Butternut Squash and Shallot Tartlets

Who doesn’t love a little tiny pie? Tartlets take less time to bake than a full sized pie and, thanks to their petite size, they offer a smaller margin of error in bake time. Also, they’re adorable.

Butternut squash is in season and widely available in New England this time of year. Simply roasted and served with a pat of butter is divine, but three or four squashes into a season, you may be ready for a new application. Fat free and packed with vitamin A, squash deserves to be dolled up with a little pastry dough. Buttery shallots and tarragon complement the natural sweetness.

Butternut Squash and Shallot Tartlets – serves 4

3/4 C flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 cup butter, ice cold and diced
3 – 5 T ice cold water
1 1/2 C roasted and mashed butternut squash (*see instructions below)
2 T butter
1 T brown sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 shallots, sliced
1/2 t dried tarragon

Start by making the pastry dough: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Blend flour and salt in a food processor. Drop ice cold butter into the flour and blend until it resembles small crumbs. Gradually add the water and blend to form a ball. Place dough on a floured surface, lightly dust the top and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out pieces the size of the tartlet pans. Line the pans with dough, pierce with a fork a few times and bake 10 minutes.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, lower heat and gradually cook until translucent and golden, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the squash, the rest of the butter(melted if necessary), egg and sugar.

Remove the tartlet shells from the oven and fill with the squash mixture. Top with shallots. Return the pies to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before removing from the tart pans.

*Preparing a whole butternut squash in advance will yield about double what is needed for this recipe, depending on size. The excess can always be frozen or used as a side dish for another meal. To cook the squash, cut in half lengthwise. Place cut side up in a baking dish with a 1/4 inch of water. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Scoop the meat out of the shell and discard the shell.