I know I am not alone (or maybe I am) when I say – turning eleven and not receiving a letter from Hogwarts is my greatest disappointment in life. As birthdays come and go (I am now twenty-six…yikes), I still feel a pang of remorse because I never entered The Great Hall, enjoyed the start of term feast, or was lost amongst the shifting staircases.
To soften the blow, my brilliant, beautiful, wonderful mother started making me my own Great Hall feast every January for my birthday. Roast chickens, stuffing, glazed carrots, mashed potatoes, if Harry had it, so did we. We dubbed it Harry Potter Fest. Wrapped in Gryffindor scarves, under Hogwarts banners, a select few friends (very select – you’d be surprised to hear not every 26 year old wants to dress up and read Harry Potter aloud) and I would finish our feast and anticipate my mom’s glorious dessert. Pumpkin Pasties.
These pumpkin pasties are little pumpkin hand pies. My mom stuffs circles of pie dough with a delicious pumpkin mixture, folds them into half-moons and bakes. One bite and you’ll swear you’re at Hogwarts fretting your next Potions exam. Deliciously flaky on the outside, and creamy on the inside, they bring a little magic to the muggle world. I hope the wizard in you will love them as much as I do! Here’s the recipe:
First we make the filling. Wands at the ready – aka get your ingredients out.
Crack your eggs into a large bowl and whisk them.
Add pumpkin, sugar, and spices to the eggs.
Pour in the evaporated milk.
Whisk it all together.
Place the filling in a 9×11 (or something close) baking dish and transfer to a 425° F oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce the oven temp to 350° F and bake for another 40 minutes. It will be the consistency of pumpkin pie filling – because essentially that’s what it is!
Take the filling out of the oven and let cool. Meanwhile, make the crust. Here is my recipe for basic pie dough, which is what I use.
Roll out the pie dough so that it is a 1/4 of an inch thick.
Using a 1 1/2 circular cutter, cut out your rounds. You can press together and re-roll the scraps. Repeat this process until all the dough is cut. Place the rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Using two spoons or a 1/2 oz ice cream scoop place about a teaspoon maybe a teaspoon and a half portion on each round. Place it roughly in the center but a little closer to one side. Run a brush with egg wash around the edges.
After you’ve filled all the circles there will be extra filling. This is okay! You can put it to good use. My best friend L.C. loves to dip her pasties into extra filling. I am a traditionalist and eat them as is – but it makes her smile so I allow her to carry on with it.
Fold over the dough to form a crescent moon shape. Press around the edges with your finger to seal.
Using a fork crimp the edges for a little extra flare. This step is optional.
While the crimping may be optional, adding the slits on top is not! Using a very sharp knife cut three slits on top of each pastry. This will help the steam release and make sure the pastries don’t explode! Brush entire pastry with egg wash and sprinkle a little granulated sugar on top of each.
Place in the oven and bake until golden brown. Remove the pasties from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Pour a strong cuppa to dunk these little treats in and you’ll be transported to Hogwarts in an instant. Enjoy!
Accio social life! Am I right?
Pumpkin Pasties
Ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 cup of sugar
1, 15oz can of pumpkin
1, 12oz can of evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 egg, for egg wash
extra sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 425° F.
Mix together all the ingredients for the filling. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour into a 9×11 baking dish.
Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350° F and bake for another 40 minutes until the mixture has a texture similar to a thick custard. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the pie dough.
Roll the pie dough out until it is 1/4 inch thick. Using a 1 1/2 inch circle, cut rounds out of the dough. Re-roll scraps and cut again. You should have about 18 – 20 pastry rounds.
Whisk the egg lightly for the egg wash.
Place a teaspoon of filling on each of the rounds, a little closer to one side but essentially in the middle. Using a pastry brush, run around the border of the pastry round with the egg wash. Fold the pasty over the filling to make a crescent moon. Press down the edges with your fingers to seal and crimp with a fork if you desire.
Cover the entire pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Using a very sharp knife cut three slits into the top. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove and let cool before serving. Call Mrs. Weasley, it’s time to eat.