Go figure. Pumpkin pie is best when it's, well, not made with pumpkin, according to Melissa Clark. She tested a bunch of pumpkin and squash varieties to determine which one would provide the freshest, sweetest flavor. And the winner is...
Butternut squash!
Melissa said that butternut squash 'pumpkin' pie was "deep and richly flavored, sweet, with relatively smooth flesh that is easy to pure." Additionally, it was "so very easy to work with" because the skin easily slips off with a peeler. The runner-up was acorn squash, which created a "honeyed, moist, not too fibrous, very nice" pie. But butternut was still the winner!
See the notes from all 9 of her squash tests below, and then tell us: will you be forgoing the canned pumpkin this year and trying out a new squash instead?
Read more: The Squash You Should Use in Pumpkin Pie at NYT's Diner's Journal
Related: Family Recipe: My Dad's Legendary Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
(Image: Faith Durand)
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Q: I've been tasked with bringing pumpkin pie to Thanksgiving dinner. I'm an adventurous cook, so I'd like to keep the key elements of pumpkin pie (flavor, texture, etc), but make it a little more exciting. I'm open to all ingredients. Any suggestions?
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Pumpkin pie didn't use to be a favorite. I liked the flavor and spices of traditional pumpkin pie, but often found it unpleasantly soggy. Then, a few years ago, I wondered what it would be like made with a toasty, firmer graham cracker crust. Presto delicious. The graham cracker crust is easier to shape and press into place than a regular pie crust (I always use a homemade graham cracker crust; the storebought ones taste stale to me). It also holds up underneath the custard filling of the pumpkin, staying toothsome and snappy.
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Fall is in the air and even though there are some hot days left on the forecast, that doesn't mean that I'm not already thinking about apple cider and weenie roasts. Pumpkins are about to appear in the stores and I'm dying to try this DIY pumpkin yogurt.