Savory Winter Squash Pie Recipes

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.

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.

Steps:

• Put oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat if onions are browning too quickly.
• Transfer onions to a large bowl. Add squash cubes, kale, sage, thyme and garlic. Season with salt and red-pepper flakes, and toss well to coat.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the puff pastry rounds to 12 inches in diameter (or roll and trim pastry rectangles to achieve two 12-inch rounds). Line a 10-inch pie pan or other shallow round baking dish with one 12-inch round of pastry. Add squash filling, piling it high. Sprinkle with provolone and pecorino. Lay the remaining pastry round over filling and crimp edges to seal. Paint the top of pie with beaten egg.
• Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Transfer to oven, and bake for about 1 hour, until pastry is nicely browned and squash is soft when probed with a paring knife. (Start checking at the half-hour mark and the 45-minute mark to make sure the pastry isn't browning too quickly. Tent with foil, if so.) Allow to rest at least 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into large wedges and serving.

Steps:

• Melt butter in skillet. Add squash, onions, salt and pepper, and spices. Cook until tender.
• In a small bowl mix together the eggs and the cheese; add to the squash mixture.
• Line one 10 inch pie pan or a square pan with the rolled out cresent rolls. Spread 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard on the crust. Pour the squash mixture into the pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Thaw phyllo dough following package directions.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Peel and seed winter squash. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mash cooked squash. Add parsley, mint, and Feta. Stir to combine.
• Wash and chop the white and light green parts of the leek. Peel and mince the garlic.
• Heat a little olive oil (about 2 teaspoons) in a small frying pan. Add the chopped leek and garlic. Cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add to the squash mixture.
• Grease an 8-inch cake pan. Layer 7 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with olive oil, and overlapping each sheet until the entire cake pan is covered.
• Stir a beaten egg into the squash mixture. Spread mixture over the phyllo in the pan.
• Cover with 5 sheets of phyllo dough, once again brushing each sheet with olive oil. Tuck the edges into the side of the pan. Make a few cuts in the top with a knife.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown. Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.
• Note: This recipe will use less than one package of commercial phyllo dough. Save the remainder for another pie or refreeze for future use.

Steps:

• Make the crust: Combine flour and salt in food processor bowl, and pulse. Remove lid, scatter vegetable shortening and butter over surface, and pulse 5 or 6 times.
• Combine beaten egg and 3 tablespoons ice water. Pulse liquid into dry ingredients, continuing until mixture is evenly moist and dough looks curdy, about 10 seconds. Turn onto work surface, and press firmly into disk, adding drops of water if dough feels dry. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
• Roll dough into 15-inch round on lightly floured surface, about 1/8 inch thick, and fit into shallow 9-inch pie pan. Trim and crimp edges, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, place large pizza stone on lowest rack in oven, and heat at 425 degrees for 1 hour. (If you don't have a pizza stone, you can go without. It can help prevent a soggy bottom crust.)
• Line chilled pie pan with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on pizza stone for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until crust dries out and crimped edges begin to color, 3 to 5 minutes. Lower oven heat to 300 degrees.
• While crust bakes, prepare filling: Combine eggs, vanilla, sugars, salt and spices in food processor, and process until smooth. Add squash purée, and process until smooth. With machine running, pour in heavy cream, and process to combine.
• Scrape filling into hot prebaked shell, and bake on pizza stone for 20 minutes. Turn the oven up to 325 degrees and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes until filling is set two-thirds of the way in from the perimeter and the center still jiggles, about 40 to 45 minutes total (custard will continue to cook after pie is removed from oven). Tent edges loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
• Meanwhile, prepare the candied squash and ginger relish, if using: Combine squash, lemon peel, lemon juice, sugar and salt in small bowl, and stir well. Macerate 30 minutes. Turn into small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until tender and liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Add ginger and mix well.
• Remove pie from oven, and cool to room temperature on rack. Garnish with whipped cream and the relish, if desired.