Acorn Squash

I'm sure I've had acorn squash before but I know I've never cooked it. Since September 7th was National Acorn Squash Day I figured it would be a good time to give it a try. I haven't had much luck in cooking other winter squashes, they usually come out tough or hard, but the recipe in Susan Branch's Autumn book seemed extremely simple.

I wasn't sure about the golden raisins as an ingredient. Neither I nor Mr. L are fond of raisins, but I kept them in the recipe for authenticity. We didn't have a problem with them, I think they did add a sweetness to the dish that would have been missing if I had left them out. It's not quite autumn yet (though the weather here isn't actually summer like) but this was very tasty and I can see making this again in the middle of winter.

ACORN SQUASH

1 acorn squash
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon golden raisins
A Sprinkle of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Allow one squash for two people. Cut squash in half widthwise and place face down on baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes until soft. Remove from oven, turn halves over. Into each cavity put the butter, brown sugar and golden raisins. Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon. Put squash back into oven 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fluff with fork. For extra prettiness, garnish each with 1/2 chopped red pear.

Note: We doubled the recipe and did not add chopped red pear.

Note: Putting the squash face down for the first 40 minutes is fine...turning it over?  It's not flat on that one end so that caused a problem. How to put it face up so that the contents don't spill out when you put the butter and stuff in? I tried to cut a bit off the end but the squash was so soft after being cooked that that didn't work. (I actually put a hole in the other end by trying this which kinda defeated the whole point of trying to keep the contents from spilling out!!)  So I just put them face up so they slanted a bit sideways...really didn't matter as most of the  contents stayed in the squash cavity.  You might experiment with trimming a sliver off the uncut end so that it will lay a bit flat when you turn it over.

Comments

[Roz]

Now this sounds good. But alas, it has too much sugar for me I'm afraid.

[NotSoccer Mom]

oh this sounds good for thanksgiving or christmas!

[barbie2be]

yum!

[Shelly]

Mmmm I love squash. Reminds me of me mum.