Butternutscotch pie

1. 1. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and corn starch. In the container of a blender, combine the roasted squash purée*, half and half, brown sugar mixture, pinch of salt, and egg yolks. Blend until very smooth and pour into a medium sized heavy bottom saucepan.

2. 2. Cook the roasted squash mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

3. 3. Turn heat to low, and continue cooking and stirring (now with a wooden spoon or spatula) for few minutes – pudding should be thick but still pourable. Stir vanilla extract, butter pieces, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg into the hot pudding until completely incorporated.

4. 3. Let pudding cool to warm. Press uncooked pastry dough into a glass pie dish. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

5. 4. Pour pudding mixture into prepared pie crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until edges of pastry are brown and pudding doesn't jiggle in the center.

6. 5. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

7. 6. Just before serving, top with whipped cream or cool whip, covering to crust.

8. Recipe Notes: *To roast a butternut squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a large sharp knife, cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and place squash halves, very lightly oiled, cut side up, in a baking dish or cookie sheet. Cover with foil and roast for 45-50 minutes in a 400 degree oven until the squash is very tender (can be pierced easily with a fork). When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop flesh from skin. Mash it lightly and place in a strainer for a minute to let any excess liquid drain off. Measure out 1 cup of squash for pudding recipe and if any, reserve the rest for another use.