“PUMPKIN” PIE
Crust:
  • 6.25 oz all-purpose flour
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 oz unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 1.5 oz ice water
Filling:
  • 1 ½ - 2 cups cooked squash puree from: 1 small butternut squash or 1 kabocha squash
  • ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed (or 1/3 cup maple syrup and 1/3 cup brown sugar)
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 6 oz cream
  • 6 oz milk
  • 3 eggs
If making smaller tarts reduce filling:
Filling:
  • 1 cup cooked squash puree from: 1 small butternut squash or 1 kabocha squash
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • pinch ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch of finely ground pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 4 oz cream
  • 4 oz milk
  • 2 eggs
Whipped Cream:
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract 
  • 1 T powdered sugar
Optional Pecan Praline topping​
  • 1 cup (130g) finely chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons (30g) honey or maple syrup
Mix all together and once pie is set spread over top and bake an additional 15 minutes.

​Instructions:
For Squash
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut squashes lengthwise. Scrape out seeds and strings. Rub cut sides with a little oil. Place on parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until squash is very soft when pierced with a knife. Remove from oven, flip cut side up and let cool.
  2. Scrape flesh out of skins. Crank through the medium disk of a food mill or puree in a food processor. Refrigerate squash until needed.

For Pie Crust
  1. Combine 2/3rds of flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse twice to incorporate. Spread butter chunks evenly over surface. Pulse until no dry flour remains and dough just begins to collect in clumps, about 25 short pulses. Use a rubber spatula to spread the dough evenly around the bowl of the food processor. Sprinkle with remaining flour and pulse until dough is just barely broken up, about 5 short pulses. Transfer dough to a large bowl.
  2. Sprinkle with water and, using a rubber spatula, fold and press dough until it comes together into a ball. Divide ball in half. Form each half into a 4-inch disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before rolling and baking.
  3. Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough from the center to the edges. After every 2-3 rolls, pick up the dough and rotate it a quarter turn to keep it from sticking to the counter.
  4. Once dough is rolled evenly into a round about 2″ bigger than your pie plate, lift it up and drape it over the pie plate. Press gently into the pan.
  5. Fold excess dough inwards to make an even ridge. Crimp or shape as desired. Wrap loosely in plastic wrap and chill or freeze until needed.
  6. Blind bake at 350 F lined with parchment and filled with baking beans/weights until sides are dry and firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove weights, then bake until completely dry and firm (including bottom crust) and starting to turn golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool thoroughly. 
For smaller tarts:
  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 
  2. Divide dough into six equal pieces and roll out to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Lay the dough into small tart pans, trim and crimp the edges so they extend above the top of the pan.
  3. Reserve a small piece of dough to fill any cracks that might open in the dough as it bakes. Line the dough with parchment or foil and fill it with dried beans or pie weights so that the crust bakes flat. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the weights and parchment or foil. Gently patch any cracks that may have formed with the reserved dough, and continue baking until the bottom of the crust is golden and cooked, about 15 more minutes. Remove it from the oven and patch any cracks that may have opened; this is especially important as the filling may leak out. 

For Filling
Method 1
  1. Put pumpkin puree into saucepan and stir over direct heat for 10 minutes until somewhat dry and slightly caramelized, stirring frequently. Remove from heat but keep hot.
  2. Mix together thoroughly the sugar, salt, and spices, and stir into hot pumpkin.
  3. Beat eggs, add milk and cream, and beat into pumpkin mixture until smooth.
  4. Pour immediately into pre-baked pie shell and bake in a moderately hot oven (400° F) for 25 to 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and only an inch circle in the center of the filling remains jiggly. If crust is getting too dark reduce heat to 350. Cool thoroughly before cutting. Serve with whipped cream.
Method 2In the bowl of a food processor, combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and pulse 3 times to mix. Add the cream and milk and pulse until well mixed. Add the pumpkin and for 30 seconds. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then process until the mixture is completely smooth, about 30 seconds longer. Add the eggs and process until completely smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. For extra-smooth pumpkin pie, press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or a chinois using the back of a ladle.
  1. Pour the mixture into prepared pie shell. Transfer pumpkin pie to the baking sheet in the oven and bake for until the filling puffs slightly and the center only moves slightly when jiggled, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pumpkin pie half way through baking. Allow the pumpkin pie to cool for at least one hour before serving. The pumpkin pie may be chilled for up to two days.

Note: Perfectly baked pumpkin pie has no cracks on its surface. Baking hot filling in a chilled crust at 400° F for 25 to 30 minutes produces a smooth, shiny good textured custard.