When I mention Gramma Pie, I'm usually met with one of three replies. 

• What the heck is a Gramma Pie? 🤔 or, 
• OMG my Nan used to make the best Gramma Pies,🤗 or
• If I live to 100...I'll never eat another Gramma Pie in my life! 🥴

This last one is the reaction from those who grew up eating waaay too much of it...lol.

Gramma Pie usually evokes a trip down memory lane for those who know of it's existence.

It's an old fashioned pie you don't hear mentioned very often these days, but it has a lovely fresh flavour that isn't too sweet. Plus, I have a secret ingredient that really brings out the flavour.

Depending on where you live, gramma's aren't always easy to find.

You have to know what you're looking for and when you find one, it's a bit exciting if you love a good Gramma Pie. 

If you're still wondering what I'm on about...this is a gramma.

We scored this beauty off the back of a farmers ute that had parked himself at the edge of our local market.

We spied him from the other side of the road and wandered over thinking we'd grab a farm fresh pumpkin...but it was happy days when saw this gorgeous specimen.  

At first glance, it looks like a pumpkin, but it's more like a squash.

They come in different sizes and shapes, and the skins differ too...but inside they're all the same and the bright orange flesh contains a lot of water, even after its cooked.

I found a recipe in an old Country Women's cook book, and over the years I have tweaked it every time I've made it to get to the recipe below. 

In one of those tweaks, I experimented and added some palm sugar to see how it affected the flavour.

It was a hit, so now I call it my 'secret ingredient'...although now it's out of the bag...it isn't so secret anymore!🤔

For those of you who's Nan made Gramma Pies back in the day, if you don't have her recipe...I hope this one comes close.

If you try it, I'd love to know what you think.

Gramma Pie

Start making the pastry and cook the gramma the day prior to baking

Ingredients

Pastry

• 225g plain flour, chilled
• 250g unsalted butter, cut into cubes (see notes)
• 20g icing sugar, chilled
• 60g cornflour, chilled
• Pinch salt
• 60g water, chilled
• 10g (2 tsp) apple cider or white vinegar  

Filling

• 1kg gramma, cooked weight (see notes)
• 60g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 2 egg yolks
• 185g raw sugar
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• ¼ cup raisins, optional 

Notes

• If mixing by hand or a stand mixer, take the butter out of the fridge and let it soften until it’s still cold, but when you press your finger into it there is some give.
• If using a food processor, leave the butter in the fridge until you are ready to mix the pastry.
• Don’t skip the resting period for the pastry. It helps the pastry to relax and prevents shrinkage as it bakes.
• You need 1 kg of cooked and drained gramma.
• The cooked gramma contains a surprising amount of water. It is very important it is strained for an entire day before mixing it for the filling.
• To make the pie into individual pies, you will need to double the amount of pastry.

Preparing the gramma

Peel, chop and steam the gramma, then strain for 24 hours.

The recipe requires 1kg of cooked and strained gramma, so weigh the amount after the gramma has finished straining.

For the pastry

Hand mixing method

1. Remove the butter from the fridge to allow it to soften slightly. You still want it to be cold, but a little soft so it can be incorporated into the flour.
2. Sift the flour, icing sugar, salt and cornflour together in a bowl.
3. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the butter has broken down, but you still have small smooched pieces of butter within the flour. This helps to keep your pastry flaky as it bakes.
4. Add the water and vinegar together then sprinkle over the flour. M mix with a knife until it begins to come together. It will still be crumbly.
5. Divide the pastry in half and shape the pastry into 2 rounds approximately 2cm thick, wrap each disc in plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Food Processor Method

Keep the butter in the fridge until you are about to make the pastry.

• Add the flour, icing sugar, salt and cornflour to the bowl of your food processor. Process for 5 seconds to combine.
• Add the butter and pulse until the butter has broken down to half its original size.
• Add the water and vinegar and pulse until the dough comes together. The butter should be around the size of a pea at this stage. You want to have small dots of butter left in the mixture so the pastry ends up lovely and flaky.
• Turn the dough out onto your bench and divide the mixture in half.
• Shape the pastry into 2 rounds approximately 2cm thick, wrap each disc in plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Stand mixer method

1. Remove the butter from the fridge to allow it to soften slightly. You still want it to be cold, but a little soft so it can be incorporated into the flour.
2. Add the flour, icing sugar, salt and cornflour to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment in place. Mix on low for 10 seconds to combine.
3. Add the butter and mix on low until the butter has broken down but there is still squashed pieces dotted through out the flour.
4. Add the water and vinegar and mix on low until the dough comes together. There should still be some remnants of butter showing in the pastry.
5. Turn the dough out onto your bench and divide the mixture in half.
6. Shape the pastry into 2 rounds approximately 2cm thick, wrap each disc in plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

To make the filling

1. Place the gramma into a microwave proof bowl and heat in bursts until the mixture is warmed through. Stir occasionally so the heat is evenly distributed.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the warmed gramma and stir until the butter and sugar has melted and set aside until needed.

To assemble the pie

1. Remove the pastry from the fridge and allow to soften slightly so it can be easily rolled.
2. Lightly flour a bench top and roll one disc of pastry to a circle to fit your pie dish, roughly 3mm thick.
3. Line the pie dish/tin with the pastry, making sure the pastry is fitted into the lower crease of the dish snuggly. (Do not trim at this stage)
4. Stir the gramma mixture, then place into pastry lined pie dish. Spread to the sides so there are no gaps around the edges.
5. Brush the edge of the pastry with water, then roll out the remaining disc of pastry and place over the top of the pie dish.
6. Gently run your finger around the top edge of the pastry to ensure the pastry adheres to the bottom layer.
7. Trim the overhanging pastry with a knife.
8. Pinch or press the edge of the pastry to form a decorative border.
9. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash or water, then sprinkle evenly with a light coating of caster sugar.
10. Bake in 190°C oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 170°C for a further 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve warm or cold with custard, cream or ice cream.

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Individual Gramma Pies

Follow the recipe as above but double the amount of pastry to make individual pies.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, if you have any questions at all just let me know.

Happy Baking!

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