winter squash pie

Wow!  I am finally finishing up this recipe.  I had made the graham crackers for winter squash pie and here is the rest of the recipe as I promised.  We actually need another and there has been a request for pumpkin ice cream.  I see more squashes in my future.  I just wish the plants in the garden actually had fruit on them!

Winter squash pie

1 small winter squash

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

2 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

12 ounces evaporated milk

Cut the winter squash in half.  Clean out the seeds and stringy flesh.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.  Let cool.  Scrape out two cups of meat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a 9 inch spingform pan.

In a bowl, mix the graham crackers, pecans, brown sugar, and white sugar.  Pour in the melted butter and mix together. 

This mixture will have a sandish consistency.

Press into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.

In a medium bowl, mix the squash meat, eggs, sugar, spices, and milk.  Mix well.   I would actually blend this to get a very smooth texture.

Pour into the pan with the prepared crust.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

This was just so good.  I do not really need to play with this recipe anymore because I truly like very simple.  But since we need another pie around here, playing is on the agenda!

I think I need a big smile here!

a lovely Thanksgiving

Today has been a day of being thankful.  Thankful for time with family.

Thankful for the laughter our family shares.

Thankful for the newest member.

Thankful for the Tall Short Person and the Smallest Short Person.

Thankful for my Beloved.

I hope you have had much to be thankful for today and may have more in the year to come.

graham crackers for squash pie crust

I decided that I wanted a graham cracker pecan crust for my winter squash pie.  But I did not wish to buy gluten free graham crackers.  I decided to make them.  I did a rift on Gluten Free Girl's recipe for graham crackers.  I always tweak though and I think I will change these some more.  I was expecting something a bit sweeter and a bit more cinnamon.  For a slightly sweet cracker that will go well with cheese, like the Carr whole wheat cracker, this is good.

Slightly Sweet Graham Crackers

Note:  adapted from Gluten Free Girl

72 grams millet flour

72 grams brown rice flour

72 grams sorghum flour

72 grams teff

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup honey

4 tablespoons water

millet flour for rolling

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  I actually reground them in a blender together because the texture of rice can get to me.  Cut in the butter until the dough looks like sand (like the picture).  Mix in the honey.  Mix in the water.  Refrigerate for a half hour or longer.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet with a silpat or parchament paper.

Pat the dough down and dust with millet flour.  Roll out until about a 1/4 inch thick.  Score for where the crackers are to be with a butter knife (not a sharp knife).

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden.

These are crumbly but yummy.  They were disappearing off the counter and I had to hide some to make the crust.

I am going to tweak this recipe but it is good with cheese.

roasted winter squash seeds

We were at the farmer's market on Saturday and there were wonderful winter squashes there.  I have always liked pumpkin pie better then cake and decided I really needed a winter squash pie.

Even though the pumpkin killer (a huge knife my Beloved made) is stashed for sale, we cut this wonderful squash open.  The flesh was even more orange then appears here.  I took out the seeds to roast them.  I roasted them with olive oil, soy sauce, and worchester sauce.  It was lovely.  They really did not last long enough to cool once I roasted them.

Roasted Winter Squash Seeds

seeds from one winter squash, cleaned of all strings and meat, dryed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon worchester sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cover a baking sheet with parchament paper or a silpat.  Put the dry winter squash seeds.  Drizzle with olive oil, soy sauce, and worchester sauce.  Toss and mix well.

Put in the oven for about 25 minutes.  Stirring every ten minutes and checking five minutes before the time is up.  You do not wish these too toasty.

the wee one likes warmth

The Smallest Short Person likes to be warm.  I made him and his Momma some extra receiving blankets because they were going through them so fast.  Even though it is unseasonally warm here, at times, he likes two.  This just means laundry does not have to be done so often.  I started with a very soft piece of flannel, 36 by 39 inches and took deep hems down the sides.  In a couple hours, I had seven new receiving blankets made.  I have fabric for two more which the Tall Short Person does not really like but they would be great for extras as Grandlady and Grandpa's house.

Here he is on one.  Playing with his momma.

Then of course there are the smiles.  Especially when he is warm and his tummy is full.  Or Grandpa is telling him stories of the dragonrider he will be and the type of sword Grandpa is going to forge him to fight Jaberwockies and protect Chupacabras.  That is Grandpa for you!