BUTTERNUT PIE WITH AMARULA CHANTILLY CREAM

“If you’re new to pumpkin pie, it’s a sweet dessert usually served with whipped cream that some call America’s national dessert.

It’s an awesome thing. True to the classic South African trait of borrowing ideas and inspiration, I came up with this butternut pie recipe. I find butternut has a more intense flavour and provides a richer colour than pumpkin. It also produces less liquid when cooked (and has more starch), which means less cracking when the pie bakes.”

Serves 6 to 8

EASY

GREAT VALUE

Preparation: 30 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ chilling time Baking: 1 hour 15 minutes For the pastry: cake flour 250 g caster sugar 120 g butter 120 g, softened vanilla pod 1, split and seeds reserved free-range egg yolks 4

For the filling: free-range egg 1, beaten good-quality cream cheese 250 g caster sugar 220 g ground cinnamon ½t ground ginger a pinch free-range egg yolks 2, beaten vanilla extract 1t cooked and cooled butternut

2 cups, mashed cream 1 cup butter 55 g, melted

For the Amarula chantilly cream: Amarula ½ cup double-thick cream 1 cup vanilla extract 1t

1 To make the pastry, sift the flour onto a lightly floured work surface, then make a well in the centre and add the caster sugar, pushing it to the sides of the well. Add the chopped butter, vanilla seeds and egg yolks to the middle of the well and, using your fingertips, gently bring the mixture together to form a smooth dough. Knead until just combined, then wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes. 2 Preheat the oven to 180°C. When making a tart or open pie, the most important part is to blind bake the pastry base in advance. Blind baking involves rolling out the pastry and lining your pie tin, then using foil or baking paper filled with beans or rice to hold the pastry down. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 4 mm, use to line a 25 cm springform cake tin and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the foil or paper and beans or rice, then brush the pastry with the beaten egg before baking it for a few more minutes. This achieves two things: the base is firm and will not be soggy after baking, and the egg wash will stop the liquid from seeping through any cracks. Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C.

3 To make the filling, cream the cream cheese with the sugar until soft and lump free. Mix in the spices and egg yolk, then mix in the vanilla extract and butternut.

4 Whisk until the mixture is smooth and lump free. Finally, add the cream and

melted butter. Pour over the pastry and bake for 45–50 minutes. It shouldn’t crack on top. (A sign of a good pumpkin pie is a uniform, smooth surface.) The pie will still look wobbly when done but don’t worry. It will set after resting (just like a baked cheesecake). Leave it in a cool place. (A trick I’ve learnt over the years is to bake the pie for 30 minutes, then switch off the oven and leave the pie in the still warm oven without opening the oven door for a few hours to settle and cool down.) Remove from the tin before serving. 5 To make the Amarula chantilly cream, mix the Amarula with the cream and vanilla. Whip until soft peaks form and serve with the pie.

WINE: Amarula Cream