Vegan Pumpkin Pie

I made this vegan pumpkin pie for the very special monthly night at Tiger Lounge named "Your Mama's cookin’'" A quaintly eclectic night combining a knitting lesson, bring your own cake stall, vintage tea cups and a lindy hop lesson adorned with classic swinging tunes from the 1920’s- 50’s. A night which takes you back to a simpler period where all you needed was rock and roll tunes and delicious cake to have a swell time!
Ingredients: Hot Water pie crust
250 grams of vegetable shortening or suet (looks like white maggots but makes the pie flaky!)
400 g of plain flour
2 teaspoons of suma dairy free margarine
175 ml boiling water
2 tablespoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
You will need a circular cake tin/ pie dish, rolllling pin, and wooden spoon.
First we shall make the pie dough! Mix together the shortening, margarine and hot water in a large bowl until thoroughly blended. The shortening will make it look bumpy, don’t worry it will dissolve in the oven. Add flour, baking powder and salt mix to form dough and then knead. Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge to chill for 3 hours then think of something better to do than watch the fridge door impatiently. After waiting patiently for your dough to chill, flour a surface and cut in half the dough, one half for the base, the other the top. Then roll out your dough with the rolling pin in a circular style shape. (*Tip I find it best to hover the pie dish with the pastry to get an approxiamate idea of the shape.) Then line the cake tin with 1 half carefully making sure the dough is thick enough to hold the filling and you have rolled out the right shape to cover the cake tin. Fold over the edge of the dough over the pie dish chopping away excess with a knife.
Now for the filling
Ingredients
A pumpkin (small or large) :)
350 ml of soya milk
5 ounces of granulated brown sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 table spoon of golden syrup
No egg, (brand name) Expensive but worth shelling out, (get it) as it binds the mixture. Follow instructions on packet.
Pre heat the oven to gas mark 4/ 180“C
My cutting of the pumpkin was very basic. I used a large knife to cut from the top of the pumpkin then slide down to quarter the orange beast. You can also cut open the top of the pumpkin to make a lid, then scoop out the flesh. Scoop out the seeds ( you can toast these later on if you so desire ) Use approximately 5 tablespoons of pumpkin flesh and whisk together with the egg replacer and soya milk. Then add spices and syrup and pour into your pie base. Tip* You should place your pie base in an oven for 30 minutes or so so that it hardens before adding the mixture as if you put it in all together only the pie lid will cook well and burn before the base catches up! Finally roll out your other half of the dough and carefully lay on top of the cake tin, again cutting of any excess pastry to neaten up. (Tip* This may take a few goes as the pastry may tear, but be patient and keep rolling till you get the perfect pastry lid! You can place cling film over the dough to cut down on tearing!
You can use any spare dough to make a funny picture on the centre of the pie; I did a pumpkin and the initials of “Your Mama's cookin’ and used bat cookie cutters for halloween.
Brush soya milk or blend with fingertips around the pie crust to fill in any holes and smooth out. Don't forget to cut two lines on the surface of the pie to let the pie breathe.
Then pop your pumpkin pie in the piping hot oven and wait 30-40 minutes until centre is firm! The pie crust will brown and become very crisp first, but the filling and base will take a while longer! but you were clever and popped the base in beforehand ;)
While you are waiting you could fill your time with making some delicious vegan cream to go with the pie.
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons of soya milk
2 tablespoons of granulated unrefined sugar,
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract,
1 tablespoon of corn flour
2 tablespoons of oil.
Whisk in a blender until smooth and creamy for about 2 minutes then chill for an hour, and then pour over your scrumptious pie and bop to on the hop!
If you can keep your hungry teeth from the scrumptious pie, pop in the fridge over night to harden the mixture, therefore it will be less sloppy!
Pumpkin seeds
Well you must be wondering what on earth you are going to do with them seeds! Well don't feed them to the birds or toss haphazardly in the bin, line your stomach instead!
Pop the seeds in a boiling pan of water for 10 minutes and cover
Then line a baking tray with oil and pop the seeds in and cover with salt or sugar!
Tasty not so instant snack!


( I am still waiting for my prize for my vegan gingerbread cookies from the last “Your Mama’s Cookin’” )
Your Mama’s Cookin’ is a monthly night at Tiger Lounge, 5 Cooper St Manchester, Every 2nd Wednesday.