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Seasonal recipe: Butternut squash 'pumpkin' pie

The leaves are changing colour, there's a chill in the air - are your family in an autumnal mood yet?

If you're feeling particularly seasonal, this 'pumpkin pie' recipe from children's dietitian Angharad Banner is a sure way to get the whole family into the kitchen together - learning about food, having fun and making a mess.

Read Angharad's step-by-step guide, which substitutes pumpkin for butternut squash (which is easier to come by pre-Halloween), below鈥

Our butternut squash 'pumpkin' pie is the perfect excuse to get toddlers and kids involved in the kitchen

This recipe is suitable for children aged 12 months old and up鈥

Ingredients

Makes two pies

  • 1 x medium butternut squash (or a small pumpkin if you have one)
  • 2 x 20cm pastry cases
  • 120g sugar
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 x eggs
  • 25g butter or margarine
  • 175ml milk
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees celcius (200 degrees celcius for a fan oven or gas mark 7)

2. Peel and dice the butternut squash into 1cm cubes

3. Add the squash to a pot of boiling water and cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft

4. Drain the butternut squash and pass through a sieve or alternatively use a hand-held blender to form a smooth pur茅e

5. In a separate bowl, add the sugar, nutmeg and half the cinnamon. Whisk in the beaten eggs, melted margarine and milk

6. Next, add the butternut squash pur茅e to the mixture and stir to combine

7. Pour into the pastry cases and cook in the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180 degrees celcius (160 degrees for a fan oven or gas mark 4)

8. Continue to bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling has set

9. Leave to cool then combine the remaining cinnamon with the icing sugar and dust over the pies

Serve warm or chilled with vanilla ice cream

How to get toddlers and children involved in baking

Angharad Banner is an NHS-registered children's dietitian. She explains how getting little hands involved in the kitchen is great for child development鈥

"Tasks like stirring, pouring and sieving when using child-safe utensils help toddlers strengthen their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination."

"These activities improve dexterity, which is essential for writing and other tasks. Getting kids involved in cooking is also a good way to help expand their diet by exploring and trying different foods."

It's also a fantastic opportunity to expand their language by talking about the different foods and processes involved in this recipe.

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