1 pie crust (homemade or refrigerated store-bought)

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup (8 oz.) squash puree (such as butternut or sugar pumpkin)

¹₂ cup whipping cream

¹₂ cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¹₂ tsp. ground ginger

¹₂ tsp. salt

Pinch ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure rack is in middle oven position.

2. Fit crust into pie pan. Trim and flute or crimp edge. Place in the refrigerator until ready to fill.

3. Place eggs, pumpkin puree, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves in the bowl of a mixer. Attach a flat beater and mix at medium speed until blended. Pour into the chilled crust.

4. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes or until custard is set and crust is browned. It may be necessary to cover crust edges with aluminum foil during the last 20 minutes or so to avoid over-browning. Let pie cool on a wire rack. When no longer hot, refrigerate to further set the custard. Serve cold with whipped cream.

Adapted from "The Mixer Bible: Second Edition," by Meredith Deeds and Carla Snyder

Turning squash into pie filling

n A 4 lb. winter squash yields about 1 ¹₂ cups of puree, which is generally enough for one pie.

n Leftover squash puree can be kept in the freezer for up to six months.

Step 1: Slice squash in half lengthwise and remove stem.

Step 2: Scoop out seeds and discard or roast them using your favorite recipe.

Step 3: Use one of the following methods to cook your squash:

Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place both squash halves center-down in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake about 1 1/2 hours, or until flesh can be easily pierced with a fork. Cool completely. Scrape flesh away from skin. Puree flesh in a blender or food processor.

Boil: Cut squash halves into large chunks. Place in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil until flesh can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain and cool completely, then scrape flesh away from peel. Proceed with steps outlined above under "Bake."

Microwave: Place squash halves facedown in large, microwave safe baking dish. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to bottom of dish and cover squash with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for about seven minutes per pound, or until flesh can be pierced easily with a fork. Cool completely and proceed with steps outlined above under "Bake."

Adapted from Allrecipes.com