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Squash Pie (II)
Mrs. L. H. Davis.
Two teacups of boiled squash, three-fourth teacup of brown sugar, three eggs, two tablespoons of molasses, one tablespoon melted butter, one tablespoon ginger, one teaspoon of cinnamon, two teacups of milk, a little salt. Make two plate pies.
A plain custard pie filling of the sort that filled New England pie plates all autumn. The proportions are sound; only the units and the ginger need attention.
- TeacupsA 19th-century teacup is smaller than a modern mug; it was never a standardised measure, but it is commonly reckoned at about 3/4 cup. On that reckoning two teacups of squash and of milk is roughly 1 1/2 cups each, and the sugar comes to a little over 1/2 cup.
- Boiled squashBoiled squash carries a lot of water. Drain it thoroughly and press it in a sieve or dry it briefly in the pan over low heat before measuring, or the custard will weep. Roasting the squash instead gives a firmer, sweeter purée. Canned pumpkin purée works as a direct substitute.
- That tablespoon of gingerA full tablespoon of ground ginger across two pies is aggressive by modern taste. A teaspoon or two is closer to what most palates now expect; taste the filling before it goes in the shells.
- MolassesUse unsulphured dark molasses, not blackstrap, which is bitter and will dominate. It is here for colour and depth as much as sweetness.
- OvenThe book assumes you know. Bake at 425F for the first 15 minutes to set the pastry, then drop to 350F for a further 30 to 40 minutes.
- DonenessCustard is done when the edge is set and the centre still trembles slightly — about 175F at the middle. Baked until firm all the way across, it will crack and turn grainy as it cools.
- Two plate piesTwo shallow 8- or 9-inch pie plates lined with unbaked pastry, filled about three-quarters full. Each serves six to eight. Cool completely before cutting; the filling firms as it sets.
Squash pie and pumpkin pie were interchangeable in New England kitchens through the 19th century, and squash was often preferred: winter squash such as Hubbard and crookneck cooked drier and sweeter than the field pumpkins grown mainly for stock feed. The molasses here is the older sweetener showing through — before refined sugar became cheap, molasses did much of the work in pies, gingerbread and baked beans. The recipe carries a cook's name and almost no instruction, which is common enough in recipes of this kind: the proportions were the part worth writing down.