These delicious pumpkin and feta pies are perfect for serving at your Halloween party. With a spooky pumpkin design, you can even get the little ones involved in making them for some Halloween-themed fun! You can speed up the recipe by using a ready-made block of pastry instead.

Ready in: 2 hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients

450g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
250g plain flour
½ tsp ground turmeric
125g cold butter, cut into cubes
2 egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg, beaten
Grating of nutmeg
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
200g feta, crumbled

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the pumpkin and unpeeled garlic cloves into a roasting tin, drizzle with 1 tbsp of oil, season well, and toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the squash is soft and golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.

2. While the pumpkin is roasting, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly caramelised. Set aside to cool.

3. Put the flour, turmeric, and a pinch of salt into a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and 2 tsp of cold water, then blitz again until it starts to come together.

Check the texture by pressing a little between your fingers — if it holds, it’s ready; if it’s too dry, add a little more cold water, 1 tsp at a time. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to bring it together (don’t overwork it). Divide into two discs, one slightly smaller than the other, wrap both in baking parchment and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

4. Next, prepare the filling. Once cooled, squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins into the squash and mash together until smooth. Stir in the cooled onions, a good grating of nutmeg, a pinch of chilli flakes (if using), and the crumbled feta. Mix until evenly combined.

5. To assemble the pies, butter six holes of a muffin tin and line each with a strip of baking parchment, leaving some overhanging the top to help lift the pies out later.

Roll out the larger piece of pastry on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out six 10cm circles, re-rolling as needed, and press each one gently into the muffin tin, patching any cracks with pastry offcuts. Spoon the pumpkin filling evenly into each case. Roll out the smaller piece of pastry and cut six 8cm circles for the lids. If you like, use a small, sharp knife to cut out little pumpkin faces for a Halloween touch. Place the lids on top of the pies, pressing gently around the edges to seal, and brush with beaten egg.

6. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before lifting out.
Enjoy the pies warm, or leave them to cool completely. They’ll keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, or can be frozen for up to 2 months. To reheat, simply pop them in a low oven for 10 minutes.