The Best Butternut Squash Blondies

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BUTTERNUT SQUASH BLONDIES
YIELD: 24 blondies | PREP TIME: 45 minutes | COOK TIME: 25-30 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 1 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1″ pieces (about 1 1/2 cups worth)
1 tablespoon olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
freshly cracked pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoon light brown sugar

FOR THE BLONDIES

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tablespoons brown butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups butternut squash puree
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (substitute pure vanilla extract if you don’t have paste)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

DIRECTIONS: Butter Squash Blondies

Allow me to briefly explain how to peel and cube a butternut squash…you’d think it’s pretty easy, right? Nope. Butternut squash is not very nice. It’s oddly shaped, has thick skin, and equally thick flesh, making cutting this baby a slightly dangerous undertaking. But with a sharp knife and a steady hand, it’s a piece of cake! Well, really, it’s a piece of squash. Anyway. I digress.

Using the base of your knife, NOT the tip, cut the top and bottom off the squash, so you have a nice, even playing field to work with.

The butternut squash has a peculiar shape, am I right? It’s skinny up top and fatter on the bottom; I like to say that it looks like a curvy lady. Anyhow, cut the squash in half, separating the skinny top part from the bulbous bottom.

Peel the outer skin off both pieces of squash and discard.

For the skinnier piece, just cut in half and then dice.

For the rounder bottom, cut this piece in half and scoop of the seeds and stringy flesh. Feel free to rinse the seeds and roast them as you would pumpkin seeds…delicious! After you’ve scraped the flesh clean, dice it up, and you’re good to go!

FOR THE ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, with a rack in the center of the oven.
2. Place the diced butternut squash onto a large baking sheet and add the olive oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar. Use your hands to toss the squash, making sure it’s evenly coated with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, use a spatula to flip the squash around on the baking sheet.
5. Return to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes.
6. Toss the squash around on the baking sheet again.
7. Repeat this process for a total of approximately 45 minutes, or until the squash is burnished and brown and soft.
8. Remove from the oven and either transfer to a food processor or a large bowl.
9. If using a food processor, pulse the squash until smooth and pureed.
10. If you don’t have a food processor, mash the squash by hand using a potato masher. It might be a little chunky, but that’s totally okay.
11. Transfer the pureed squash to an airtight container and leave uncovered until cooled to room temperature.
12. When the squash puree is cool, you can use immediately to make the blondies, or pop the lid on and transfer to the fridge, where it can be stored for up to a week.

FOR THE BROWN BUTTER

1. Place butter in a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
2. Allow the butter to melt, and then begin stirring the pan slowly but constantly.
3. The butter will begin to foam up and bubble, and you will notice it change color slightly from yellow to very light brown. This may take about 3 minutes.
4. As soon as the butter smells nutty, turn off the heat and remove it from the stove. Allow it to cool slightly while you prepare the blondies.

FOR THE BLONDIES

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with a rack in the center.
2. Butter and flour an 8″ x 8″ square baking pan and set aside.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until pale in color and thickened, about 2 minutes.
5. Switch to using a spatula, and add the cooled brown butter, butternut squash puree, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Mix until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until just combined and all the flour is dissolved about 30 seconds.
7. Fold in the white chocolate chips, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. Mix until just incorporated into the batter.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
9. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the blondies’ center comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire baking rack.
11. Once the blondies are at room temperature, you can slice them into squares and enjoy!
12. The blondies will keep, stored in an airtight container either in the fridge or at room temperature for up to three days.

Notes
* This recipe was originally published on 09/2011 by Jaclyn. Notes and updated photos coming soon.