sprinklefingers

i can hardly believe the holiday season is over. i actually think i’m one of the only people on the planet who’s sad about it. while i’m certainly excited to welcome in 2011 and to see what the new year will bring, a part of me is a bit sad that the days of eating and cooking with wild abandon (and pounds & pounds of butter) are now just a memory.

speaking of memories, our christmas dinner will go down in history as one of my favorites. i had each detail planned out and was actually able to enjoy the meal - something i rarely get to do when i’m orchestrating a multi-course dinner.

the conversation was perfect. the wine (especially the bubbly) was ideal. everyone was in a great mood - the happiest versions of themselves, it seemed. we wore paper crowns and took turns sitting in my kid’s new teepee (i blame santa.) we had two additional couples join us for dessert. AND we ate. and ate. and ate.

yes, we used every dish, champagne flute, champagne saucer, wine glass and piece of flatware that we own. yes, i dropped my husband’s salad in the kitchen and left the mess sitting there for most of the night. yes, i ended up sticking ALL of the leftovers into the freezer forgetting that we might want to eat some the next day. and, yes, i sent all the cookies home with our guests…forgetting that i’d like to eat one (or six) while cleaning up. but, it was the perfect night. exactly what i was in the mood for. and just as delicious as i had hoped.

all of this said, i’d like to share with you the recipe for the star of the menu: squash ‘souffle’. i could hardly believe how delicious it was. i wanted to take a bath in it. part of the deliciousness was due to the fact that a friend of mine had just returned from tahiti and brought back an enormous jar of shade-dried vanilla powder (!!!) and i think the other reason it was so delicious is because it contained a stick of butter. delicious indeed.

acorn squash ‘souffle’
serves 8-10 as a side
recipe adapted from rebecca rather

[note: i say ‘souffle’ in quotes because this doesn’t puff up like a true souffle. and, well,  it’s not really a souffle at all. but calling it ‘baked squash’ does the dish a real disservice. it’s MUCH more than that!]

do ahead:

• preheat the oven to 375.
• halve and seed two large acorn squash.
• place the squash, cut side down, on a rimmed sheet pan and add a bit of water.
• bake for 1 hour - or until the squash is completely soft and can easily be pierced with a toothpick or knife.
• scoop the squash out of the skins and put the flesh in an airtight container. store in the fridge for up to 2 days. (alternatively you can simply proceed with the rest of the recipe - although roasting the squash ahead is a great way to save time & oven space on the day you’re planning to serve the dish.)

now you’re ready to proceed with the recipe:

you need:

• roasted squash as prepared above - allow it to sit at room temperature to warm up a bit
• 2 large eggs, whites separated from yolks
• 1 t vanilla powder
• splash of best quality pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 2 T AP flour
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1 T baking powder
• freshly grated nutmeg

make the ‘souffle’:

1. preheat the oven to 375 and butter a 2-quart baking dish.
2. first, the eggs: lightly beat the yolks and set aside. in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip, whip the whites until they form soft peaks. set aside.
3. clean the mixer bowl and fit the mixer with the paddle attachment.
4. to the clean bowl add the squash, egg yolks, both vanillas, sugar and the melted butter.
5. in a small bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder.
6. beat the squash mixture on medium until well mixed.
7. add in the flour mixture and continue to beat until combined.
8. remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the soft peak egg whites. be sure to fold them in completely - i do say gently, but i also say completely!
9. scoop the mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle the fresh nutmeg over top.
10. bake for 40 minutes or until golden.

this squash tastes like a dream. and it smells like a dream. you should dream of this squash.