Welcome to Collegiate Chef! A regular column where I attempt to make food that tastes good and doesn’t scare you away from trying it out yourself. Come along for the ride, and enjoy some home cooked food.
In honor of Halloween, I’m opening this column with one of my favorite food items within the Harry Potter universe, because nothing feels more festive to me than images of a Halloween feast in the Great Hall. Allow me to present pumpkin pasties: a twist on the British classic Cornish pasties, which are traditional hand pies filled with meat and vegetables. My version is mostly filled with pumpkin, but I throw a few veggies in there and change the shape up for a festive twist. Make them for your Halloween party, or save the recipe and bring it to your Friendsgiving next month! I paired them with fingerling potatoes and sautéed spinach for dinner the night I made them.
Before you begin, thaw your pie dough (mine is homemade, using my mom’s recipe from her old cooking blog, but store-bought works just as well) and preheat your oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. On the stove, begin heating a skillet over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in it.
Once the skillet is hot and the butter is melted, turn it down to low heat and add the shallots. Sautée them until they’re translucent and beginning to caramelize, about 5-10 minutes.
In a bowl, add the pumpkin puree, remaining butter, spices, cheese, shallots, and minced garlic. Whisk by hand or with a mixer until all ingredients are combined.
On a floured surface, roll out the pie dough until it’s about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the dough into whatever shape you choose. (I hand-cut a pumpkin shape, but I recommend using cookie cutters or the rim of a glass) Combine the scraps and roll out again, repeating until you’re out of dough. Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture onto half of your cut shapes, and then stretch the other half just a little bit by hand so that they fit on top. Seal the edges by pressing down on them with a fork.
Transfer the pasties to the sheet pan, and cover with egg wash. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
Happy cooking!
Pumpkin Pasties (Adapted from Bijoux and Bits)
Ingredients:
1 package pie dough, thawed
4 Tbs butter, softened
1 shallot (or ½ onion), finely chopped
15 oz pumpkin puree (1 can)
½ cup shredded cheese
1 egg, whisked
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp salt
3 tablespoons spices (choose from any and all of the following):
Sage
Paprika
Black pepper
Allspice
Grated ginger
Cloves
Instructions:
1. Thaw your pie dough and preheat your oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. On the stove, begin heating a skillet over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in it. Once the skillet is hot and the butter is melted, turn it down to low heat and add the shallots. Sauté them until they’re translucent and beginning to caramelize, about 5-10 minutes.
3. In a bowl, add the pumpkin puree, remaining butter, spices, cheese, shallots, and minced garlic. Whisk by hand or with a mixer until all ingredients are combined.
4. On a floured surface, roll out the pie dough until it’s about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the dough into whatever shape you choose. (I hand-cut a pumpkin shape, but I recommend using cookie cutters or the rim of a glass) Combine the scraps and roll out again, repeating until you’re out of dough.
5. Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture onto half of your cut shapes, and then stretch the other half just a little bit by hand so that they fit on top. Seal the edges by pressing down on them with a fork.
6. Transfer the pasties to the sheet pan, and cover with egg wash either by using a pastry brush or spooning it on. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
7. Serve and enjoy!