Best Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin And Spinach Filo Swirl
The Best Pumpkin Pie

Makes 8 generous serves.

This is not suitable for freezing.

The process of making this wonderful pie is fussy and requires quite a bit of handling. While the steps are not difficult, filo pastry is delicate and each sheet requires oiling.

The result, though, is well worth the effort - it plates beautifully and the combination of spinach, pumpkin, fetta and ricotta cheeses is just scrumptious.

Just Add	Prepare
• 15 sheets store bought pastry • 1 cup of vegetable cooking oil • 1 pound / 500 gm pumpkin, trimmed, seeded and cut into chunks • 8 oz/250 gm cooked spinach • 4 oz/125 gm Feta cheese • 4 oz/125 gm Ricotta cheese • 1 ts cumin seeds • salt and pepper to taste	• Preheat oven to 360F/180C Prepare Pumpkin Filling • Boil the chunks of pumpkin in salted water • When tender, drain away all the liquid • Add half the feta cheese and half the ricotta cheese. Season to taste • Mash it all together using a potato masher • Keep this aside for a moment Prepare The Spinach Filling • If using frozen spinach, defrost it in a saucepan • Add the remainder of the Feta and Ricotta Cheeses. Season to taste • Keep aside for a moment Prepare the filo pastry • Work on a clean large flat surface as you'll need the room to lay out and roll the filo • Open up the packet of filo pastry. You'll see they are very fine sheets, so unroll them gently • Brush each sheet of filo on each side lightly with the vegetable oil using a pastry brush. Else, spray with cooking oil. • In separating each sheet, some of the delicate pastry may tear. Don't worry, keep these aside for repairs as you go. Oil these torn sheets as well. I've found you will use all the sheets. Make Rolls With Filling • You will be making 4 tubes of filling with 3 sheets each. So, that's 12 sheets with 3 spare for repairs • Spread half the pumpkin mixture along the long side of the filo sheet. Spread the filling long and thin taking care to leave the short ends to allow room to tuck in the pastry • Roll up 3 sheets making a tube of pastry containing the filling. Tuck in the short ends neatly • If the sheet tears, just use another one or two filo sheets to repair. • Place the filled filo roll or tube in a swirl right in the center of the non-stick bake ware • Repeat the same procedure with the spinach filling • Swirl the spinach tube around the pumpkin tube • Continue in this manner for the next pumpkin tube then a spinach tube Glaze Then Bake • Using a pastry brush, brush the swirl of filo tubes with the remainder of the oil. Be sure to get into the nooks and crannies • Bake for 45 minutes till golden brown. • Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then plate it beautifully

The filo pastry is delicate and crunchy right out of the oven. It is best served immediately.

This pie will not freeze well.

Tips

To give the filo layers some interest, I lay them, one on top of the other at angles so that the edges of the sheet criss-cross each other.

The oil makes the pastry brown and adds moisture so that it handles better.

It is best not to put too much filling in each tube. Filo is delicate and tears easily - it won't handle the stress of too much filling pressing on it.


~~~~~~~~~~~ Enjoy this lovely elegant pumpkin and spinach filo swirl. It really is the best pumpkin pie.

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