Mini pumpkin pies

Instructions

1. To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl, add the margarine and use a round ended knife to cut the margarine into smaller pieces. Rub the margarine into the flour using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add 3-4 tbsp cold water and bring the mixture together to make a dough. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 20 mins or until required.
2. To make the filling, put the chopped pumpkin in a saucepan and add 150ml water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 mins or until tender. Drain thoroughly, return to the pan and use a hand blender to blend until smooth. Alternatively blend in a food processor or liquidiser. Stir in the spices and sugar and leave to cool.
3. Once cool mix in the Quark. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200°C/fan oven 180°C. Roll out the pastry to ½ cm and cut 12 x 8cm fluted circles to fit a deep patty or muffin tin. Don’t expect the pastry to reach the top. Spoon the pumpkin mixture in to each tart until quite full and bake for 15-20 mins until the pastry is golden and mixture set. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool.