From Pumpkin Pudding to Squash Pie

I was reading along through one of the blogs I follow and the author shared a pumpkin pudding recipe. When they described how they ate it for breakfast I was hooked. Pie is one of my favorite breakfast foods and this looked like an easier deal since I wouldn't have to even make a crust. BUT-- when I got ready to make it I'd just sorted through the squash in the basement.

Yup, those of you who have been reading this blog know what comes next. -- I saw the two cups of pumpkin that the recipe called for and thought: I have two buttercup squash that are turning orange; I'd better use them up quick before they go bad; why not substitute squash for pumpkin.

So, I baked the two squash that needed used all the while knowing that was way too much squash for the recipe. I ate some for lunch and then mixed up some pie dough and place it in the frig to chill. So much for the, this will be way easier than making a crust.

Then the rest of my day went something like the story, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, or If You Give A Moose A Muffin because after I'd placed the squash in the oven, I figured I should check the garden potatoes. A small amount were going soft and since I'd let part of our apples from our tree rot because I didn't get them used up quick enough, I thought I'd better make hash browns to store in the freezer. The few that were too soft, I cut up for the chickens. Since I was going through the produce, I figured I should check that which was in the refrigerator. The lemons needed used so I made lemonade and chopped the not so crisp any more bell peppers to go into the freezer for omelets and pizza.

By then, I'd used up all my Betty Crocker ambition and most of my allotment of energy too. I went and put my feet up for awhile and decided the pudding and pies could wait until the next morning. Just after morning chores, I pulled out the recipe I'd photo copied and read through the instructions carefully -

2 cups of pumpkin,

I'm using squash, I thought,

1 cup non-dairy milk.

Non dairy milk? What kind of pudding recipe uses non-dairy milk?

(preferably a rich soy milk or a nut milk... I use cashew milk)

Good for you, I thought and you must have a cashew tree outside, but have you looked outside my window. We barely have any trees at all, let alone cashew ones. Our vegetation is so sparse that even the Jackrabbits pack their own lunch when they pass through this area.

Besides Leta would be grumbling and who knows what else if she heard I'd even thought about using NON- dairy milk. So I substituted.

1 cup light goat cream

And as sweet as our squash is, I wondered about the amount of sugar and molasses but I followed the recipe. I shouldn't have. Believe it or not, I followed the rest of the instructions. Oh sorry, no I didn't. I didn't use the cornstarch and I didn't have allspice so I used cloves.

Squash Pudding ready to be baked

Here's a tip for those of you with impaired short term memories like mine. When I go to altering recipes, I use a small dry erase board to write the recipe on and then go over it making changes. After I taste the dish, I erase parts and write what I would change next time. Check it over to make sure I have it right and then copy it onto paper before placing the revised recipe in my three-ring binder of recipes.

After the pudding had baked, I made the squash pie changing the pudding recipe even further since indeed for us it was way too sweet and the spices overpowering. Maybe, that was in part due to using pumpkin which I wouldn't be surprised if it has a lower sugar content than buttercup squash.

I was well pleased with the pie but would add vanilla next time and then make a new assessment of the spices.

Buttercup Squash Pie or Pudding Recipe

3 cups Buttercup Squash (I don't know why you couldn't use acorn or Turban squash.)

1 cup light goat cream (I think you could use half/half from the store or try evaporated milk)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon molasses

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon each ginger, nutmeg and salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Generous 1/8 cup cornstarch

(I used some pretty thick buttercup squash but if yours isn't, add 1/4 cup of cornstarch instead)

******* I'm going to add 1 teaspoon vanilla next time. ******

Throw all the ingredients in the blender and mix. You'll have to stop occasionally and using a spatula to scrap and move things around. Then either place in ramekin containers or into a pie shell and bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 1 hour. I'm guessing one hour because I never checked the time, SORRY - Maybe, I should say cook until a knife or toothpick comes out clean. Refrigerate after cooked or I often wrap my pies in foil to freeze for later use.

I tried something new when I separated milk this time. I ran the cream through twice as usual for extra thick cream. Then I ran everything but the extra thick cream through again and their was quite a bit of lighter cream that separated off. That is what I used to make the pudding and pie. I tried making whip cream with the blender but it was contrary and skipped the whipped cream stage and went right to butter. Alas, no beautiful picture of a slice of squash pie with a dollop of whip cream. I did have pie for breakfast this morning though. YUM!!!