Classic Pumpkin Pie

To make the pastry, rub together the flour and butter, or pulse-blend in a food processor, to form fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar. Beat together the egg yolk and vanilla. Mix into the dry ingredients to form a soft dough, adding a little water if needed. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to a thickness of 3mm. It will be fragile, so if it starts to crumble, bring it together with your hands and knead it gently to get rid of any joins. Use it to line a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin, leaving an overlapping edge of at least 2cm. Prick the base all over with a fork. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and weigh it down with baking beans.

Place the case on a baking sheet and blind-bake it for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and paper; if the centre looks damp, or raw, which means it is uncooked, return it to the oven for 5 minutes.

For the filling, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, spices, and cream. When they are well blended, beat in the canned or puréed pumpkin to make a smooth filling. Partially pull out an oven rack from the centre of the oven and place the pastry case on it. Pour the filling into the case and slide the rack back into the oven.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until the filling is quite set, but before it begins to bubble up at the edges. Trim the pastry edge with a small, sharp knife while still warm, then leave the pie to cool in its tin for at least 15 minutes before turning out. Serve warm with thick cream or vanilla ice cream.