Kandy Spice Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving is a week away! Time for beautiful golden turkeys, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and Sri Lankan spice pumpkin pie. Wait, what?

I had the wonderful opportunity to develop a pumpkin pie recipe for an event at the Boston Public Market on behalf of Siena Farms. Baking pies intimidates many people, including myself. But I was so excited to showcase Siena Farm’s seasonal squashes, I couldn’t resist. My intention was to bake a pie with a Long Island Cheese pumpkin and Orange Kabocha squash using very minimal spices. The Long Island Cheese pumpkin is a classic choice for pie – bright color and distinct pumpkin flavor. But I don’t think I can ever make a pumpkin pie without a kabocha squash. Its firm texture provides the pie more structure. A kabocha is sweet, nutty, almost reminiscent of roasted chestnuts – a wonderful flavor profile for pumpkin pie.

I’ve met many folks who dislike pumpkin pie because it’s always heavily spiced, and the overall flavor profile and texture is very flat. I hoped to develop a pie that allows the pumpkin and kabocha could speak for themselves.

Maybe they can. I don’t know. That’s because I came across the most delicious spice blend, perfect for pumpkin pie. Curio Spice Co.’s Kandy Spice, named after a city in Sri Lanka, is a bright mix of ground spices including Ceylon cinnamon, ginger, coriander, fenugreek, black pepper, clove, mace, and more. This genius mixture with grated fresh ginger complemented the pumpkin and squash puree perfectly. Curio Spice Co. is based locally here in New England, but committed to sourcing global spices from direct, sustainable sources.

Check out the pie filling recipe below. My pie crust was a simple recipe that I blind-baked. Butter and shortening resulted in a nice flaky crust. I suggest using your favorite pie crust recipe, but feel free to message me for mine. Enjoy!

Kandy Spice Pumpkin Pie
Serving Size: About 8, yields 1 pie
Prep/Cook Time: Approximately 2 hours

Ingredients:

Your favorite pie crust

Pumpkin & Kabocha Squash Puree
1 small Long Island Cheese pumpkin
1 small Orange Kabocha squash

Pie Filling
2 cups pumpkin & kabocha squash puree
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tbsp all purpose flour
½ cup granulated white sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
2 ½ tsps Curio Spice Co. Kandy Spice blend
¼ tsp grated young ginger

Instructions:

Roast Pumpkin & Kabocha Squash
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut pumpkin and squash in half. Remove seeds and drizzle olive oil over the flesh. Place flat on parchment paper or foil-lined sheet tray. Roast for 30 minutes, or until flesh is soft.

Process Puree
When pumpkin and squash are cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh into one large pot. Using an immersion blender, blend into smooth consistency. You can also do this with a blender or food processor. Place pot of puree on stove over low-medium heat and reduce puree until consistency is thick. Allow to cool and store in refrigerator. Reserve 2 cups for Kandy Spice Pumpkin Pie, and use excess puree for other fun pumpkin recipes!

Prepare Pie Filling
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, salt, and Kandy Spice blend. In another bowl, mix pumpkin & squash puree, eggs, and evaporated milk.

Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until well incorporated. Mix in grated young ginger. Store filling in refrigerator until ready to use.

Assemble and Bake Pie
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place crust in pie dish. Fill pie crust with filling, leaving at least ½” headroom. Cover edge of crust with foil to prevent burning, if needed. Bake pie for 50 minutes. When filling has set about 2” from the edge of the pie, remove pie from oven and allow to cool. The filling center will continue to cook.