Cupful of Kale’s Maple Pumpkin Pie

For the crust:

• 1 block sweet shortcrust pastry (homemade or shop bought)

For the filling:

• 1 tin (425g) pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup amber maple syrup
• 3/4 cup maple sugar or light brown sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk, full fat from a tin
• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• 2.5 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1.5 tsp vanilla essence
• Pinch salt

For the pecans:

• 1 cup pecans
• 2.5 tbsp golden maple syrup

For the whipped cream:

• 1 tin (400ml) coconut milk, full fat, chilled
• 4 tbsp golden maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 9 inch pie dish and roll out the pastry until it is a few inches wider than the pie dish
2. Carefully place over the pie dish and gently push the pastry down the sides. Trim off any excess pastry and crimp the edges with your fingers or the back of a fork. You can make some biscuits to top with any leftover dough. Pop in the fridge for 15 minutes
3. Line the pastry with some parchment paper and fill with baking beans. Pop in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and baking beans
4. Make the pumpkin filling by mixing all the ingredients together in a blender or use an electric whisk. Make sure there are no lumps
5. Pour filling over the pie crust and place in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Half way through, cover the edges with tin foil to prevent it burning. The filling should look mostly set, leave to cool for an hour then place in the fridge for a few hours to fully set
6. To make the maple pecans place pecans, maple syrup and a pinch of salt on a baking sheet and mix well until coated. Place in the oven for 6-8 minutes until sticky and toasted
7. Remove chilled coconut milk from the fridge and scoop out 1 cup of the coconut cream (not the water). Place in a bowl with vanilla and maple syrup and whisk for a couple of minutes. Place in the fridge until ready to serve
8. Top pumpkin pie with the maple pecans and serve with whipped cream on the side