Butternut Squash Pie

 I had three huge butternut squash sitting on my counter generously given to us by neighbors. Here's my thing about this vegetable--I really like the flavor, but the texture kills me. Butternut squash soup is delish, but it pretty much gags me. Sorry, but it's true. So I wanted a way to use the vegetable without the negative affects. What better way to do that than with a PIE?!

Just a couple weeks ago I saw a recipe for this pie and heard it tastes even better than pumpkin. The problem is I have NO IDEA where I read that. So I did a little googling and experimenting and came up with my own version.

I had one small crust (a mini crust really) on hand, so I just wanted to make a little bit of the filling. Turns out I had twice as much as I needed so I used biscuit mix with a little milk and patted it into the bottom of second mini pie plate. It didn't turn out too badly. :) All that to say, the measurements may be a bit off for a 9 inch pie, but because it filled two 4 inch pans, I think it might be just right.

::Baking the squash

Ingredients

1/4 of the dough from the Never Fail Pie Crust Recipe*--recipe below

*this is an approximation. I used the remnants of dough and made a miniature pie crust. The filling filled two mini pies, so I'm estimating. I believe this will make one 9inch pie. 

1 medium butternut squash, cooked and pureed

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup heavy cream

less than 1 Tbsp butter, melted

3/4 tsp cinnamon

scant 1/4 tsp nutmeg

scant 1/4 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash butternut squash and place on a plate. Microwave 2 minutes or until just soft enough to run a knife through. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and add a small amount of water. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool completely--1 hour.

Scrap out the seeds of the squash and discard. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the squash, getting as close to the skin as possible without breaking through. Spoon into a food processor. Process until pureed and smooth. (I didn't need to add water, but you can if the squash isn't moving in the food processor.) 

Add to the processor the remaining ingredients. Pulse a couple times or until thoroughly combined. Pour into prepared pie shell. 

Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. (Be sure to line the crust with foil if it is browned but the pie is not finished baking. 

Never Fail Pie Crust

Makes two (2) two-crust pies (only need 1/4 of this recipe for this pie--freeze the rest!)

Ingredients

2 C. shortening

4 C. flour

dash of salt 

Directions

-mix the previous ingredients with fork until crumbly.

-in cereal bowl, mix 1 beaten egg, 1 Tbsp. vinegar, and 1/2 C. cold water.

-pour liquid mixture into flour.  Mix with flour until dough forms.

Helpful hint:  After dough is complete, divide the dough into 4 equal parts (or 2 if you halved the recipe) and flatten each portion slightly into a circle (approx. 5 inch round).  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  This allows for much easier rolling.

Also, the crust I used for this pie had been in the freezer covered in foil (not even in a ziploc) for almost a year. It was still flaky and amazing!

Also, if you need additional tips for rolling out the dough, feel free to ask.  I've learned a lot of lessons!