Ellen vs Butternut Squash: Part 2

Time for dessert!

And we’re makin POPTARTS!

Actually more like toaster strudels.

Which is better anyway.

The crust on these is ridiculously buttery and delicious.

Take a minute to be horrified by the 2 full sticks of butter and not much else involved in the recipe….

Then get over yourself and savor a treat that is SO worth it!

(well…occasionally anyway)

Why did it never occur to me that pumpkin pie poptarts would be awesome and would also be fun to say?

Luckily, I figured it out and even luckily-er….butternut squash is JUST as awesome as pumpkin.

Plus maple syrup glaze?

Sign me up.

We’re also making parfaits but first we need puree.

Come along, dear friends, this is gonna rock…hard.

So for dessert, good old butternut squash loses its head and gets chopped in half BUT THEN!

It gets dotted with butter and brown sugar.

So everything is ok.

Roast this guy up for about an hour (sorry) until you can easily pierce it with a fork and the sugar gets caramelized

(((Between you and me…..

I really think this whole process could be sped up quite a bit.

If you peel and cube that squash and toss it with some butter and brown sugar then roast it for like you know…TWENTY minutes instead of an hour I bet it would be just as good.

Next time.)))

For now, let it cool for a while then scoop the flesh (INCLUDING that sugarbutter nonsense that is collected where the seeds were) into your food processor if you’re lucky enough to own one of those.

If you’re more like me…put it in the blender and start pulsing.

((I bought a blender! The cheapest one I could find.  It doesn’t work very well. But it does work!……eventually))

You’ll end up with butternut squash puree!

OH the possibilities.

First I made parfaits.

A parfait is just layered things so I added some spices to the puree (a mixture which basically amounted to about a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice), put a glob at the bottom of a pretty glass, layered crumbled ginger snap cookies on top, then finished with vanilla whipped cream I made.

(Recipe: heavy cream+vanilla…beat to death)

If you’re going to serve these as dessert on their own keep layering until you have pretty containers full of yummy parfait.

I stopped after one layer and changed my mind BECAUSE

1. Parfaits are nice but I really wanted to make these pies

2. I just straight up wasn’t going to have enough puree to fill 9 glasses like I wanted to and mini parfaits are lame

3. I REALLY wanted to make those pies.

SO bring on the pie crust.

I’m going to include the pie crust recipe here in case you’re interested….

but I decided that pie crust is a different post entirely.

The easy way is to just use your favorite pie dough and work some magic like that.

I will not judge you for buying prepared crust.

I promise.

So cut your dough to the size rectangle you want…

Plop (what a gross word…plop….) some puree between two sheets, seal, honey wash, bake and BAM!

Maple is the PERFECT complement.  Drizzle glaze generously.

That fork is all for show.

If you really need to feel civilized wash your hands or something.

Idea: Pie within a pie? Stick your hand pie in your spoon pie (aka parfait) and have DOUBLE PIE!!

Or just pick one.

Either way….

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

Butternut Squash Puree

Recipe adapted from http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/butternut-squash-puree/

1 large butternut squash

3-6 tablespoons unsalted butter; diced

about 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out and toss the seeds. Place the halves flesh-side-up on a foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle the diced butter and brown sugar evenly on both halves.
4. Roast for 45-60 minutes or until the butternut squash can easily be pierced with a knife.
5. A liquid mixture of butter and brown sugar will form in the wells of the squash, make sure you include this deliciousness with the puree.
6. Remove squash from the oven; allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and liquid and place into your food processor or blender.

Butternut Squash PopTart/Strudel/Hand Pie things with Maple Glaze

Recipe adapted from Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts with Maple Glaze

For the Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

1 large egg

2 tablespoons milk

slightly watered down honey (for brushing the dough)

For the Filling:

3/4 cup pureed butternut squash (recipe above)

1 large egg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Maple Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons milk

To prepare the Crust:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt.

2. Add the cold butter and break it up in the flour mixture using your fingers, a pastry cutter or a food processor until only pea sized lumps remain in your mixture.  The mixture should also hold together when squeezed into a ball.

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk.  Add the mixture all at once to the dry ingredients and stir to make sure that moisture is introduced to all of the flour mixture.

4. Lightly dust a clean counter with flour and knead the dough on the floured counter for a few turns until it really starts to come together.  Divide the dough in two, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes (absolutely necessary.  The dough is impossible to work with until after it has been chilled).

((While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling: Add the spices to your puree.  Whisk in egg, salt and sugar and place in the fridge to rest while you roll out the dough.))

5. Sprinkle some wax paper and sprinkle with flour-I found the dough easier to roll and work with on wax paper…it sticks less

6. Press dough flattish (give it a press or two then stop touching it…there is so much butter involved that the heat from your hands will make it super sticky really quickly)

7. Roll the dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness.  The dough should be slightly larger than 9×12-inches.  Trim dough with a pizza cutter, creating a rectangle that is 9-inches tall and 12-inches long.  Using the pizza cutter, cut each side into thirds, creating 9 squares.  Place dough squares in the fridge while you roll out the second piece of dough in the same way.

8. Brush one set of 9 squares with your honey/water mixture (it’ll be like glue for the top layer of dough).

9. Spoon about one tablespoon of pie filling into the center of each brushed dough square.  Top with a piece of dough and use a floured fork to crimp the sides closed.  Make holes in each tart either by poking with a fork or slashing with a knife. Brush the top of each pie with more honey wash. (The honey will make them nice and golden brown)

10. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Let tarts rest in the fridge for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.

11. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

12. While the tarts bake, whisk together ingredients for the glaze and set aside.

13. Let baked tarts rest on a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.  Best served within 2 days.