500g pumpkin (peeled weight) cut into chunks

500g sweet shortcrust pastry

175g light golden brown sugar

Two eggs

140ml cream

One tsp ground cinnamon

One tsp ground ginger

Pinch ground allspice

Pinch ground nutmeg

For the Pecan and Maple Cream

140ml cream

50ml maple syrup

25g toasted pecan nuts (toast in pre-heated oven for pastry for about three or four minutes), finely chopped

25cm tart tin

Place the pumpkin pieces in a saucepan with a little boiling water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Tip into a colander or sieve to drain, then leave to cool.

To make 500g of sweet shorctcrust pastry, place 325g of plain flour in a bowl, add two tbsp of icing sugar and a pinch of salt. Rub in 175g of chilled butter, cut into cubes, then bring the mixture together with one beaten egg – you may need to use half, or all, of a second egg too. Pat it out into a round, just about 1-2cm thick, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling it out.

On a lightly-floured surface (or between two sheets of cling film), roll out the chilled sweet shortcrust pastry into a circle until it is just about 3mm thick so it's wide enough to line the 25cm tart tin. Ease the pastry into the case, and trim the edges, then chill for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C, Gas mark 6. Next, bake the pastry blind: line the pastry case with cling film or parchment paper and fill with baking beans (or re-used dried pulses), then bake for 15-20 minutes, until almost cooked. Remove the cling film or paper and beans, then cook for a further 10 minutes on its own until the pastry is golden. Turn oven down to 160° C.

Meanwhile, place the pumpkin, sugar, eggs, cream and spices in a food processor, then blend until smooth. Pour into the baked pastry case, then bake for one hour until the filling has puffed up in the centre (it will sink as it cools). Take it out of the oven, allow to sit for five or 10 minutes before removing the tart from the tin. Leave to cool.

To make the Pecan and Maple cream, whip the cream with the maple syrup until thickened, then fold in the cooled toasted pecans. Serve spoonfuls of the cream with slices of the pie.