Spice of the Season

With a crisp cool air battling the leftover Summer sun, rust-colored leaves crunching beneath thick-soled boots, slow jazz and fast-paced life… one can see the autumnal hours are in full swing. To capture the spirit of fall, the taste buds are reeling for a sweet, earthy delight, and of course that has to be none other than a delicious pumpkin pie.

As an ode to our American friends celebrating Halloween and Thanksgiving and all those festivities that are accompanied by treats, costumes, and roundtable feasts, here is a pumpkin pie recipe to celebrate the holiday season. 

Ingredients

For the pastry 175 g plain flour, 125 g butter, cold and cubed, 40 g caster sugar, 1 medium egg yolk

For the filling 2 medium eggs, 100 g caster sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp mixed spice, 1/2 tsp ginger, 275 g  tin pumpkin puree, we used Libby’s, 200 ml evaporated milk, Double cream or crème fraîche, to serve

Directions

• To make the pastry, put the flour and butter into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (alternatively, rub the butter into the flour using your fingers). Add the caster sugar and briefly whiz (or stir) to combine. Next add the egg yolk and 2tsp water and pulse (or stir with a  blunt-ended cutlery knife) until the pastry comes together. Bring pastry together into a disc with your hands, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30min.
• Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pastry and use to line a 20.5cm (8in) round, roughly 4cm (1½in) deep cake tin. Prick base with a fork and chill for 20min.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Line the pastry case with a large square of baking parchment, then fill with ceramic baking beans or uncooked rice. Put the tin on a baking sheet, then bake for 15min. Carefully remove the
  parchment and beans or rice, return the tin to the oven and bake for 8 min, or until the pastry is cooked through and feels sandy to the touch.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs using electric beaters until pale and fluffy, about 3min. Fold through the sugar, spices and pumpkin until combined. Gently mix through the evaporated milk. Pour into cooked pastry.
• Reduce oven temp to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Return the tart to the oven and cook for 45-50min or until the filling feels lightly firm. Leave to cool completely or serve just warm with some double cream or crème fraîche.

Maybe around this time of year you can’t be with loved ones, or you never grew up with the tradition of pumpkin pie, but love the sound of it. Why not experience such a treat via scent?

Paris-based brand Diptyque has just the perfect product for this. They have released their latest limited-edition launch for the fall season, Citrouille, a pumpkin scented candle to enliven to autumnal senses. This candle “blends the crisp, green accents of the pumpkin, with the delicate flavor of chestnut for a unique and surprising fragrance”. 

While the touch of chestnut adds a silky yet rugged feel to the scent, the ridges of green create an almost sharp, crispness to the piece. These mixtures of aromas add a kind of movement to the smell, akin to when one lines the pie with crust and tops it off with spices. It is a journey of the senses, an experience to bring the day to life, whether special or mundane.

Diptyque Citrouille Candle

It has mouth-watering spicy notes to its warmth. This candle basks the room in a hearty, intimate aroma; one can imagine soft tunes on the radio, turkey in the oven and a football flying past the window. Pull on a cable knit sweater, light the Citrouille, and float away with the pumpkin aroma as it crackles upon the mantle.

If you liked this piece, check out Vital; The Scented Nest 

To find out more about Diptyque, visit Here

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