Make the pastry: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. Add the cold butter cubes. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized butter lumps still visible. You should feel the cool, grainy texture of the flour and butter. Drizzle in the ice-cold water, a tablespoon at a time, and stir with a knife until the dough just comes together. It shouldn't be sticky, but it should hold when pinched.

Chill the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently bring it together into a disc about 2cm thick. Wrap it tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days. This resting period, as I used to struggle with shrinking pastry until I discovered this technique, allows the gluten to relax, preventing the crust from shrinking during baking.

Blind bake the crust: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out to a circle about 30cm in diameter and 3-4mm thick. You'll hear the faint crackle of the butter as it rolls. Carefully lift the dough into a 23cm fluted tart tin (preferably with a removable base). Press it gently into the corners. Trim the excess dough by rolling your pin over the top of the tin. Line the pastry with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with baking beans or dried rice. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans. The pastry will look pale and matte. Return to the oven for a further 8-10 minutes, until it is a light, biscuit-gold colour and smells wonderfully toasty.

Lower the oven temperature: Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C (150°C fan). While the crust cools slightly, make the filling.

Whisk the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, double cream, both sugars, beaten eggs, all the spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper), salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until completely smooth and glossy. The colour should be a deep, uniform burnt orange, and the aroma of warm spices will fill your kitchen.

Fill and bake: Place the blind-baked pastry shell on a baking tray (this helps catch any drips and distributes heat evenly). Pour the filling carefully into the warm crust. It will fill the tin right to the brim. Gently transfer the tray to the oven.

Bake until set: Bake for 45-55 minutes. The pie is ready when the edges are puffed and set, but the centre still has a slight, gentle wobble – like a firm jelly. The surface will be a rich, burnished amber. A knife inserted 5cm from the edge should come out clean. If the crust edges are browning too quickly, loosely cover them with a strip of foil or a pie shield after 30 minutes.

Cool completely: Place the pie on a wire cooling rack and let it cool to room temperature, which will take at least 2-3 hours. As it cools, the filling will continue to set. The faint, sweet scent of spice will linger in the air. Do not be tempted to slice it warm, or the filling will be runny.