Tikvenik is a Bulgarian sweet pie made with grated pumpkin, walnuts and cinnamon between thin, crisp filo sheets. October is pumpkin season, and the pie keeps well for two days, so one tray covers today and the weekend.

1 hr 25 minprep 30 min · cooking 55 min
6 servingsAfternoon
Mediumdifficulty
430 kcalper serving

Ingredients

  • 400 g (8 sheets)hand-stretched filo sheets for pie
  • 1 kgpeeled pumpkin (honey or butternut)
  • 150 gsugar
  • 150 gwalnuts
  • 2 tspcinnamon
  • 1 sachetvanilla
  • 150 mloil
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • 2 tbspicing sugar for dusting

Method

  1. Grate the pumpkin

    Grate 1 kg of peeled pumpkin on a medium grater, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and leave for 10 minutes. Squeeze it by hand until it stops dripping.

    Don't squeeze it completely dry. Slightly moist pumpkin won't dry out in the oven.

    tikvenik — Grate the pumpkin

  2. Fry the pumpkin

    Heat 3 tablespoons of oil (about 40 ml) in a wide frying pan. Fry the pumpkin over medium heat for 8 minutes, until soft and slightly translucent. Take the pan off the heat and let the pumpkin cool for 10 minutes.

    tikvenik — Fry the pumpkin

  3. Make the filling

    Chop 100 g of the walnuts into coarse pieces. Mix them with the cooled pumpkin, 150 g of sugar, the cinnamon and the vanilla until the sugar is evenly spread.

    tikvenik — Make the filling

  4. Lay the first sheets

    Grease a 30 by 35 cm tray with oil and heat the oven to 180°C. Lay 2 sheets on the bottom and brush them with oil from the rest. You will use about 110 ml in all for the whole pie.

    tikvenik — Lay the first sheets

  5. Build the layers

    Spread a third of the filling over the base and cover it with 2 sheets brushed with oil. Repeat twice more, so the last 2 sheets end up on top, then brush the surface with oil.

    tikvenik — Build the layers

  6. Cut and bake

    Cut the pie into 12 pieces with a sharp knife, going all the way to the bottom. Bake at 180°C for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp.

    When you take the pie out, cover the tray with a clean towel for 15 minutes. This softens the crust and makes the pie easier to cut.

    tikvenik — Cut and bake

  7. Finish the top

    Chop the remaining 50 g of walnuts and sprinkle them over the pie while it is still warm. Dust with icing sugar once the tikvenik has cooled to lukewarm.

    tikvenik — Finish the top

How to serve

Serve lukewarm, with a spoonful of thick yoghurt on the side.

Good to know

Tikvenik is a traditional Bulgarian sweet pumpkin pie. It is also made for Christmas Eve.

Per serving (approximate): 430 kcal · protein 7 g · fat 22 g · carbohydrates 52 g