Happy Thanksgiving week, folks! I hope your menu is not too stuffed up already with my recipes for Ilvermorny’s Cranberry Pies and Queenie’s Apple Strudel Chutney to make room for one more dish at the table. Today I’ll be posting my third and final Wizarding World Thanksgiving dish, this time crossing back over the pond to Harry Potter’s England for a vegan take on Pumpkin Pasties.
Click here to skip the recipe for Vegan Savory Pumpkin Pasties.
Back Aboard the Hogwarts Express!
True, this is not the first time I’ve made up a recipe for Savory Pumpkin Pasties. My first year in running the blog I created two versions using chicken, ricotta, and pumpkin puree — one flavored with traditional English herbs, the other tikka masala spiced in honor of London’s favorite type of take-out. This year, though, I wanted to offer my vegan friends more than a veggie tray at my wizard-themed Halloween party.
So the first goal was making a vegan-friendly filling that wouldn’t also scare away the non-vegans. I thought of making some imitation ricotta using tofu and nutritional yeast. The only trouble? I couldn’t find the latter anywhere in Kroger’s new store layout. I figured then if I can’t find it, then my readers are likely to have the same trouble. That’s why I then chose another plant-based protein – canned chickpeas.
The nice thing about chickpeas is that they act as both substance and a flavor-carrier. They also stay warm after baking for a long time which is perfect when served appetizer-style throughout a few hours. That is, of course, if they even last that long. The batch of thirty-six I made disappeared faster than a pair of Weasley Twins with an invisibility cloak.
Like my original savory pumpkin pasty recipe, I chose to use a blend of black pepper and fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme. To up the creaminess, though, I took a tip from Daniel Meyer’s Dwarven Cookbook and cooked down some minced shallots, caramelizing them in a mix of English tea and apple cider vinegar.
This recipe will make up more filling than your vegetable shortening-based hot-water crust will call for. That’s ok, though. You can serve up the remaining filling as pumpkin hummus. Two dishes in one recipe — you’re welcome.
Another thing to note about making a vegan pie recipe, you cannot use egg on the crust to make it flaky. That’s why you’ll be first mixing a simple molasses-wash to encourage browning, then finishing with a layer of olive oil after baking to re-incorporate moisture.
Ready to conjure up this last minute Thanksgiving recipe from the Wizarding World? These pies will have your friends and family saying:
recipe
“Accio, Pumpkin Pasties!”
Vegan Savory Pumpkin Pasties
Equipment: Stovetop, skillet, food processor, baking sheets, small saucepan, water kettle, large skillet with a lid, mixing bowl, 8″ square baking pan or pyrex dish, large heat-resistant bowl, parchment paper, rolling pin, 3-inch round biscuit cutter, pastry brush.
Ingredients:
Filling:
- 3 shallots, minced
- a handful of fresh thyme, stripped
- two sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- large sprig of fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 cup strongly brewed English tea
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice or pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 15.5 oz can of chickpeas, drained
- 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt
Crust:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups strongly brewed English tea
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- kosher salt
Instructions:
Make the Filling:
- Heat the skillet on the stove top over a medium flame. Add the oil when hot, then the shallots, thyme, sage, and rosemary when the oil slightly smokes. Season the shallots with a pinch or two of kosher salt and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze the skillet with a cup of tea and the apple cider vinegar the scrape the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits. Bring to a simmer and let cook 8-10 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the contents to the food processor. Add the chickpeas, pumpkin puree, spices, and molasses then process until smooth.
- Stir in kosher salt to taste and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325° F.
- Whisk flour and table salt together in a large, heat-resistant bowl.
- Pour the remaining tea and shortening into the saucepan over medium heat on the stove-top. Turn on the tea kettle with more water to boil.
- Stir the contents of the saucepan. When the mixture just comes to a boil, immediately pour it into the flour mixture.
- Blend with a spatula or wooden spoon until a dough forms. Add extra hot water from the kettle if the dough is too dry, add extra flour if too wet, until it’s workable enough to roll.
Make the Pies
- Pour a little of the boiling water into the baking dish and place the dough bowl into it to keep it warm. Divide the dough into six portions.
- Take out a portion and cover the bowl. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface and cut circles with the 3″ biscuit cutter. Gently roll each circle a little larger.
- Drop a half-tablespoon of pie filling onto half of each circle. Fold the pastry over the filling and press the edges together to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork then place each finished pie on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Repeat steps 2-3 until you run out of dough.
- Stir the molasses and 1/2 cup of water in a separate bowl with a fork then glaze each pie with this molasses wash using a pastry brush. Lightly season the pies with a dusting of kosher salt and bake them in the oven 25-30 minutes or until golden.
- Brush the pies with a layer of olive oil and dust again with kosher salt. Let them cool at least five minutes before handling.
