Mary Moh’s Butternut Squash and Coconut Cake

So you see I am venturing a little more into the dessert realm. I am trying to get used to working with the oven, flour, hand mix etc. Here is another recipe from Mary Moh: Butternut Squash and Coconut Cake. It is soooo delicious, it’s spectacular! The squash gives the cake a golden hue and the butter makes it fluffy and moist. I didn’t have butternut squash so I used the Burgess Buttercup pumpkin that grew in the alley behind our house. I also didn’t have cranberries so I used walnuts. Super. Thanks again, Mary!

Oh, by the way, yesterday we had dinner at Pho 95. Wow. I have to agree with my friend Hans, who took us there: it’s the best pho in Denver!

Winter Squash Bread with Coconut Filling

Ops, I guess we have another blue moon today. It's snowing, it's cold, it's a perfect day to bake, and I have a pile of butternut squash sitting there...

Winter Squash Bread with Coconut Filling

Yields 4 small loafs

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 package dry yeast or 2 ¼ teaspoon

8 cups flour or less, sifted

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons butter

¾ cup warm water (around 110 F)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 egg

2 cups pumpkin or winter squash puree

Filling:

1 can condensed milk

4 oz unsweetened coconut

1 tablespoon butter

Wash:

1 egg yolk

Directions:

If making the squash puree from scratch: cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place on a baking sheet, skin side down. Bake in 350 F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until soft. Remove the squash from the oven, scoop out the flesh and mash with a fork. Don’t forget to roast the seeds!

Dough: mix the butter with warm squash puree and reserve. In a large bowl, mix sugar, salt, yeast, warm water and one cup of flour until the mix is creamy and homogeneous. Add the squash puree, the egg and mix well.

Add flour little by little until the dough is not too sticky, about 7 cups or less. Cover and allow to rest until the volume doubles, about 45 minutes.

Filling: mix the coconut, condensed milk and butter in a medium bowl. Split in 4 equal portions.

Assembling: preheat the oven to 350F and grease 4 bread pans. Divide the dough in 4 equal portions. In a surface sprinkled with flour, open each dough portion with a rolling pin to make a rectangle. Spread coconut filling and roll the rectangle. Put the dough roll in the pan, cover and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Brush each loaf with egg yolk wash, sprinkle some coconut on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Baby Pumpkins with Squashed Potatoes

I’ve got some Jack-be-Little pumpkins in the CSA box and they said these guys were delicious. Well, time to use them up!

I am serving them with Tuscan kale (from the CSA box as well) and salmon.

Baby Pumpkins with Squashed Potatoes

4 servings

Ingredients:

4 baby pumpkins, Jack-be-little, or any other (about 4 ounces each)

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in small cubes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons half and half

1/3 cup milk

Kosher salt and pepper

Pumpkin seeds (optional)

Fresh parsley or chives

Directions:

Set oven to 350 degrees

Cut off the 1/4 top of each pumpkin and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Season cavity with a bit of salt and butter. Set cap back in place and place in baking dish. Bake until creamy-soft inside, about 20 to 30 minutes for small squash, 30 to 45 minutes for larger ones. Scrape the pumpkin puree into a medium pan in very low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of half and half. Add a pinch of salt. Keep warm.

In a large sauce pan cover potatoes with water. Bring to boil and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 - 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to pan while hot. Mash by with a potato masher, mixer or immersion blender. Add milk and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add salt to taste. Keep warm.

Pour ¼ of the pumpkin puree into one pumpkin and fill the rest with mashed potatoes. Repeat with the remaining pumpkins.

Keep warm in heated oven until it’s time to serve. Serve sprinkled with chives or parsley, toasted pumpkin seeds (if you used them) and place pumpkin tops at the side.

Mi's Winter Squash and Wild Rice Soup

This is another favorite of mine. I always remember to make it when the weather starts getting cold and I see pumpkins all over the place. You have to be responsible and use the best them!  :) Today I used kabocha pumpkin.

Mi's Winter Squash and Wild Rice Soup

6 Servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 


1 medium onion, very finely chopped

1 large carrot, very finely chopped or shredded 


1 large celery stalk, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1 lb chicken breast

1 cup wild rice

3 cups butternut squash (about 1 small squash)

6 to 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

½ cup half and half

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons brandy

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 F. Cut the squash in half, remove seeds and bake, cut side up for 40 to 50 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot in medium heat. Add carrot, celery and onion. Cook until vegetables have begun to soften and onion turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary, cook for another minute, until fragrant. Add chicken breast, wild rice, salt and pepper and stir to combine and heat up, for about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and check salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked, about 60 minutes (or pressure cook for 30 minutes). Add butternut squash puree and shred the chicken and return to the soup. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat and add half & half, parsley and brandy. Serve immediately.

Squash Scones

My neighbor planted some turban squash in his backyard and the vine is coming over our house. I saw a good sized squash yesterday and I thought it would be a nice thing to bake something and bring my neighbor some. I found the scone recipe which sounds pretty interesting. The scones turned out delicious: crunchy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside. Ah, first I baked the squash, open side up, for 45 min at 400 F. I’ve got a dry, tasty and soft puree.

Eat them with unsalted butter and local honey!

Squash Scones

(Adapted from Food Network, Recipe courtesy Mark Pearson, Roman Baths and Pump Room, England)

20 scones

Ingredients

6 ounces butternut squash, peeled and cubed (1.5 cup)

8 ounces self-rising flour (2 cups)

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 heaping teaspoon ground ginger

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 ounces caster sugar (I used regular)

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the squash in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and let dry over heat. It is very important to drain well, or the batter will be too liquidy. Mash squash with a potato masher and drain again, if necessary.

Sift flour, baking powder, and ginger into a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

Stir in the sugar and then the mashed squash. Stir in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a soft dough. With a wooden spoon, combine the dough thoroughly yet gently.

Turn dough onto a floured board and press down lightly until dough is about 1-inch thick. Using a 2 inch round cutter (I used a champaign glass), cut out the scones and place on a lightly greased baking tray. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until well-risen and golden brown.