Zimbabwean Butternut/Pumpkin Pie

 375 degrees F for 50 min

Zimbabwean Butternut/Pumpkin Pie

2 cups of cooked mashed pumpkin/butternut or canned pumpkin or butternut (no skin or seeds!) The pumpkin should be as finely puréed or mashed as possible or you run the risk of stringy pie!

1/2 scant cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 cup of coconut milk, rice milk, or almond milk

1 uncooked pie crust (See Elsie's Pie Crust) 

This pie makes a "single depth" sized pie.

For filling inside crust:

In a med. bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  Add eggs just until combined. Gradually add coconut milk and stir until just combined.

Pour filling into crust.  To prevent over-browning, cover the edge of the pie all around with foil.  Bake at 180 Celsius for 25 minutes.  remove foil, and bake about 25 minutes more or until a fork inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool.  Cover and refrigerate within two hours.  Pie is usually served cold or room temp for breakfast or dessert.  

Elsie's Pie Crust

Makes two 9" double crusts.

1 1/2 cups of gluten-free flour or all-purpose flour

1/2 cup of coconut oil, Nutiva, some other high heat oil

1 egg beaten

1 teaspoon vinegar

Pinch of salt (to me this equals about a quarter teaspoon)

1/4 cup of cold ice water + 2 tablespoons (as cold as you can get it without freezing it -this is the secret to flakey crust!) I'll admit that sometimes I don't have time to make really really cold water and it turns out just fine with room temp, too. 

Combine all ingredients (I like to get oil blended in first before adding the chilly water so that the oil doesn't harden and clump) and then roll out on a floured surface to desired width and thickness.  (Honestly I am usually too lazy to roll it and just pinch it into place, which woks well, too!) If crust is too crumbly, just add water. Place in pie dish and pinch edges to make the crust look as desired. Fill crust and cook as pie recipe indicates.

This recipe gets hard as a rock if kept in the fridge, so add water if needed after refrigerating.