Some requested recipes

Pumpkin Pie


½ small pumpkin, seeded (about 500g)
½ standard coffee mug of sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
3 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla essence
310ml milk
½ tsp ground nutmeg
For the pastry:
A pinch of salt
210g flour
100g cold butter
3-4 tbsp cold water
Preheat oven to 190C/375F/gas 5. Put a piece of aluminium foil on a baking sheet or in a large baking tin and pop the peeled pumpkin flesh on to it. Cover well with more foil. Bake for about 40 mins or until the pumpkin is tender.

While it's baking, make your pie base.
To make your pastry, first mix the salt into the flour. Add the cold butter and cut it into the flour with two knives or give it a few blasts in a food processor. Slowly sprinkle in the cold water until the pastry just holds together. Pop the dough in a bag in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface and lift into a greased pie pan. Crimp the edges and prick the base all over with a fork, then pop into the bottom of the oven for 5-10 minutes. This should help your pastry stay crisp when you pour in the filling.

When the pumpkin is soft, hoik it out of the oven and let it cool. Puree it in a food processor or press through a strainer until super smooth. Weigh out 250ml (8fl oz) of the puree and freeze any extra.

Once the puree has cooled, stir in the sugar, cornflour, cinnamon and ginger. Then mix in the egg yolks, vanilla essence and milk. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, but not stiff. Gently fold in the pumpkin mixture. Pour into the pie base and sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Bake at 210C/410F gas mark 6 ½ for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 180C/350F/gas 4 and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until set in the middle and lightly browned at the edges. .

Beetroot and Chocolate Cake


225g plain flour
Pinch salt
2 tsp baking powder
25g cocoa
Grated rind of 1 orange
Juice of ½ orange
2 eggs
150g caster sugar
125ml vegetable oil
150g cooked grated beetroot
200g chocolate chips

• Sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa into a mixing bowl.

• In a separate bowl beat the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy.

• Add the oil, orange rind, juice and grated beetroot and beat well.

• Gently fold in the dry ingredients until combined.

• Stir in the chocolate chips.

• Turn into your prepared tin and bake for 50-55 mins at 180oC.

• Leave to cool for 10 mins before turning onto a cooling rack.

• Serve dusted with icing sugar.