Butternut Squash Pie!

So…’tis the season!  This is without doubt my favorite pie.  It’s a recipe of my mom’s that I first made during my last visit with my late grandmother, March of 2014.  I’ve already posted the recipe, already attempted with mere words to convey its otherworldly deliciousness–here is that info. (also, remember when I took a road trip of the eastern United States?! exactly how many millions of years ago was that?!)

At the bakery, I often made this recipe with pumpkin puree instead of butternut; volume made the readily available option exceedingly attractive, and I caved in the name of time saving.  However, I really do think that butternut makes the better pie.  I find the flavor more subtle than pumpkin and infinitely more….buttery, I guess, is the right word.

Now.  If you’re anything like me, you’re equally attracted and deterred by the beautiful squash bounty this time of year.  The odd shapes and vivid colors are alluring, so quintessentially autumnal.  You’d like to buy them all…until your subconscious puts on the breaks, knowing full well that underneath their bright and armored exteriors is a rather involved project of sorts.  Chopping, roasting, de-seeding, pureeing, etc.  And this lurking knowledge steers you toward more easily accessible food and, well, canned pumpkin.

Try to resist the Libby’s if you can, at least once to make this butternut squash pie.  It is worth it, I promise!  And, perhaps the best part of this recipe is that it can actually make 2 pies!, if you don’t mind them being on the thinner side.  Personally, I prefer to make one generously filled pie and then bake the extra in a pudding ramekin/ramekins, or…as I did this last time, in an un-lined, crust-free pie tin.  It was a moment of sheer glory when I realized that I had a full pie to photograph, and could simultaneously shovel the same content into my afternoon-snack ready mouth.  Sorry, that’s kind of gross and graphic, but there’s no other way to say it.  This pie makes me ditch the appropriate food-to-spoon ratio.  It is so good.  (and full of vitamin A…)

HERE is the link to the recipe!

(and heck, if you just absolutely cannot get into butternut roasting/pureeing this year, then go on with the canned pumpkin…it will still be tops)

***Quick note on texture! Not wanting to be too wordy about something that words simply cannot describe, I’ve steered away from trying to explain exactly why this pie is so good.  But, with the aid of the picture below, perhaps you’ll see. It bakes into two distinct layers: a smooth, silky layer of custard, and then a lighter, fluffier layer over the top.  I know that it’s not always desirable for custard to separate, but here, it’s in that “Magic Cake” category, wherein the layers are intriguing and delightful.

My memory’s been jogged by the initial butternut squash pie post…I’m revisiting some favorite road trip music.  I experienced a major TV On The Radio phase in DC/Maryland; jazzy, raw and just shy of too much going on: