Winter Squash Muffins…my adventures with my CSA

One thing about belonging to a CSA is that we often get vegetables I’ve never seen before and lots of them. So, I have to figure out what they are and then figure out how to use them all up. Not a problem I mind really, in fact I pretty much look forward to the surprise of our farm share box each Thursday…it’s like Christmas, but with vegetables.

Lately, I’ve been receiving a LOT of  winter squash and not things like butternut or acorn squash, but very weird & wild  knobbly looking things. Squash like delicata, turban, sweet dumpling and more.

One day last week I found myself with squash multiplying like tribbles or gremlins and feeling a need to get everything under control, I cracked open a couple and made some squash muffins.  I used buttercup squash & sweet dumpling squash, both of which are very sweet & supposedly good for baking.

You’ll notice that I chose white whole wheat flour as well. It is more nutritious than regular all purpose flour (which is actually made from red flour, stripped of its goodness & then bleached). White whole wheat is made with white wheat instead of red wheat, so it tends to have a less bitter taste than regular whole wheat flour made from red wheat. I also used honey instead of sugar to sweeten them with the goal of making them a little more suitable for breakfast…although, I did top some with cream cheese frosting as more of a desert. Which ones do you think disappeared first?

Winter Squash Muffins

1 cup honey
1/2 cup of canola oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 cups of white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups of shredded buttercup squash & sweet dumpling squash (or any other good quash for baking, pumpkins, or sweet potatoes)

1. In a bowl, cream the honey, oil & vanilla.  Add the eggs one at a time.
2. In another bowl,  sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda & powder & salt.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the honey& oil mixture and mix well.
4. Fold in the shredded squash.
5. Line your cupcake/muffin pan with liners and fill them about 2/3rds.
6. Bake on 325 degrees for about 30 minutes.
7. Top with cream cheese frosting once cooled if desired. Makes about 24 muffins.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter, softened
2 cups of powdered sugar
zest of one lemon

1. Mix butter & cream cheese until smooth & creamy.
2. Sift in the powdered sugar one cup at a time.  Add the lemon zest.
3. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes and then top the muffins with it.
4. Lick the bowl!