Food + Drink

Acorn Squash Pie

Sweet & Spicy Seeds and a Fun Craft For All

Here is a tasty spin on a classic holiday pie. Make an afternoon of it and have fun with the whole family.

We were at the market the other day and saw an acorn squash, it looked kind of weird so we bought it. When we got home, we looked for a recipe to use the squash with. We found quite a few recipes that sounded yummy but the Acorn Squash Pie sounded the best and it was something new that we had not tried before. In the end we used all the components of the squash except for the skins even though they are edible.

To make this pie we had to cut the squash in half to roast. We cut the stem off first and thought it looked like a handle and had a cute shape so we had the idea to cut the top of the squash with the hopes to make a stamp out of it. This gave the little or big kids a craft to do while the pie is baking. We could have fun painting on the squash stamps and decorate cards, envelopes, bags or plain wrapping paper.

For the little kids the “Squash Lids” could be drawn into with a chop stick or pencil, this way the design can be done without the fear of injury. For the big kids they can be carved with a peeler or something of the like to remove the negative space. After the design is complete, we painted the stamp and pressed it onto the paper that we wished.

While the squash is roasting you can prep and roast the seeds. We wanted to try a sweet and spicy version. If this doesn’t work for the littles, then you can always create your own spin or just sprinkle with salt and pepper for roasting.

It ended up being a simply beautiful day in the house with the family.
Simple projects with good rewards.

Another PURE day in Muskoka.

ACORN SQUASH PIE

Please note that this recipe makes 2 pies. If two is one too many then gift the second pie. :)

Ingredients:

-Tenderflake Flaky Pastry Pie Shells (2 Pie Shell pkg)

For roasting the squash:

- 2 medium acorn squash
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted or any other light oil (ie: sunflower oil or light extra-virgin olive oil)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp combined fresh chopped thyme and sage

For the pie filling:

2 cups roasted acorn squash
1 can evaporated milk
2 eggs beaten separately
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp vanilla
Additional salt to taste, if required

Directions:

Roast the Squash:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut off the tops of the squash. *Set aside for the crafty activity.
Half the squash and scoop out the seeds. *Set aside for the Sweet & Spicy Seed recipe.
Coat the squash halves with oil of choice and season with salt and pepper.
Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until soft, approximately 40-45 mins.
When close to finish sprinkle on the chopped herbs and bake for a couple more mins.
Let cool and then scoop out the flesh and measure 2 cups of the squash into a large bowl.

Bake pie shells on their own:

Dock the bottom and sides of the thawed pie shells with a fork.
Bake pie shells until golden. Bake for 8-10 mins. (If the pie shells puff during baking, re-prick and continue to bake.)
Allow the baked pie shells to cool before filling.

Prepare the pie filling:

Mix the roasted squash, evaporated milk, beaten eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Taste and add additional salt if needed.
Pour filling into the cooled pie shells.
Bake at 400 degrees for 40 mins or until the filling has settled and does not jiggle.
Test with a knife or toothpick and if it comes out clean it is ready.
Garnish with thyme or sage.