Pumpkin pie

Sally McKenney’s pumpkin pie has a rich, smooth filling flavoured with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and a little black pepper. This selection uses canned pumpkin and a purchased pastry dough, one of the crust options she allows.

The chilled dough is rolled on a lightly floured surface and fitted into a deep pie dish. The edges receive an egg-and-milk wash, and the shell is partially baked with weights before being baked a little further without them.

Pumpkin, three eggs and light brown sugar are whisked together. Cornstarch, salt and the individual spices follow, along with heavy cream and a separate portion of milk that make the filling smooth.

The filling is poured into the warm crust, leaving room at the top. The pie bakes until its centre is nearly set but retains a small wobble, with the pastry edges protected from excessive browning during baking.

McKenney cools the pie completely before serving, with whipped cream optional. Sugared cranberries and pastry leaves are other decorative choices on the page; they are omitted from this selected pie.