Pumpkin pie with walnut and honey (Kolokithopita)

I'm obsessed with this pie because it tastes just like baklava with the added bonus of soft cinnamon-spiked pumpkin in the filling. The contrasting textures and flavours are just spectacular. My olive oil pastry works perfectly here as a gluten-free and dairy-free alternative to traditional filo.

Pumpkin pie with walnut and honey (Kolokithopita) Credit: Jeremy Simons

• serves

  8

• prep

  35 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Of all the coiled pastry recipes my mother has taught me, this is probably my favourite. There are many different versions of Greek pumpkin pie ('kolokithi' meaning pumpkin and 'pita' meaning pie), some sweet some savoury.

Ingredients

• 1 quantity Olive oil pastry (see recipe below)
• light olive oil, for brushing
• ½ tsp caster sugar mixed 
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 115 g (⅓ cup) honey

Olive oil pastry

Makes 16 individual pies or one 30 cm pie

• 260 g (2 cups) gluten-free plain flour
• ½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
• pinch of sea salt flakes
• 2 large eggs (see Note)
• 125 ml (½ cup) light olive oil

Pumpkin filling

• 300 g butternut pumpkin, finely grated, excess moisture squeezed out
• 100 g (1 cup) walnuts, coarsely crushed, plus extra for sprinkling
• 80 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
• ¼ tsp ground cloves

Resting time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Instructions

1. For the Olive oil pastry, place the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Whisk the eggs and olive oil together in another bowl.
3. Add the egg mixture and 3 tablespoons of warm water to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Use your hands to knead the dough for a minute to form a smooth ball. Cover the bowl and rest the dough in the fridge for 1 hour before using.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced) and grease a 24 cm round cake tin with olive oil.
5. For the Pumpkin filling, combine all pumpkin filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
6. To assemble the pie, divide the cold pastry into four portions. Working with one portion at a time, place the pastry between two large sheets of baking paper. Roll out the pastry to the shape of a paper-thin rectangle roughly 50 cm × 10 cm. Remove the top layer of baking paper and place one quarter of the pumpkin filling in a log shape along the long edge of the pastry closest to you. Using the bottom sheet of baking paper to help, lift the dough and roll it over the filling to enclose and seal (only allow a 2 cm pastry overlap at the seam to keep the pastry fairly thin). Sit the log along the outer edge of the tin to create the outer coil. Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling to create an inward spiral.
7. Brush the top of the coil with olive oil and sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle the honey over the top. Sprinkle on the extra walnuts and add a dusting of cinnamon. Set aside for 30 minutes so the pastry can soak up the syrup, then slice and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Note
• Using eggs of a different size may result in a dough that is too wet or too dry (add more flour or water respectively). Look for 600 g egg cartons labelled 'large' with an average egg weight of 55 g.

• You might like to add raisins or currants to your filling.

Gluten-Free Mediterranean by Helen Tzouganatos, published by Plum, (RRP $44.99). Photography by Jeremy Simons.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Of all the coiled pastry recipes my mother has taught me, this is probably my favourite. There are many different versions of Greek pumpkin pie ('kolokithi' meaning pumpkin and 'pita' meaning pie), some sweet some savoury.