I can’t help tinkering with recipes. I’ve made this pie quite a few times over the years, and so have others. A few noted they had a bit of extra filling left over, but I didn’t have that experience. However, I know there are variations in pie plates; I don’t think any two are exactly alike. (Springform pans also fall into that category.)
And then, there was a famous (or infamous) baking experiment Marion Cunningham did, asking thirty-five professional bakers in the San Francisco Bay Area to bake the same angel food cake recipe and bring it to a meeting. “You would not believe how different they all were,” she told food writer Ruth Reichl. I was there, and remember it well.
So after my book came out, I decided to revise the pie recipe, toggling to get it to a place where it’s just right for everybody.
It’s a great holiday pie, and the recipe in the book is the one I’ve made for years and works fine if you make it; you just may have some filling left over. If you do, it can be baked alongside the pie in a custard cup or ramekin and enjoyed as a baker’s treat.
I also tried it with a few variations here, including using sweet potatoes and canned pumpkin, which makes the recipe accessible to more people who may not be able to get butternut squash, or just want to skip the step of cooking the squash. I’ve softened my stance over the years on DIY projects and know that not everyone has the time, space, or inclination, to make everything from scratch. That’s why I Ioved revising my recipes for the book, and streamlined a number of them.
Fall in Paris means there’s lots of squash showing up at the markets. The idea of a pie made from squash isn’t quite French; when you see a recette for tarte à la citrouille, it’s generally for pumpkin pie, not a tart — if you’re a stickler about that kind of thing.
When I moved here, we’d often have a Thanksgiving meal somewhere, either at my place, or at a friend’s apartment. Over the years, that tradition has waned as friends moved, drifted, or became more French, not to mention that Thursday is a school night in France, and a lot of people have to go to work the next day. Not to mention gathering all the ingredients, especially preparing a whole turkey in a cramped oven, and finding fresh cranberries, can be a scavenger hunt here. I’m still mourning the loss of my stash of frozen cranberries when my freezer accidentally got unplugged.
This kind of pie is a holiday tradition for those of us from the U.S., but sails over the heads of the French, although when Romain discovered stuffing, he became a convert. (How could he not?) And now that I know he likes this pie as well; he devoured a third of the pie, as you can see, above, he’s looking forward to having it again this year. So you might consider adding it to your holiday table, too.
Butternut Squash Pie
Adapted from Ready for Dessert, revised
Eight servings
Here are a few additional notes about this recipe:
- You can use one can of pumpkin puree in place of the butternut squash puree if you wish. (Canned pumpkin is usually Dickinson squash, which are sometimes referred to as pumpkins. One can of pumpkin is slightly less than this recipe calls for, but it’s okay just to use one can.)
- In the book, I bake the butternut squash in the oven since it’s easier than peeling it. To prepare the squash that way, preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Split a 2-pound (1kg) butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and butter the area where you’ll be placing the squash halves. Place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet and bake the squash until the flesh is completely tender, about 45 minutes. If you poke the flesh with a paring knife, it should meet no resistance. Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle, scrape out the pulp. You’ll end up with about 2 cups (450-480g) of squash pulp.
- Instead of baking the squash, you can steam it by peeling it, removing the seeds, and cutting the flesh into large chunks. Steam the pieces of squash in a vegetable steamer basket in a saucepan with some simmering water. You can also use sweet potatoes instead of the squash. It’ll take about 1 ½ pounds (675g) of sweet potatoes to make a similar amount of puree. (Butternut squash has thicker skin, which is why the recipe calls for 2 pounds of butternut squash.)
- To make pie dough, there’s a recipe in the book and you’ll also find recipes on my website here and here, or use your favorite recipe.
- If you want to omit the Cognac or rum, increase the vanilla extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons, total, in the recipe.
- Feel free to vary the spices to your liking. Ground cardamom, star anise, and/or allspice are possible additions to the mix.
Filling
1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (135g) packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Cognac or rum
2 cups (450-480ml) baked (or steamed) butternut squash pulp, or sweet potatoes, or 1 can of pumpkin puree (see headnote)
One prebaked 9- to 9 1/2-inch (23cm) pie crust
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, if you wish. (It’s not necessary but is insurance against spilling any of the filling in your oven.)
In a food processor or blender, process or blend all the ingredients together until the mixture is very smooth. Pour the filling into the baked pie crust and bake until the filling is barely set in the center (it should be slightly jiggly), 30-35 minutes. Don’t overbake the pie. Let the pie cool on a wire rack until ready to serve.
Serving and storage: The pie is good warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Whipped cream is a natural accompaniment. The pie will keep up to two days in the refrigerator.
More holiday pie recipes
I've taken to opening a can of pumpkin and then dumping it in a little saucepan and roasting it on medium heat until it darkens. Just takes a few minutes. I think I got the idea from a King Arthur pumpkin bread recipe.
I have but 1 memory of squash pie. My mother made 1 to bring to that evenings PTA meeting. For those who aren't familiar, that was a now defunct group called Parent Teachers Association. The pie, in all it's perfection, sat on the kitchen counter and as a little kid, I was under 10, maybe 7 or 8 I was overcome with a compelling desire to upset the perfection of said pie so I stuck my finger in it leaving a hole on the otherwise perfect surface. Needless to say that went over rather poorly with a certain mother. She repaired the pie and it went to the meeting with her. I believe i spent the rest of the evening in my room. So....that's my squash pie history.