This Pie🥧 Is A 🎃 Trick And A Treat!👻
🧙🏻♀️ Hocus, Pocus! It’s the most wonderful time of the year! For me, that’s Halloween 🎃 ! This is a dessert trick! Instead of pumpkin, I’m using butternut squash in this delicious holiday treat. This year for your holiday, try making a Sweet Butternut Squash Pie! For added fun, make a delicious, sweet, flaky and buttery crust that’s topped with Halloween Cut-Out-Pieces.
This tasty pie 🥧 will work for any of your upcoming holiday plans, from Halloween 👻 to Thanksgiving 🦃 or Christmas 🎄 too. Give it a try. Just change out the cookie cutters to fit the holiday. Here’s how I make it!
Sweet Butternut Squash Pie Starts with The Flaky, Buttery, Crust
This is enough to make up to a 12 inch pie plus extra for the Halloween cut outs.
Preheat the oven to 400°
Into the bowl of a food processor, add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and pulse to combine. Next, add 1 cup of chilled butter, cut into small cubes.
Pulse a few times until the mixture takes on the look of pebbles. Then, slowly add about 1/2 cup of ice water. Start by adding 1/4 cup, then pulse a few times. Add more water until the mixture comes together when you put it between your fingers. Add a bit more water a tablespoon at a time if necessary.
Pour the mixture out onto plastic wrap and shape into to discs. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.
Open one of the discs of dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness and lay into the pie dish. Shape the edges decoratively or seal with the edge of a fork. Dock the entire inside of the pie crust with a fork. Refrigerate while you make the shapes.
Next roll out the second disc. Using cooking cutters, cut into shapes for later. Set the cut “cookies” onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake at 400° for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
Bake
Into a small bowl, crack one egg and mix it well, set aside.
Place a piece of parchment paper into the center of the pie crust. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (I actually keep my dried beans just for this use in a sealed bag.) Pour the bean in the center to weight the pie as it bakes. Brush the edges of the crust and the cut outs with the egg, then top with clear sanding sugar.
Bake the cut-outs for about 12-15 minutes, until golden brown, remove from the oven to cool. Pre-bake the pie crust for about 20-30 minutes, just until the edges are starting to turn golden brown. If the crust is turning to dark, cover with the crust only with some foil.
Remove from the oven, remove the parchment and the beans. Reduce the oven to 350°
The Filling
Early in the day, or the day before, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the center seeds and guts. Place the squash, cut side down on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper or foil. Roast until it’s fork tender. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool until you can handle it with your hands.
Scoop out the insides and place into the bowl of a food processor. Let the squash puree. Remove from the processor and let the puree drain. Put the mixture into a nut bag and let it drain over a bowl, about 3 hours. If you don’t have a nut bag, use a colander lined with cheesecloth, allow to drain. You can let the filling drain overnight in the refrigerate. Just put the colander into a bowl, and cover everything with plastic wrap.
In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups of the butternut squash puree.
Next, add 4 eggs, 1 cup of packed, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Add 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of allspice and 1 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Whisk to combine, then add 12 ounces of evaporated milk. Continue to whisk until the mixture is completely combined. Pour into the par-baked pie shell.
Pour filling into par baked pie crust
Bake the pie for 60-70 minutes, until the pie is set in the center. Let the pie cool completely before setting the cut-outs on top.
How To Serve This Butternut Squash Pie With Halloween Cut Out Crust!
Serve this delicious pie with a little heap of whipped cream and a cut out design with each piece. Enjoy!
Sweet Butternut Squash Pie With Halloween Cut-Out Crust
Ingredients
For the Crust and Cut-Outs
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup water, chilled
- Sanding Sugar
- 1 egg
- Pie weights or dried beans
For the Filling
- 1 large butternut squash, 3 lbs
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
Instructions
- This is enough to make up to a 12 inch pie plus extra for the Halloween cut outs.
- Preheat the oven to 400°
- Into the bowl of a food processor, add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and pulse to combine. Next, add 1 cup of chilled butter, cut into small cubes. Pulse a few times until the mixture takes on the look of pebbles. Then, slowly add about 1/2 cup of ice water. Start by adding 1/4 cup, then pulse a few times. Add more water until the mixture comes together when you put it between your fingers. Add a bit more water a tablespoon at a time if necessary.
- Pour the mixture out onto plastic wrap and shape into two discs. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.
- Open one of the discs of dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness and lay into the pie dish. Shape the edges decoratively or seal with the edge of a fork. Dock the entire inside of the pie crust with a fork. Refrigerate while you make the shapes.
- Next roll out the second disc. Using cooking cutters, cut into shapes for later. Set the cut "cookies" onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Bake
- Into a small bowl, crack one egg and mix it well, set aside.
- Place a piece of parchment paper into the center of the pie crust. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (I actually keep my dried beans just for this use in a sealed bag.) Pour the bean in the center to weight the pie as it bakes. Brush the edges of the crust and the cut outs with the egg, then top with clear sanding sugar. Bake the cut-outs for about 12-15 minutes, until golden brown, remove from the oven to cool. Pre-bake the pie crust for about 20-30 minutes, just until the edges are starting to turn golden brown. If the crust is turning to dark, cover with the crust only with some foil.
- Remove from the oven, remove the parchment and the beans. Reduce the oven to 350°
- The Filling -
- Early in the day, or the day before, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the center seeds and guts. Place the squash, cut side down on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper or foil. Roast until it's fork tender. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool until you can handle it with your hands.
- Scoop out the insides and place into the bowl of a food processor. Let the squash puree. Remove from the processor and let the puree drain. Put the mixture into a nut bag and let it drain over a bowl, about 3 hours. If you don't have a nut bag, use a colander lined with cheesecloth, allow to drain. You can let the filling drain overnight in the refrigerate. Just put the colander into a bowl, and cover everything with plastic wrap.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups of the butternut squash puree. Next, add 4 eggs, 1 cup of packed, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Add 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon of allspice and 1 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Whisk to combine, then add 12 ounces of evaporated milk. Continue to whisk until the mixture is completely combined. Pour into the pre-baked pie shell.
- Bake the pie for 60-70 minutes, until the pie is set in the center. Let the pie cool completely before setting the cut-outs on top. Enjoy!
