Squash Pie

Ingredients

• 1.25 cup steamed and strained squash
• 0.25 cup sugar
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg
• 0.5 tsp lemon extract
• 1 egg
• 0.875 cup milk

Method

This is a custard pie, which means the filling sets through coagulation of egg protein rather than starch thickening. The structure depends on getting the temperature right — too hot and you'll scramble the custard; too cool and it won't set at all. The squash acts as a flavouring and textural agent, not a structural one.

Whisk the egg lightly in a large bowl, just enough to break the yolk and incorporate it evenly. Add the strained squash — it must be drained properly or excess moisture will extend the cooking time and weaken the set — and combine. Sprinkle the sugar, salt, and your chosen spice (pick one: cinnamon for warm baking-spice character, ginger for sharp heat, or nutmeg for earthy sweetness; lemon extract works but is secondary to spice in traditional versions) directly into the mixture and stir until the sugar dissolves and the filling is smooth. Pour the milk in gradually, stirring constantly to avoid lumps of squash catching in the liquid.

Pour the filling into your pie crust and bake at 190°C for 35–45 minutes. The surface should jiggle slightly when you move the oven rack — this tells you the outer ring has set whilst the centre retains a bare whisper of give. The residual heat will continue the baking|coagulation as it cools, leaving you with a soft, spoonable custard rather than a rigid slab. Overbaking produces a grainy texture where the egg proteins have tightened too much.

If you want a richer pie — creamier, more indulgent — increase the squash to 300ml, replace half the milk (115ml) with double cream, and add an extra egg yolk. The yolk adds fat and richness without the whites' tendency to toughen the custard at higher temperatures. This version needs the same oven time but watch it more carefully, as the fat slows heat penetration and the extra yolk can push the set faster than you expect.

Cool to room temperature before serving. The pie continues to firm as it cools, and eating it warm risks a broken custard.