It’s that time of the year again, with so many beautiful squash varieties available in markets and shops. They are great because you can make so many exciting dishes with them. Especially the pumpkins go a long way! You can carve them for Halloween and make delicious savoury meals, fantastic desserts and mouth-watering snacks, like this Easy Pumpkin Pie made with filo pastry. And, don’t throw the seeds away! They are delightful treats roasted. In this post, you can find out how to prepare them too.

My little dachshund, Mia, and I went pumpkin picking at a local farm last week. We had a lot of fun! Mia was extremely curious about the pumpkins, smelling them, and running around them. And I couldn’t help myself, I was so impressed with the amazing variety of squash and left with a few. This pumpkin pie is made with one of these pumpkins.

WHAT IS THE BALKAN-STYLE PUMPKIN PIE?

The basic Balkan pumpkin pie has a light and juicy filling made of pumpkin, sugar and cinnamon. It’s rolled in filo pastry and baked. In different parts of the peninsula, the pumpkin is enhanced with extra flavours – vanilla sugar, lemon zest, nutmeg, dried fruit or walnuts.

HISTORY OF THE BALKAN-STYLE PUMPKIN PIE.

There is little known information on the exact origins of the Balkan pumpkin pie. Some claim it originated with the Greeks, while others believe it was the Turks. What we know for sure is that filo pastry has an ancient history and has been used in the Balkans for many centuries. It was introduced in the region by the Ottomans around the 11th century, although thin sweetbreads with honey and walnuts were made in Greece even earlier, as early as 800 BC. The common name for filo pastry comes from the Greek language. Filo, in Greek, means leaf and describes the flaky thin pastry that curves like a leaf when baked.

The pumpkin, on the other hand, has been one of the most popular vegetables in the Balkans since the 16th century. Therefore, it is very likely that the pumpkin filo pie has a really long history in the Balkans.

Balkan-Style PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE VARIATIONS.

Filo pastry dishes are considered classic in the Balkans because they are deeply rooted in the local cuisines and traditions. There are many sweet or savoury options.

The Balkan Pumpkin Pie is a dessert dish. It is popular in Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece.

In Bulgaria, Pumpkin Pie, known locally as Tikvenik, is one of the simplest, yet most delicious pies made with filo pastry and a cinnamon-flavoured pumpkin-walnut filling.

The Serbian version, Bundevara, is somewhat similar to the Bulgarian recipe with slight variations. It is often made with vanilla sugar.

The Greek version, Koloctophita, is slightly different because it contains rice in the filling and is flavoured with lemon or orange zest, ground cloves and contains dry fruits.

How to roast pumpkin seeds?

Use a ratio of 1 cup of seeds to 2 cups of water and 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt. Stir the salt in the water in a bowl to dissolve it, then add the pumpkin seeds.

Soak the pumpkin seeds in the salted water overnight. On the next day, discard the water and pat the seeds dry.

Spread the seeds on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Drizzle oil over the seeds and sprinkle sea salt over the seeds. If you like spicy food, as I do, sprinkle chilly flakes on top.

Roast the pumpkin seeds in the middle of preheated the oven at a high temperature (200°C/392°F) for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin seeds have a golden colour.

Let the roasted pumpkin seeds cool before eating them.

HOW TO MAKE BALKAN-Style PUMPKIN PIE with filo pastry?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN THIS PUMPKIN PIE

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My version of the dish is based on several recipes for Tikvenik, created with the idea to be the easiest and the most delicious Pumpkin pie for you to make.

Pumpkin: The best pumpkins to use in this pie are the ones with bright orange, dense and sweet flesh. Do not use pumpkin with watery flesh because your pie will be too soggy.

Filo Pastry: You can make the filo pastry if you have experience in rolling pastry. Pies with fresh homemade filo pastry are divine! But if you like to make a quick and easy pie, you can use any ready-made filo pastry available in your local store or supermarket.

Sugar: The original recipe calls for crystal sugar, but caster sugar works too.

Dried Fruit: In this recipe, I used dry cranberries. I love their slightly acidic taste. It pairs wonderfully with the sweetness in the pie. You can replace the cranberries with raisins if you prefer the taste.

Walnut: Choose good quality meaty walnuts and chop the walnuts into small pieces, yet large enough to keep some crunch.

Cinnamon: The cinnamon gives this authentic Balkan flavour that makes the dish so special. But also, cinnamon always pairs so well with pumpkin.

Vanilla Flavouring: You do not have to use vanilla essence in this recipe, however, I would recommend it because vanilla adds a lovely sweetness to the pie and makes the flavours more complex.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

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I use a springform baking pan for this recipe because it has a removable ring and it’s easier to take the pie intact. You can also use a rectangular baking dish, with roughly the same width as the filo pastry.

Step 1: Prepare the pumpkin pie filling

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Cut the pumpkin into large pieces and peel the skin. Remove the pulp and separate the seeds if you want to roast them.

Use a large grater to grate the pumpkin and transfer it to a bowl. Sprinkle salt over the pumpkin, cover the bowl with clingfilm wrap and let it release juices for 10-15 minutes. Then, squeeze the juice out of the grated pumpkin. By removing moisture from the pumpkin, we will ensure the pie does not get soggy.

Cut or crush the walnuts into small pieces, but not too fine. We want them to get a good crunch in this pie.

In a large saucepan, heat one tablespoon of cooking oil on your hob, then transfer the grated pumpkin to the saucepan and saute for a few minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Stir occasionally.

Take the par-cooked pumpkin off the heat and add the cinnamon and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Place the dried cranberries and half of the walnuts in the saucepan. Stir them well into the pie filling.

Step 2: Assemble the pumpkin pie (TIKVENIK)

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Spread one filo pastry sheet on your working service. Brush it lightly with melted butter, or for the vegetarian option, with oil.

To ensure the filo pastry won’t break or get soggy when rolling the filling inside, you need to use two layers of filo pastry. Line the second sheet of filo pastry over the buttered side of the first one, then brush the top sheet with butter or oil on top as well. Do not apply too much butter or oil to the pastry, otherwise, the pumpkin pie will become greasy.

Pack the filling in the filo pastry:

Spoon a generous amount of filling along the short end of the filo pastry and squeeze a line of honey over the filling. Although the honey flavour builds up the complexity of flavours in this Balkan-Style Pumpkin Pie, it also brings in extra sweetness. If you prefer the pie less sweet, you can skip the honey.

Roll the pastry over the filling twice to cover it completely, then sprinkle the remaining open part of the filo pastry with chopped walnuts, cinnamon and some sugar. When the pie is baking, the sugar will caramelise nicely and together with the cinnamon, they will coat the walnuts and make them super yummy.

Continue to roll the filling inside the filo pastry until you have used all the pastry and you have a fully packed roll.

At that step, you have two options. To assemble the pie inside a round springform baking pan or in a rectangular baking dish. If you are using a round baking dish, assemble the pie from the walls to the centre of the baking dish. In a rectangular baking dish, arrange the cigar-shaped pumpkin rolls tightly next to each other. For reference, have a look at the images below.

Press lightly on top of the assembled pie with your hand to flatten it and make sure it’s tightly packed inside the baking dish. Brush the assembled pie with melted butter. You can also sprinkle ground cinnamon on top.

Step 3: Bake the pie

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Preheat a conventional oven to 180°C/356°F or a fan oven to 170°C/338°F. Bake the pie in the middle of a preheated oven at medium heat for 40-45 minutes.

If you are baking the pie in a springform pan, always place a baking tray underneath, in case some of the juice leaks under the ring.

How to make pumpkin filo pie soaked in sugar syrup?

The Greek version of the pumpkin pie is drenched in syrup, much like the baklava. Imagine how divine that is! A wonderfully sweet, juicy and crunchy baklava-like pie with pumpkin flavour! It is a good option for people with a sweet tooth, but it may not be to everyone’s taste as the pie can be rather sweet.

to make the sugar syrup…

Add 3/4 cup sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Dissolve the sugar in the water on medium heat on your hob. Add one cup of honey, the juice of one medium-sized lemon and the zest of one medium-sized orange to the sugar syrup and stir until the honey dissolves. Cool the syrup before pouring it over the pumpkin pie.

this is important…

If syruping your pumpkin pie, it is better to make it in a rectangular baking dish and cut the pie into portions before baking it. This will allow the sugar syrup to reach inside the filo pastry and the pie filling. Pour the cooled syrup over the hot pumpkin pie as soon as you have taken it out of the oven.

A word of advice, if making pumpkin pie with sugar syrup, do not bake the pie in a springform pan because the syrup may leak under the ring. It is better to use a baking dish with solid walls.

🍲 SERVE THIS SCRUMPTIOUS PUMPKIN PIE

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You can serve your pumpkin pie warm or cold, it tastes delicious either way. Traditionally, this pie is decorated with icing sugar on top, but if you don’t like the idea of adding extra sugar to your pumpkin pie, you do not have to do that.

This pie is a great alternative to cakes and is not overly sweet. Enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee, or serve it as a dessert with vanilla ice cream on the side. It is a tasty treat, easy to pack in lunch boxes for your children to take to school. Healthier than other sugary snacks.

Balkan-style pumpkin pie is rather easy to make and is scrumptious to eat!

Bon Appétit! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳