Yes, I agree this seems a little adventurous for our Sri Lankan tastebuds. Even though there is pumpkin involved, it is essentially a sweet pie. You will be surprised at how well the flavours marry together and leave you with a culinary delight. Chocolate is nice, but why must our taste-buds be curtailed to such a small sector of enjoyment. The world is full of culinary dishes of very taste, colour and choice. Therefore give this delightful pie a try, surprisingly popular with my toddlers when they were growing up, they loved the creamy warm hearty taste of the pumpkin giving way to the surprisingly sweet fluffy marshmallows. Looking for something different tonight, give this pie a chance. 

Ingredients 

Pastry for 1 9-inch pie crust, or puff pastry
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled, cut into 3/4-inch chunks 
Salt 
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 
1 cup packed dark brown sugar 
2 tablespoons treacle
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 large eggs 
2 cups miniature marshmallows 

Preparation 

Preheat oven to 425°F. Roll out pastry into an 11-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and crimp edges. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Remove parchment and weights. Bake until lightly browned around edges, about 7 minutes. 

Place pumpkin in a pot; add salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly; cook pumpkin until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl; add butter, sugar, treacle, spices, vanilla and 1/4 tsp. salt. Beat until smooth. Beat in eggs. 

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Spread filling in crust. Bake until firm in center, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. 

Just before serving, Spread marshmallows over pie. Watching carefully, broil until marshmallows are golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. 

By Mayuri Jayasinghe