In Costa Rica, pumpkin does not exist, and pumpkin happens to be one of my favorite foods. The day after I returned to Rhode Island in December I decided to go on a pumpkin kick. So of course I visited my local farmer’s market in search of the good stuff. After much searching and no pumpkins I asked senator/farmer Sue Sosnowski what the deal was, and she told me that pumpkins were not storing well this year, but would I like some of her lovely butternut squash?
Pumpkin and butternut squash actually happen to be very similar in texture and taste, despite their different appearance. Both are super high in vitamin A and C and fiber. I bought a lot of it, so I made a simple puree and froze the majority of it. If you only buy a small amount and are planning on eating it, a great way to cook it is to slowly roast it.
To make the puree is simple. Simply peel the squash with a vegetable peeler, remove the seeds (save them to roast later!) and cut up into small cubes of equal size. Drop into a pot of boiling water and cook until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Strain and wait 10 minutes before pureeing in a food processor/blender- and that’s it! It can be helpful to freeze pre-measured amounts for convenience next time you want to cook a pumpkin dish.
I had just seen this awesome recipe for pumpkin ginger scones on one of my favorite blogs, Poor Girl Gourmet, so I decided to take my own little spin on the recipe.
Butternut Squash Pecan Scones with a Clementine Glaze
2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (aka cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg)
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter kept cold in the fridge
1/2 cup squash puree
1 lightly beaten egg yolk
1/2 cup pecans
2 Tbsp heavy cream plus two more for the for wash
for the glaze:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 sifted confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp honey (local tastes best)
zest of 1/2 clementine
Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, spices and mix well. Cut cold butter into small cubes and work into mixture with fingertips (this method ensures the scone’s flaky goodness). In a small bowl combine puree, cream and yolk and mix well. Mix into butter mixture and add pecans. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large work surface and dust with flour. Roll out dough until it is about 1 inch deep. Cut into 8 wedges and wash with cream. Place parchment paper on baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes. In the meantime, combine all ingredients for the glaze and coat scones after 5 minutes of cooling time. Top with more pecans.
This was a really decadent breakfast to wake up to not to mention that they are easy to make. I think I will definitely be making them again considering I have all that squash in my freezer. A perfect way to surprise your friends on a chilly winter morning. They make the house smell great.
