Pumpkin Pie with Cream Cheese Frosting

I've had many conversations about my sons gluten free diet the last few days. My son was invited to a birthday party of a classmate and so I had to discuss his diet with her mom in order to make sure he was catered for. His classmate had told her mother already that Thijmen has a diet, so her mom was sort of prepared. Until she heard what it all meant. A bit overwhelmed she said: "Oh my, that must be so difficult to live with...." and I answered her: "No, it's ok... when you are used to it..." and in my mind I was already concocting a new recipe. I also told her: "I'll e-mail you where you can get what you need so you won't have too much work and he'll eat safely & has fun." 

I'm always e-mailing people, calling restaurants, bowling alleys, theme parks or zoo's to check if my kid can eat there gluten free. And I stress how important it is to be strict in this diet, because it will make him very sick otherwise. It's part of being the mom of kids on a gluten free diet. But when people ask me if it is hard and difficult, I will always tell them it's not that bad. When you are used to it. And that is the truth, although it might looks like i'm contradicting myself. This diet is strict and there are so many freaking things you need to remember of which cross contamination is the hardest one. It's so hard for others to understand that one measly crum of bread, pasta, cookie, cake or candy can make you sick. But once you've learned all the tricks, know which products are safe (but keep checking ingredient declarations at all times), have turned your life style around it (washing your hands a gazillion times per day for instance), once the diet is in your system, it's really is no that bad. It's still a serious business, but it is not the end of the world. You just get used to all the organizing, baking, cooking and explaining. 

Now if only all the above was the same for doctors. I also talked to two friends this week who have loved ones with tummy issues and it amazed me how easy doctors say: Go eat gluten free for a while to see if it helps you. I keep educating people around me about getting a bloodtest first that will show signs of gluten intolerance if you are a celiac. If you start the diet first and then take the test, these levels drop fast and there is nothing left to see. So when you would quit the diet, because the test shows nothing, you could only make yourself sicker. Or ... what if they tell you that if it works, you need to go back to 6 weeks of gluten hell again, just so they can make a diagnosis they could've made way sooner if they did not advise, but had acted first? And besides, do they actually tell you that there is more to this diet than just eating gluten free? That is also means that you have to be fully gluten free and that you can't cheat and that you need to keep all gluten products away from the gluten free stuff for fear of contamination? 

That is why I keep repeating myself and maybe I'm the gluten free pest in your Twitter & Facebook timelines, telling people to take this all seriously, but I do that because it just needs to be said, for my kids sake, for other celiacs' sake and for all those people out there who do not know where their tummy troubles come from. And I'll always add after all the seriousness: "Once you get the hang of it, it's not that bad. And I'm here to help." 

I'll step off my soapbox now and share this recipe with you that shows that eating gluten free ain't so bad. ;-)

I decorated it with chocolate pumpkins for that Halloween vibe

Ingredients:

For the shortbread base

• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of soft butter
• 50 grams (1.75 oz) of finely granulated sugar
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of rice flour
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of corn flour
• 1 tablespoon of xanthan gum

For the pumpkin filling

• 750 grams (1lb 10oz ) of pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 140g (5 oz) of caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 25 grams (1 oz) of butter, melted
• 175 ml (6 fl oz) of milk

For the cream cheese frosting

• 200 grams of softened cream cheese
• 115 grams (4 oz) of butter
• 250 grams (9 oz) of icing sugar 
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade (400 degrees fahrenheit).
2. Put the butter and sugar for the shortbread in a bowl and whisk till it is all fluffy.
3. Pour in the flour and xanthan gum and mix well. The dough will be light and crumbly. 
4. Butter & line a spring tin with baking parchment and toss in the crumbly dough. Press it and make sure it is evenly spread out in the tray. 
5. Bake in a warm oven for about 10-15 minutes until golden. Take it out of the oven and let it cool a bit.
6. Place the pumpkin in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 mins or until tender. Drain pumpkin; let cool
7. Push the cooled pumpkin through a sieve into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg and the cinnamon. Mix in the beaten eggs, melted butter and milk, then add to the pumpkin purée and stir to combine. Pour into the tart shell and cook for 10 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C (350 degrees fahrenheit). Continue to bake for 35-40 mins until the filling has just set.
8. Leave to cool.
9. Make the cream cheese frosting as follows. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.
10. Serve chilled.