Roasted Kobocha Squash and Ginger Autumn Bisque

This dish was inspired by the kobocha squash my coworker gave me to take home. Kobocha is a very sweet Japanese pumpkin. If you prefer the regular pumpkin variety or butternut squash this recipe will work just as well for those. It is a classic flavors of fall recipe. Sweet, but not overly so it is very filling and a perfect way to utilize the vegetables in season.

Roasted Kobocha Squash and Ginger Autumn Bisque

Puree of 1 kobocha squash*
2 apples, cored, chopped and evenly divided into two piles
1 cup apple cider
4 Tablespoons butter
2 cups low sodium organic chicken
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
3 stalks celery, cleaned and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, julienned
pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
7 small sages leaves, roughly chopped
1/2" piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 Teaspoon olive oil

1. Melt 2 1/2 Tablespoons of the butter in a heavy bottomed stock or pasta pot over medium heat. Add celery, leeks, onions, sage, salt, pepper, 1/2 the apples. Saute until softened, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Take mixture off heat and allow to cool. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock and puree until smooth.
3. Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in the stockpot and saute the other half of the apples over medium heat, stirring frequently.
4. When the apples are starting to soften add remaining chicken stock, pureed veggies, pureed pumpkin, ginger and cider.
5. Bring mixture to a boil and cover. Turn heat down to low and simmer for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to marry.
6. Turn off heat, taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Add cream. Allow soup to sit for 5 minutes to heat cream.
7. Serve, garnished with fried sage and a drizzle of heavy cream.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I welcome your feedback!


*I quartered my squash, trimmed the ends off, scooped out the seeds and goop then brushed melted butter all over the skin. I roasted the quarters in an oven preheated to 375 for about 40 minutes.

Fluffy Pumpkin Buttermilk Waffles and Mini Donuts with Ginger & Pie Spice Butter & Maple Whiskey Glaze

I have been itching to get back to blogging ever since I returned from our honeymoon and perhaps that's why this post features the same batter not one but two ways, with a sweet, spicy, boozy glaze recipe that's simply magical. It all starts with fresh pumpkin puree and a special ginger and pumpkin pie spice butter that doesn't seem to photograph well, but nevertheless is absolutely divine! The butter is actually a wonderfully all purpose fall dessert addition--try it in your next apple or pear crumble or in your next apple or pecan pie.

Initially, I wanted to use the puree I got from roasting my own pumpkins for baked donuts in my new mini donut pan. But then my waffle maker arrived. The idea of pumpkin waffles just wouldn't quit haunting me, so I decided to try adding them to a buttermilk waffle batter, to make them extra fluffy. Then I thought "why cook up an alternate batter when the pumpkin buttermilk waffle batter will probably bake up fluffy and moist?" It was a good idea, so I went with it. I knew the short cooking time for waffles and mini baked donuts would hardly allow any spices added to the batter to toast properly and reach their fully toasted potential, so I decided instead to make a ginger and pumpkin pie spice butter to top the waffles. Alternatively you could toast the spices in the butter you're using for the batter before cooling it off and adding it in.

When I served the waffles I slathered on a generous amount of ginger spice butter and lots of real maple syrup. I served the Donuts glazed generously with the Maple Whiskey Glaze I made by using the maple syrup, some whiskey, some confectioners sugar and the ginger spice butter.

Pumpkin Buttermilk Waffles/Donuts and Ginger Spice Butter & Maple Whiskey Glaze

Pumpkin Buttermilk Waffle & Donut Batter

1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1 cup whole wheat flour sifted (or you can use all all purpose flour)
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 cup packed pumpkin puree
3/4 cup well shaken buttermilk
1 cup whole milk
4 1/2 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 extra large eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Sift all dry ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together eggs, milk, buttermilk, vanilla and pumpkin.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just enough to combine.
4. Add sugar, then butter and stir only enough to combine.
5. Bake in mini donut pan or use in waffle iron immediately.
6. If you're making waffles, spread with spice butter (see recipe below) and serve with warmed maple syrup. If you're making donuts drizzle with glaze (recipe also below).

Ginger & Pie Spice Butter

1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2" piece of ginger, peeled & grated
4 Tablespoons butter
6 spice cloves (round parts only), crushed
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon allspice

1. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt butter
2. Add spices and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
3. When you can smell the spices in the kitchen they've been incorporated. Remove the butter from the heat and allow to cool.
4. Serve on your waffles and/or use part of it to make donut glaze.

Ginger Pie Spice Maple Whiskey Donut Glaze

1 Tablespoon ginger spice butter, melted but cooled
1 Tablespoon Confectioners' sugar
1 Tablespoon Grade B Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons good whiskey

1. In a bowl combine whiskey, spice butter and syrup.
2. Whisk confectioners sugar in until the glaze is smooth.
3. Ladle generously over donuts.

I hope you enjoy this flavor of fall recipe and I welcome your feedback!

Pics of the waffles to follow, as soon as I take a satisfactory one.