I know, I know – it sounds like a really unlikely combination. But the contrast between the rich, sweet pumpkin and the sharp tang of passionfruit is quite irresistible! Be sure to use a very sweet pumpkin for this recipe; I used a jap pumpkin, baked until it was practically melting away from its skin.

Ingredients:

Crust

1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup walnuts

Filling

3 cups baked pumpkin – cut unpeeled pumpkin into wedges and bake at 180°C until very tender, covering with foil if it starts to brown, then allow to cool and scoop flesh out of skin
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup silken tofu
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tbsp arrowroot
1 tbsp ground linseed (preferably golden)
Pulp from 2 large passionfruits
1 tbsp desiccated coconut

Method:

Crust

Grind ingredients together in a food processor until they start to bind together. Using the back of a spoon, press into a pie plate or flan tin.

Filling

Blend dates and silken tofu at high speed in a food processor or blender until thoroughly homogenised. Add pumpkin, spices, arrowroot and ground linseed and blend again until smooth. Stir in passionfruit pulp.

Pour filling into prepared crust, sprinkle coconut over filling and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow the filling to set.