Ingredients
Filling:
1 small butternut squash (approx. 11⁄3 lbs)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of fine sea salt
2 large eggs
freshly grated nutmeg
Crust:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons almond flour, heaping
2 tablespoons superfine sugar, heaping
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 large egg yolk
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 300F convection oven/350F conventional oven. Prick the squash all over using a fine skewer, place it in a baking dish, and bake for 1 hour. Turn oven up to 325F convection oven/375F conventional oven.
2. To make the crust, process flour, almonds, sugar and butter to a fine crumb-like consistency in a food processor. Add egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of water and process briefly to bring dough together in a soft ball. Press the pastry onto the base and sides of an 8-inch tart pan with a removable base, 1 inch deep. Level the surface by laying a sheet of plastic wrap over the top and smoothing it out with your fingers, taking it very slightly higher than the rim of the pan. Either trim the rim using a knife to neaten it or smooth it using a teaspoon.
3. Place pan on a baking sheet. Cut the squash open, discard any seeds, and scoop out 1 cup of flesh. Place the flesh in a food processor with all the ingredients for the filling, except the nutmeg, and process to a smooth cream. Pour into the pastry shell and grate on a liberal dusting of nutmeg.
4. Bake for 35–40 minutes until lightly golden and set; it may wobble slightly but will firm as it cools and chills. Set aside to cool and then loosely cover with foil and chill for at least a couple of hours. It will keep well in the fridge for several days.
