This Easy Vegan Walnut & Squash Filo Pie is based on a Bulgarian recipe for pumpkin Filo Pie (Tutmakink). The pie is easy to make with ready-filo pastry, and even though I labelled it “vegan”, it can be enjoyed by anyone with a sweet tooth. It is a beautifully sweet, wonderfully crunchy and the most enjoyable accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee.

The Balkan Pumpkin Pie is traditionally an autumn pastry dish, though, by replacing the pumpkin with butternut squash, you can make this recipe any time of the year. To make it vegan, I also substituted the crystal sugar in the recipe with raw unrefined cane sugar, which unfortunately changed the colour of the pumpkin, but complimented the taste with beautiful caramelised tones.

HISTORY OF THE BALKAN PUMPKIN FILO PIE.

There is not much information on the origins of the Balkan pumpkin pie.

Most of you probably know that the pumpkin comes from Central America and was cultivated there before it was brought to Europe in the early 16th century.

I find the etymology of the word “pumpkin” rather interesting. The Greeks first named the fruit Pepon, which means large melon. The French adopted the Greek word and changed it to Pompon, then the English changed it to Pumpion, and, eventually, the American colonists dubbed it “Pumpkin”.

Pumpkins have been a popular vegetable in the Balkan region for centuries.

Filo pastry, on the other hand, is known to originate in Medieval Turkey in the 11th century, which supports the idea that pumpkin pie may have originated in the Balkans. It is a fact that pumpkin pie is deeply rooted in the culinary traditions of all Balkan countries.

In Greece, the traditional pumpkin pie has two variations – a savoury dish made with pumpkin and feta and a sweet dish made with pumpkin and sugar. Greeks call both types of pumpkin pie Kolokithopita.

Pumpkin pie is a popular dish in Bulgaria and Serbia as well. In both countries, pumpkin pie is a sweet pastry dish. The Bulgarian name for the pie is Tikvenik, and the Serbian one is Bundevara.

MORE RECIPES WITH FILO PASTRY:

• Balkan-Style Pumpkin Pie with Filo (Tikvenik)
• Balkan-Style Feta Filo Pie (Banitsa)
• Easy Cigar-Shaped Boreks (Purichki)
• Spinach & Feta Boreks (Banichki)

THE IMPORTANCE OF FILO PASTRY IN THE BALKAN CUISINES.

Filo pastry (or phyllo pastry) is a thin puff pastry that originated in authentic Turkish cuisine and was introduced in the Balkans during the time of Ottoman rule. It is deeply rooted in all local cuisines.

The name phyllo comes from the old Greek word phyllon, which translates to English as a leaf. The name indicates that filo pastry is thin as a leaf pastry.

HOW TO MAKE MY VEGAN WALNUT & SQUASH FILO PIE?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN THIS FILO PIE

For the basic version of the pie, we need one pack of good quality filo pastry, unrefined sugar cane molasses, crushed walnuts, olive oil, vanilla bean paste and ground cinnamon.

Filo pastry is time-consuming to make from scratch. Nowadays, good quality ready-made filo pastry is widely available in shops and supermarkets and it’s suitable to use in this recipe. Ready filo pastries are normally 100 per cent vegan but do check the packaging before you buy.

If you decide to use crystal sugar, replace the raw cane sugar with the same amount of crystal sugar.

Butternut squash can be substituted with pumpkin during the autumn season.

You can use lemon zest, nutmeg and raisins to jazz up the pie.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Prepare the filling for the pie

Remove the rind and grate the pumpkin or squash and chop the walnuts.

Heat cooking olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan on your hob and add the grated squash/pumpkin to the pot. Saute the grated pumpkin for a few minutes until the liquid from the squash evaporates.

Add the cane sugar and stir until it melts, then remove the pot from the heat. Next, add the crushed walnuts and the vanilla, and stir to combine with the squash mixture.

Step 2: Assemble the walnut & squash filo pie

Place a single sheet of filo pastry on your surface and brush it lightly with olive oil on top.

If the pastry sheet is too thin, you need to use two pastry sheets lined together, or it will break when you apply the filling. Brush the bottom filo pastry sheet with olive oil or melted butter, then line the second sheet on top.

Brush the second filo pastry sheet with oil and spread the filling along the closest edge of the filo pastry.

Fold in 1-2cm of the side ends of the pastry sheet to ensure the filling does not run out, and roll the filo pastry like a pancake with the filling inside.

Arrange the pastry roll along the wall of your baking dish. Continue assembling the pie from the walls to the centre of the baking tin, then brush it with oil on top.

Step 3: Bake the walnut & squash filo pie

Cover the pie with cooking foil, with the shiny side down to reflect the heat toward the pie.

Cook the pie in the preheated oven at a moderate temperature.

When the pie is ready, remove it from the oven, drizzle a few drops of water on top and cover it with a clean tea towel. That will make the filo pastry softer. Let the pumpkin pie cool down for 15 minutes before serving it.

🍲 SERVE THIS DELICIOUS FILO PIE

Back home, we decorate this pie with icing sugar on top, it makes it look more festive. The sugar also adds a lovely sweetness to the pastry which is not sweet.

Pumpkin pie is delicious, served hot or cold. It is a mouthwatering snack and a lovely treat to have with your afternoon tea or coffee.

Bon Appétit! 🧑‍🍳🧑‍🍳🧑‍🍳