Sweet Zucchini Pie

A big zucchini calls for a big idea.  How about a pie? Flavored with cinnamon and ginger, it is like an Apple Pie.  But not.  It’s a Sweet Zucchini Pie!

If you grow zucchini then, almost without fail, at some point you will end up with an oversized fruit (more on the fruitiness of zucchini later).

When the zucchini is bigger than your arm it’s time to think big!

Then, if you are like me, you will make zucchini bread in endless iterations , stuff the zucchini, make zoodles and fritters all summer long until you don’t want to even think about zucchini.

But have you ever made a zucchini pie?  I have.  And it was so good I am purposely letting a zucchini grow large so I can make another. 

Back to that fruitiness issue.  Technically zucchini is a fruit. If you really want to get down to it, it is a berry!

So, why not a pie?

Roll the bottom pie dough, crimp the edges, and put it in the freezer while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees and make the filling

This recipe works best with a large zucchini.  Scrape the seeds out of the zucchini, (the seeds are bitter in large zucchinis) and cut the zucchini into thick slices, 1-2″ thick.

Aim for thick pieces, like slices of apple for a pie.

Start by cooking the zucchini in a little lemon juice until it begins to soften.  Add sugar and spices and continue cooking until it is soft.  Finally stir in some instant tapicoa pearls and let it cool while you par-bake the pie crust.

The zucchini will lose it’s bright green color and soften as it cooks

Take the crust out of the freexer and  line it with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or uncooked rice.  Blind bake the crust for 20 minutes then take it out of the oven and remove the beans and parchment paper.

Turn the oven up to the 400 degrees.

Put the warm filling in the precooked pie shell and top with some circles you have cut out of puff pastry. Brush the circles with an egg wash and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.

Bake the pie for 15-20 minues until the puff pastry has risen and browned and the filling is hot.

Let it cool and enjoy.

Print

SWEET ZUCCHINI PIE

Servings 1 pie

Author Susan Murray, www.awomancooksinasheville.com

Ingredients

For the pie crust

• 1 bottom pie crust
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1 egg
• 1-2 tbsp demerara sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon

For the Filling

• 1 oversize Zucchini 10-12” long
• ½ c lemon juice
• ½ c sugar
• ¼ c brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger
• ¼ c instant tapioca pearls

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Roll out the bottom pie crust, place in a 9” pie shell, crimp the edge. Put the crust in the freezer while preparing the filling.

Prepare the Filling:

1. Peel and seed the zucchini and cut into 1-2” slices. You should have 6-7 cups of zucchini.
2. Place the zucchini and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring from time to time, until the zucchini begins to lose its bright color and soften.
3. Add the ½ c sugar and ¼ c brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger to the zucchini. Stir to mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the zucchini from the heat, stir in the tapioca and let sit while you bake the pie crust.

Bake the Pie Crust

1. Remove the pie crust from the freezer. Poke holes all over the bottom of the crust with a fork. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, beans or uncooked rice.

2. Bake for twenty minutes. Take the crust out of the oven and remove the weights and parchment paper.

3. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
4. Cut a number of 2-3” circles out of the puff pastry sheet.
5. Pour the zucchini filling into the pie shell. Place the puff pastry circles on top.
6. Beat the egg with a little water and brush over the puff pastry. Sprinkle with demerara sugar mixed with cinnamon.
7. Bake for 20 minutes until the puff pastry has risen and is gold brown and the filling is hot.
8. Let cool before serving.