pumpkin pie is an easy way to use this vegetable in a dessert. When made with added condensed milk, it will literally melt in your mouth and won’t be overpowering with the characteristic pumpkin flavor. Pumpkin pie tastes great served warm, but it's also excellent cold. It pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea, creating an aromatic and tasty dessert for autumn and winter days.

To prepare the perfect sweet pumpkin pie, it's important to pay attention to the type of pumpkin you choose. Not all pumpkins are suitable for baking. The best and easiest to buy is the Hokkaido pumpkin. Its flesh is sweet, creamy, and easy to blend, making it perfect for desserts. This pumpkin does not require peeling, which shortens the preparation time.

To give the pie the appropriate taste and texture, combine pumpkin puree with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Eggs act as a binder, and condensed milk adds the right sweetness and delicacy. The proportions are given for an 8-inch cake pan.

Ingredients for the crust:

• 7 oz of wheat flour
• 4.4 oz of butter
• 1.8 oz of fine sugar
• 1 egg

Ingredients for the filling:

• 2 cups of pumpkin puree
• 1 can (14 oz) of condensed milk
• 2 eggs
• 0.2 oz of cinnamon
• 0.11 oz of ground ginger
• 0.07 oz of ground nutmeg
• 3 crushed cloves

Preparation:

1. Sift the flour, add chopped cold butter, sugar, and egg. Chop everything with a knife, gathering it to the center. Knead it into a smooth dough, make a ball, and put it in the fridge for about an hour.
2. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds, and cut it into small pieces. Cook it in a pot with a small amount of water until soft, then blend into a smooth paste.
3. Preheat the oven to 392°F. Line the baking pan with parchment paper or grease it with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
4. Pour the condensed milk into the pumpkin puree, add the spices, and mix thoroughly. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add the yolks and, in parts, add the pumpkin puree, gently mixing with a spatula.
5. Take the dough out of the fridge, roll it out for the crust, and line the bottom and sides of the pan. Pre-bake the crust for about 8 minutes.
6. Pour the pumpkin filling onto the crust in the pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 392°F, then lower the temperature to 338°F and bake for an additional 40 minutes.
7. For a nice presentation, before baking, you can add decorations made from part of the shortcrust pastry.