Monday, April 19, 2010

Sprintime Brunch :: Butternut Squash Clafoutis, Frangelico Whipped Cream and Hazelnut Praline Crunch




Butternut Squash Clafoutis

2 butternut squash – approximately 4 to 5 pounds total

5 eggs
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup of milk
½ cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ of a scraped vanilla bean
Pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon of flour
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter - melted
1/3 cup of hazelnuts – toasted
2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar

One day ahead
Cut each squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Bake in a 350 degree oven, cut side down, for approximately 25 minutes or until squash is soft to the touch. Cool and scrape the flesh out of the skin.

Puree the squash in a food processor until smooth.

Line a sieve with a cheese cloth, and place the sieve in a larger bowl. Spoon the squash puree into the cheesecloth, and set in refrigerator overnight. Pass strained puree through a fine sieve. Measure 2/3 of a cup and reserve remaining puree for some other purpose.

Place eggs, ¾ cup of sugar, milk, heavy cream, vanilla, vanilla pulp and salt in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add squash puree and blend well. Add flour and pulse until combined.

Pass batter through a fine sieve and allow to rest for ½ hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Brush a 9 inch pie pan with melted butter and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar over the buttered pan. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts in the pan. Pour batter over the nuts.

Bake the clafoutis for 15 minutes, then lower the oven to 375 degrees. Bake until center is just set, approximately 12 minutes.
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Hazelnut Praline

1 cup of sugar
¼ cup of water
Pinch of salt
½ cup of toasted hazelnuts

Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Rub butter onto parchment paper to prevent the praline from sticking.

Bring sugar, water and salt to a boil swirling the pan to dissolve the sugar.

Continue to boil the syrup until in has a medium amber color.

Add hazelnuts and swirl pan to coat the nuts.

Pour onto prepared parchment paper. Allow to cool.

Break praline into medium sized pieces and pulse in a food processor until it is uniformly ground.
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Whipped Crème Fraiche

1 ½ cups of crème fraiche
1 ½ teaspoons of frangelico
Pinch of lemon zest
2 tablespoons of sugar

1. Whip crème fraiche and sugar until it holds a medium peak.

2. Add frangelico and zest.

3. Whip mixture until fully incorporated.

Recipes Courtesy of One Girl Cookies

14 comments:

  1. ................(can't think of anything to say....speechless.)

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  2. Is this site meant to be torture? Good jesus that butternut squash dish is right up my alley.

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  3. I love a clafoutis, but have only made it w/ cherries and raspberries.
    This is INCREDIBLE! What a great idea.......

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  4. this is amazing, making it this sunday for supper~
    I posted it on my Facebook fan page as well
    http://www.facebook.com/ajphotostylist?ref=mf
    thank you thank you...you are so talented!

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  5. scrumptious...
    mouth watering...
    How dare you torture my psyche when I have no butternut in the fridge...can you hear my car keys calling me!!!

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  6. Oh my! looks wonderful, bet it tastes even better!
    smiles.

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  7. It looks delicious. It could be a dessert and a meal!
    Lila Ferraro
    Queen Bedroom Sets

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  8. Oooh...a squash clafouti had never ever occurred to me before. But I imagine that it is delicious! I'll have to give it a try.

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  9. yum..looks absolutely heavenly!

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  10. Such an original idea. Thank you for sharing. Certainly one I will keep in mind to make.

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