I’ve recently been overcome by an inexplicable urge to bake pies. I don’t know if it’s the holiday season, the cold weather, or what, but I would be baking them every day if I could! This one is loosely adapted from the wonderful book The Sweet Spot: Dialing Back Sugar and Amping Up Flavor.
Kabocha Persimmon Pie
- 1 pre-baked 9-inch pie crust (See my pie crust recipe here. For this pie, I used 3/4 cup pastry flour and 1/4 cup tigernut flour, but you can feel free to blend flours as you please!)
- 1 large kabocha squash, quartered and seeded
- 1 large Hachiya persimmon, very ripe
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Place the squash quarters on a baking sheet and roast until very soft, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then scoop out enough of the flesh to measure 2 cups. Transfer this to a blender (or a large mixing bowl if you have an immersion blender.)
- Reduce oven heat to 375°. Scoop out the flesh of the persimmon to equal 1/2 cup, and add this to the blender along with the squash. Add the milk, egg, honey, maple syrup, ginger, and salt and blend until smooth.
- Fill the pre-baked pie crust with the squash filling. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and pour 1/4 inch of water into the baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is set but still jiggles slightly (it will firm up as it cools). Allow pie to cool completely before serving.
