When is Pumpkin Pie "Pumpkin" Pie?

These huge butternut squash were grown by Joseph Towner.

Why, when it is butternut squash pie, of course.  Pumpkin Pie (or "pumpkin", rather) has been on our dessert list lately, made always with butternut squash rather than the Halloween squash.  We have found that the butternut is dryer when pureed for pie and so doesn't "weep" the way pumpkin pie has the tendency to do.  And it tastes just the same!  However, offering "Butternut Squash" pie just doesn't go over too well on the dessert selection,  so we go ahead and do the quotation marks pumpkin quotation marks pie thing.  And of course tell people who ask that yes, we use butternut squash in it.  Recipe follows.

Brooks Tavern "Pumpkin" Pie, adapted from the Wilson Farm Cookbook years and years ago.

Have ready 1 10" unbaked pie shell.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Beat 3 eggs until thoroughly blended.  Add 3 cups prepped butternut squash (or prepped pumpkin, if you prefer!)  Whisk in 1/2 cup each white and brown sugars.  Sift together 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, and about 1/4 teaspoon cloves.  Measure out 1 tablespoon of this "pumpkin pie spice" and add to squash mixture, along with about 3/8 teaspoon of salt.  (Or, you can just use a tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice that you buy at the store.)  Finally whisk in 1 and 1/2 cups of milk and 3/4 cup of heavy cream.  If you like rum or bourbon in your pumpkin pie, add about a tablespoon.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 and bake for another 40-45 minutes, until it is set in the middle.

If you don't feel like going to all this trouble, we'll be serving this one for dessert tonight!