Spiced Butternut Yule-Nog Pie with Gingerbread Crust
Rich creamy butternut squash, frothy eggnog and spices served up in a spicy Gingerbread PieCrust worthy of any yuletide celebration!
Author: Portlandia Pie Lady
Ingredients
Gingerbread Crust
1-1/4cupsflour(May substitute gluten free flour-see directions for leaf cutouts below)
2tablespoonspure cane brown sugar
1teaspoonginger
1teaspooncinnamon
1/8teaspoonbaking powder
dashof salt
1/2cupcold butter, cut into pieces
2tablespoonsmolasses
3tablespoonswater
shorteningornon-stick vegetable spray
Spiced Butternut Yule-Nog Filling
2cupspureed butternut squash (see directions below for baking or Instant Pot methods)
3eggsbeaten
3/4cupbrown sugar
1-1/2teaspooncinnamon
3/4teaspoonnutmeg
dashofsalt
1cupeggnog(the good stuff, not the "light" version, live a little
1tablespoonpure vanilla
Instructions
Crust
Coat a 9-inch pie plate with shortening or non-stick spray. (The molasses can make the pie crust stick to the plate if not coated.)
Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter with a fork until crumbly. Mix the water and molasses together and pour into dry ingredients all at once, stirring with a fork just until it forms a dough ball. There will be little pieces of butter, which is what you want for a flaky crust.
On a heavily floured surface roll out dough, place in coated pie plate, crimp edges. Use the left over dough for leaf cut outs for edges. Brush the edge of teh crust with water and place cutouts around the edge.
Butternut Filling & Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Using and electric mixer, mix together the squash, sugar, spices and eggs. Stir in the eggnog and vanilla and blend well.
Pour into prepared pie shell and bake at 350 for 45 - 50. Because of the high sugar content (molasses) the crust burns easily, so place a pie shield or foil around edge of crust the last 15-20 minutes of baking time.
Baked Butternut Squash - Instant Pot method
For one 2.5 to 3 pound butternut squash,cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and place cut side up. If the squash is too tall, cut the halves into half again.
Add 1 cup water. Close IP and set dial to Seal. Press Manual pressure at HIGH for 15 minutes. When cycle has finished do Quick Release.
When pressure is out remove lid. The squash will be super soft and skin will slide off. Drain & discard water. Yield about 2 to 2-1/2 cups squash.
Baked Butternut Squash - Oven method
Preheat oven to 375. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds Drizzle with olive oil and place cut side down on parchment or silicone mat lined rimmed baking sheet.
Add 1/2 cup water. Bake for uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes. Pierce with fork or knife to check if tender, add more baking time if necessary.
Notes
When using gluten free flour pie crust for making leaf cutouts, roll out the pie dough onto parchment and freeze for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting leafs. Remove cutouts and place on separate parchment and re-freeze. Place them on the edge of pie frozen, they will bake perfectly from a frozen state.