Sweet butternut pie

SERVES 8-12 PREPARATION: 30 MIN COOKING: 45 MIN-1 HR

420g shortcrust pastry, thawed flour for dusting

1kg butternut, peeled, deseeded

and chopped

250g butter, chopped

250ml (1c) maple syrup

4 eggs

250ml (1c) cream

2,5ml (½t) nutmeg

450g (3c) flour

160g icing sugar

6 egg yolks

10ml (2t) vanilla extract whipped cream, to serve

WALNUT SUGAR

55g walnuts, toasted and roughly

chopped

30ml (2T) brown sugar

2,5ml (½t) ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease a loose-bottom tart pan.

1 Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3mm. Line the tart pan with the pastry. Cover the pastry base with baking paper and put uncooked beans or rice on top. Bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove the beans or rice and bake the pastry for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

2 Increase the oven temperature to 180°C. Cook the butternut until soft and drain. Mash until smooth and stir in the butter until it has melted and the mixture is well combined. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

3 Stir the maple syrup and eggs, one at a time, into the butternut mixture. Add the cream and nutmeg and sift in the flour and icing sugar.

4 Add the egg yolks one at a time and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for 35-40 minutes until firm and golden. Remove and allow to cool.

5 WALNUT SUGAR Combine all the ingredients.

6 Once the pie has cooled, sprinkle the walnut sugar on top and cut into squares.