Squash Winter Herb Crispy Butter Bean Pie Recipes

WINTER SQUASH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the squash in half, sprinkle both halves with the salt and sugar, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Bake in a casserole for one hour or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool. (Note: The squash can be roasted and scooped from the skin 3 days in advance.)
• Put the flour onto a clean surface or into a large bowl and make a well in the center. To the well, add the salt, the sugar, the butter, and 1 tablespoon cold water (add more if needed). With your fingertips, push the flour and butter together until large clumps form. Scoop the mixture together and with the heel of your hand, push until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or freeze for up to 2 weeks.
• Dust a clean surface with flour; with the end of a rolling pin, pound the chilled dough into a large disc.
• Roll the dough to fit an 11-inch pie plate: start from the center and roll away from yourself. Transfer the dough to the pie plate and gently press the dough into the plate and chill for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place a large piece of parchment over the dough and weigh it down with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating once. Remove from the oven, pour the beans into a heat-proof pan, and cool the crust. (Note: The crust can be rolled out and pre-baked up to 3 days in advance. After cooling, cover with plastic wrap or foil and store at room temperature.)
• For the filling, remove and discard the seeds from the cooked squash. Scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Add the cream, eggs, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, pinch of salt, lemon zest, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk to combine, leaving the squash chunky.
• Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake until the custard is set and golden-brown, 40-50 minutes.
• Let cool and serve with cinnamon-flavored whipped cream.

SAVORY WINTER SQUASH PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in shortening and butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. , Preheat oven to 375°. For optional bacon roses, brush bacon with 3 tablespoons syrup. Roll bacon strip up; for larger roses use two strips. Secure bottoms with toothpicks. Dip top of each bacon rose in 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Arrange on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bacon is cooked through, 25-30 minutes., On a lightly floured cutting board, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; cut into 1-in.-wide strips. Brush with syrup and sprinkle with brown sugar. Chill until ready to use., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk eggs, squash and milk until smooth. Stir in cheeses, flour, rosemary, salt, nutmeg, thyme, pepper and cayenne. Pour into a greased 9-in. pie plate. Bake 20 minutes., Working quickly, arrange chilled dough strips over hot filling in a lattice pattern. Trim at edge of pie plate. Bake until crust is golden brown and center is set, 15-20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack before serving. If desired garnish with bacon roses, rosemary leaves and thyme leaves.

WINTER SQUASH PIE

Steps:

• Slice the squash in half. This is the moment for the biggest knife in the drawer. Scoop out the seeds. Place each half facedown on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Bake for 30 to 50 minutes at 385 degrees, until squash feels soft on the outside.
• After it cools from blistering to merely hot, scrape the meat from the skin with a spoon. Run the squash through a food processor until it looks like baby food. Measure 15 ounces - or roughly 2 1/4 cups - for the pie. Go ahead and feed the rest to a baby.
• Beat the eggs. Add sugar and beat some more. Add heavy cream.
• Combine the cooked squash purée with the egg batter.
• Toss the cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a bowl.
• Add the spice mixture to the squash goop. Unless you want a mouthful of cloves, might as well stir again.
• If your Thanksgiving table is filled with blue-ribbon bakers who can detect a little soft dough from across the room, blind-bake the crust for a flakier bottom. If you're anyone else - including Ms. Fountain, at times - you'll probably skip this step.
• Pour the filling into the pie crust. Bake the pie at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Or 45. Or maybe 50. But don't overbake. If the center jiggles like the back end of one of those music video dancers you wish the kids wouldn't watch, it's done. Serve with fresh whipped cream. After the kids go to sleep, Ms. Fountain says, whip in a shot of rum.