I debated whether to call this dish a souffle or a spoonbread. Technically, it doesn’t fit the definition of either, but texture-wise, it could pass for both. I opted for “souffle” since that designation places it more in the dessert camp than the side dish camp. As a dessert, after all, this recipe is quite virtuous– reasonably low in fat and not outrageously high in sugar. As a vegetable side dish, however…um, not so much.
A good compromise might be to serve it with brunch– it’s a just-sweet-enough complement to savory foods like eggs, cheese and smoked fish. Or consider it a sophisticated stand-in for candied yams or marshmallow-sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving.
Recipe: Butternut Squash Souffle
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 20 ounces butternut squash, cut into small pieces
- 2 TBSP butter or margarine
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (I used King Arthur’s Multipurpose GF flour)
- 3 eggs, beaten
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Grease an 8″ baking dish (square or round, but square makes it easier to serve); set aside
- Steam the squash until tender, about 10 minutes
- Combine squash with butter and mash until smooth (a potato masher works well). Set mixture aside until it cools.
- Add flour, sugar, maple syrup and beaten eggs to the squash mixture. Mix well to combine.
- Pour batter into greased baking dish, and bake for 70 minutes.
