Happy Halloween folks! It’s been a casual few (five…) months since I’ve posted on here and I thought why not come back with a bang. A sweet, slightly spiced, crumbly oat crust pumpkin pie bar bang to be precise.
It’s been a whirlwind of a year and I can’t quite believe it’s the end of October. Crisp autumn leaves are glowing shades of red and orange on the ground, my oversized grey scarf has become permanently attached to my neck and all variations of porridge are firmly back on the breakfast menu.
Since I last checked in quite a lot has happened – there’s been three weddings (not mine!), plus two hen do’s, some lovely holidays, cookery demonstrations (to people other than just my mum ahh), weekends away, a Rough Runner 10k, some less wonderful things, styling for very cool photo shoots and moving house (which I’m currently in the middle of – and having to live with an actual boy for a month = aahh again). Then there’s also my book The FODMAP Friendly Kitchen, which thanks to you incredible people is spreading its wings to the US and Canada in a few weeks, and has a few translations on the way, including Dutch!
I know there’s lots of other things I need to fill you in on and want to talk about too – but for the moment – lets just get on to the topic of pie. Cosy, loveable, creamy, delicately spiced, crunchy-bottomed, voluptuous pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie without a fiddly pastry crust and a delicious and marvellously simple, faff-free maple and oat one instead. Pumpkin pie that’s gluten free, dairy free, FODMAP friendly and perfect for slicing into bars to share. I like mine best with some FODMAP friendly ice-cream or whipped cream, with a little stem ginger swirled through it… but I’ll leave that choice up to you. Happy Halloween all! x
Ingredients
For the crust:
200g rolled oats (certified gluten free if needed)
60g ground almonds
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
25g light soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
70ml melted coconut oil
For the filling:
500g cooked and cooled pumpkin puree
175g light soft brown sugar
2 eggs
140ml coconut milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Icing sugar, to serve
Method
Preheat your oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease and line an 8×8-inch baking dish or tin with parchment paper.
Start by making the crust. Add the oats to the bowl of a food processor and blend until you reach the consistency of oat flour. Add the almond meal, sea salt and brown sugar to the bowl and blend again. Drizzle in the maple syrup and coconut oil and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together. Depending on your mixer, you may need to use a spoon to scrape around the edges to ensure the crust is completely mixed. If it appears or feels too dry, add a little more coconut oil.
Spoon the mixture into the lined baking dish, making sure it’s evenly dispersed. Use the back of a spoon, your hands or a flat bottomed object and press the mixture down, making an even, firmly packed layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then set aside to cool. Turn the oven down to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3.
In a large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger and nutmeg. Crack in the eggs and sieve in the sugar. Whisk everything together until smooth. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the cooled crust and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the filling is set but still has a slight wobble. Cool in the tin to room temperature, then chill in the fridge. Remove from the fridge a while before serving, slice into bars and shower liberally with icing sugar before tucking in.
