A Very Hearty Squash Pie

Fall. It’s here. And that means we have the most perfect excuse on the plant to eat lots of pie. With so many different varieties of squash available at the market {or from your garden} it would be a crime not to sample them all… right? RIGHT. 😉

Last week I tried a blue kuri squash in a pie and LOVED it!!! Actually, I kind of think it was all the spices I added to the crust or maybe it was the delicious nut/crumb topping that made the pie such a hit. But what do I know?  I just know the pie didn’t last long on our kitchen counter. And that my friends, is ALWAYS a sign of a delicious recipe.

Next time I think I’ll try it with a butternut squash. Anywho, here’s the recipe:

Ingredients 

4 pound squash {or 2 1/2 cups puree}
1 1/4 sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp white sugar

Pie Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp cold water

Topping

2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup shelled pecans, chopped
1/2 cup shelled walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine pie crust ingredients together, roll into a ball, use the palm of your hand to flatten crust to about 1 inch. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  Then roll out the pie crust and line a pie plate with it. Place the pie crust back in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Next, quarter the squash and remove the stringy insides and seeds. Place the quarters face down on a roasting pan, cover with foil and bake until soft {about 45-60 minutes}.

While the squash is roasting, combine the topping ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Once the squash has finished cooking, let it cool slightly then place squash in a food processor {a blender will work too} and puree until nice and smooth. Add the condensed milk, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla and give the ingredients another quick blend to incorporate all the ingredients. Pour the filling into the pastry shell and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Lower the oven temperature to 350, remove the pie and sprinkle topping over the pie. Continue to bake until the filling is set {about 30 minutes}.

Let the pie cool. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream {a dollop of whipping cream is pretty tasty too}.

Enjoy!

~Mavis