from my orchid kitchen

Being on its season, a pumpkin pie could not be missing - in this case, in an individual version. These mini-pies are made quickly and easily and are pleasantly creamy.

Traditionally, pumpkin pie has evaporated milk (or cream) and sugar as its ingredients, but this version that substitutes these two elements for condensed milk is also well known. Unfortunately, in Portugal there is no canned pumpkin puree on sale as in the USA, but that is not a reason to discard the recipes made with this vegetable rich in fiber and low in calories.

The ingredients

• Shortcrust pastry - for those who do not want to make the pie crust, you can always choose to use a store-bought.
• Egg - for these mini-pies, only 1 egg is needed to bind the remaining ingredients of the filling.
• Pumpkin - in the USA when making recipes with pumpkin puree, they almost always resort to canned puree; as it is more difficult to find this canned item, we have to cook it in advance and then puree it.
• Condensed milk - when using condensed milk, we are not only sweetening the pies but also giving the filling extra creaminess.
• Spice mix - for those who usually read pumpkin recipes, especially those of American origin, the famous "pumpkin spice" is often found on the list of ingredients, which is nothing more than a mixture of spices that combines quite well with the sweet taste of pumpkin. Usually in the USA, they buy this mix already prepared in packs, but for those who don't have access or want smaller portions, it's quite easy to make at home. You just need the following powdered spices:

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon of cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice (optional)

How to make

• It's better to start by preparing the pumpkin puree because once it has been cooked, it will have to cool down before being added to the rest of the recipe ingredients.
• After peeling and removing the seeds, the pumpkin can be steamed (as used in this recipe) for about 20 minutes (whatever the type of cooking chosen, the smaller the pumpkin portions, the faster it will be), it can be cooked in the microwave in a container with a little water at the bottom for 15 minutes, or baked in the oven at 190ºC covered with aluminum foil for about 1 hour.
• We move on to the mini-pie dough, and in a bowl, we mix the flour and wholemeal / oatmeal.
• Then we add the salt along with the milk and oil and wrap well until we get a well-bonded dough (if you think it's too dry you can add another tablespoon of milk).
• The dough is wrapped in cling film and placed for a few minutes in the refrigerator to rest.
• After cooling, the pumpkin pieces are mashed in a food processor, hand mixer, or even passe-vite, until we obtain a fine puree. Reserve.
• With the help of a rolling pin, spread the dough so that you can cover 4 mini-pie pans (these are 12 cm in diameter).
• For the bottom to be cooked, prick with a fork, and then bake it in the oven at 220ºC for 10 minutes.
• Returning to the filling, place the pumpkin puree, egg, condensed milk, salt, and spices in a bowl and mix well.
• The mini-pies are removed from the oven, and the filling is distributed over them, returning to the oven but this time at 175ºC between 15 to 20 minutes.
• They can be served slightly warm or completely cold, accompanied with a little whipped cream.

Mini pumpkin condensed milk pies recipe

Ingredients
 

Store-bought shortcrust (optional)

for the pie pastry
130 gr of flour
50 gr of wholemeal flour
4 tablespoons of oil
3 to 4 tablespoons of milk (of any kind)
1/4 teaspoon salt

for the filling
1 egg
400 gr of pumpkin puree
150 gr of low fat condensed milk (approx. 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice mix (see below)
Pinch of salt

1. For the pumpkin puree, simply steam the pumpkin in advance, or cook it in the microwave or in the oven, and let it cool.
2. For the tartlets dough, mix the flours and add the remaining ingredients, kneading until you get a ball.
3. Leave to rest in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
4. In a bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, the egg, the condensed milk, the salt, and the spices, until obtaining a homogeneous preparation.
5. Take the dough out of the refrigerator, and roll it enough to line 4 mini-pie pans, pricking the bottom of each with a fork.
6. Place in the oven to pre-cook at 220ºC for 10 minutes. The filling is distributed over the tartlets, and placed back in the oven at 175ºC between 15 to 20 minutes.

 

This cake is ideal for saying goodbye to the summer and celebrating the beginning of autumn with the warmth of spices and sloes, a fruit that is often overlooked and appears during this time of transition.

When I saw this recipe, I admit that I feared that mixing cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom with a fruit other than apples or pears, might not go very well...

But I surrendered to this mixture of flavors, not to mention the lightness of the dough and the succulence of the sloes that created small creamy pockets all over the cake.

The ingredients

• Sloes - it is advisable for this cake to choose sloes that are not too ripe because they are more difficult to slice and are too juicy.
• Egg - you only need 1 egg to bind all the other elements.
• Flour - common wheat flour or a mix of gluten-free flours can be used, which works equally well.
• Baking powder - if you use self-raising flour, you can omit the baking powder mentioned in the recipe.
• Sugar - for this sloe cake I preferred to use brown sugar (my favorite is this sugar-stevia blend), and that's what I used to sprinkle over the fruit.
• Butter
• Milk - vegetable milk can be used to replace cow's milk, such as almond, oat, or rice.
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Cardamom - it is the combination of these 3 spices that turn this fruit cake into something special, but in order not to overpower the flavor of sloes, I decided to reduce the original quantities.
• Vanilla - is optional, but its presence always improves the flavor of cakes.

   

How to make

• In a bowl mix the flour with the baking powder.
• Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt.
• Apart, beat the butter well (at room temperature) with the sugar until it dissolves and we get a soft cream.
• Add the egg and vanilla, mixing well.
• Milk is added little by little, alternating with portions of the flour mixture, involving well but without beating too much so as not to activate the gluten. Reserve.
• The sloes are washed, cut in half and the stones are removed.
• Each half of the fruit is then cut in half (each sloe then yields 4 similar portions).
• The preparation is poured into a removable ring pan greased and sprinkled with flour.
• The sloes pieces are then arranged in a circle over the dough and are pressed lightly to enter the cake's dough.
• Sprinkle with a little sugar over the fruit (as I forgot this step, I just sprinkled the cake halfway through cooking and therefore the sugar was more at the surface).
• Bake at 180ºC for 30 to 35 minutes. 

Sloes and spices cake recipe

Ingredients

180 gr of flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
100 gr of butter
200 gr of sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
125 ml of milk
8 sloes
1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar for sprinkling

1. You start by mixing the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.
2. Apart, beat the butter with the sugar until you get a soft cream.
3. Add the egg and vanilla.
4. Gradually, and alternating, add the milk and flour mixture, mixing well but without beating too much.
5. The sloes are washed, the stones are removed and cut into 4 similar pieces.
6. The preparation is poured into a removable ring pan greased and sprinkled with flour.
7. The  fruit pieces are arranged in a circle over the dough.
8. Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit.
9. Bake at 180ºC for 30 to 35 minutes.

Adapted from "Late summer plum cake"