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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Maple Baked Acorn with Raisins and Candied Walnuts

Pin It My mom was the first person to show me how great a baked squash can be. She slices acorn squashes and bake them with a little olive oil and salt. Very simple and yet tasteful. I decided to make it a little different, adding sweet maple syrup and cinnamon. I used candied walnuts that I keep in my pantry, but regular ones will do just fine too. This is a beautiful dish that would certainly impress guests. It can be a side dish or a main vegetarian entry.

Maple Baked Acorn with Raisins and Candied Walnuts Recipe:

Adapted from this recipe
You will need:
1 acorn squash
maple syrup
cinnamon
butter
raisins
candied walnuts *(recipe bellow), or any other type of nuts
salt and pepper
Cut off stem and bottom of the acorn, so it has a flat surface on each end. Half the acorn and scoop the seeds and pulp out. Place the halves on a greased baking sheet and fill each one with 1 tbsp of syrup, 1/2 tbsp of butter, 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, salt and pepper. Mix it up and spread around the edges (I used a brush for it). Place the nuts, chopped as well as the raisins inside the squash cups.
Bake it at 350F for about 40-45 minutes. Every once in a while, if the squash edges are getting too dry, baste it with the syrup mixture, either using a brush or a spoon.
If you are cooking for one person only, make only 1 half of the squash.
Candied Walnuts Recipe:
I favour this recipe (found at the foodnetwork site) over many others from different chefs simply because the nuts are bakes and not deep fried.
1/4 cup powder sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp salt
4 oz walnuts (about 1 cup)
Mix all ingredients except walnuts. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the walnuts for about 4 minutes. Drain well and immediately roll the walnuts in the sugar mixture. Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for about 10 minutes, watching carefully because the sugar can burn quickly. Store in an airtight container.



7 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

"My mom was the first person to show me how great a baked squash can be."

Mine too!! :0)


Oh my, that baked acorn squash looks absolutely DELIGHTFUL with the raisins & walnuts - yum!

Usha said...

Sounds delightful...

test it comm said...

This is a great way to enjoy squash!

Lori said...

I need to take more advantage of using acorn squash. I think I've only made it once. I love squash with a sweet addition. This looks so good!

Rita said...

VeggieGirl - My mom is vegetarian too, I learned from her...

Usha - Tnanks!

Kevin - Thanks, it is different and tasty

Lori - This dish is a bit sweet, and I like that the nuts have a bit of a spice in it.

Katy said...

oh my gosh, yum. i love acorn squash most out of all the winter squashes -- probably because they're a little bit easier to cut in half! this looks like an awesome twist - I always do mine with butter and parmesan cheese!

Rita said...

Thanks Katy - acorn is my favourite too!

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