Recipe from Claire Fountain
Adapted by Michael Tortorello
- Total Time
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(47)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Could you make Claire Fountain’s traditional pumpkin pie with a can of processed orange mystery pulp? Of course, Ms. Fountain says — if you think you can live with yourself after. But you’ll need to turn in your C.S.A. badge and your copy of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” —Michael Tortorello
Featured in: Winter Squash Pie
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Ingredients
- 1medium-size winter squash (Ms. Fountain likes Buttercups and orange Hubbards; if you go canned, and she’s definitely not recommending that, use unsweetened pumpkin)
- ¾cup sugar (half white, half brown, packed)
- ½cup heavy cream
- 1tablespoon cornstarch
- 2teaspoons cinnamon
- 1teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛teaspoon crushed cloves
- Pinch of salt
- 1pie crust, homemade, of course
- 4eggs
For the “kick the Can” Winter Squash Pie
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
248 calories; 12 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 139 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
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.
Step
2
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 2¼ cups — for the pie. Go ahead and feed the rest to a baby.
Step
3
Beat the eggs. Add sugar and beat some more. Add heavy cream.
Step
4
Combine the cooked squash purée with the egg batter.
Step
5
Toss the cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a bowl.
Step
6
Add the spice mixture to the squash goop. Unless you want a mouthful of cloves, might as well stir again.
Step
7
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.
Step
8
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.
Ratings
4
out of 5
47
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
Analisa
Heck with the CSA badge and Pollan fan club business. Don't cook this pie because it's trendy or socially appropriate. Cook it because home-roasted hubbard or kabocha is a flavor worlds apart from the insipid stuff canned and marketed as "pumpkin."
AttackChef
Please don't tempt fate & cut the squash raw. Put it whole in the oven while it's heating up & let it soften for 10-20 minutes depending on your oven then be safe & use a dish towel to hold the squash while cutting. You can now proceed with recipe with all fingers intact. The picture shows how not to do it!
emil
Caution! I once baked a spaghetti squash whole, took it out when it was soft, and it exploded. Good thing I was wearing glasses--I got 2nd degree burns on my face, and the stove and kitchen, even the ceiling was a mess of strings, seeds, and pulp. I should have pierced the squash with a knife in several places before baking it. (Though I had cut off the stem and trimmed the other end. ) I imagine that something like that could happen with another winter squash variety.
Valerie A.
Made this with kabocha and pie pumpkin. I added a pinch of ginger and a pinch of allspice because I didn’t have ground cloves. I actually made two nine-inch pies and pulled one at the jiggling stage (internal temp around 140) and the other at the puffy stage (internal temp around 160). The jiggly one was very smooth and creamy although it didn’t quite set. Hasn’t tried the puffy one yet but the first was so moist that I imagine you could go either way, depending on preference.
Stephanie
Did you ever make this ahead and freeze it?
Mary White
I’ve frozen pumpkin pies made with canned pumpkin and they have turned out perfectly. Cover tightly to freeze and thaw slowly in the refrigerator before baking. I don’t see why this one would fail.
Patricia
Cooked as pudding with the 4 eggs and 1 T of rum. My squash was very sweet and dry, but the full amount of sugar didn't make it too sweet. Served with molasses sweetened sour cream. It was delicious and homey.
AttackChef
Please don't tempt fate & cut the squash raw. Put it whole in the oven while it's heating up & let it soften for 10-20 minutes depending on your oven then be safe & use a dish towel to hold the squash while cutting. You can now proceed with recipe with all fingers intact. The picture shows how not to do it!
emil
Caution! I once baked a spaghetti squash whole, took it out when it was soft, and it exploded. Good thing I was wearing glasses--I got 2nd degree burns on my face, and the stove and kitchen, even the ceiling was a mess of strings, seeds, and pulp. I should have pierced the squash with a knife in several places before baking it. (Though I had cut off the stem and trimmed the other end. ) I imagine that something like that could happen with another winter squash variety.
Analisa
Heck with the CSA badge and Pollan fan club business. Don't cook this pie because it's trendy or socially appropriate. Cook it because home-roasted hubbard or kabocha is a flavor worlds apart from the insipid stuff canned and marketed as "pumpkin."
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