Cream of Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Cream of Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups packed roasted butternut squash, *see Note

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup cream

salt and pepper, to taste
freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
sour cream, optional
minced fresh chives, optional

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat and saute the onions and carrots, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the squash and cayenne and stir to combine. Heat through.
In two batches, puree the squash mixture in a blender until well pureed. Pour back into the saucepan and add the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. LIGHTLY grate some fresh nutmeg over the top of the soup. Do NOT over do this part. You don't want to be able to really tell it's there...you will just wonder it that is what you can taste. I am talking like...maybe 1/32 of a teaspoon.

To serve, garnish with a dollop of sour cream and minced chives.
This makes 2 servings as a meal and 4 as an appetizer.

Note: I used leftover roasted squash from a previous meal. You can always use freshly cooked, and you don't have to roast it. I just had it on hand.

Yield: 4 cups

Butterscotch Pie

Butterscotch Pie

1 9 inch pie shell, baked and cooled
2 1.4 oz Skor bars, chopped

FILLING:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup
1/4 cup boiling water
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla

TOPPING:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons bourbon
1 1.4 oz Skor bar, chopped

Sprinkle two chopped Skor bars in the bottom of cooled pie shell; set aside.

FILLING:
Whisk together milk, cornstarch, and salt for slurry in a bowl; set aside.
Brown 10 tablespoons butter for the filling in a saute' pan over medium heat, 10 to 15 minutes, or until brown flecks appear in the butter.  This will provide a toasty nutty flavor.  Add brown sugar and golden syrup; bring to a boil.  Boil 3 minutes, whisk in boiling water until smooth, boil 1 minute more.

Whisk slurry into sugar mixture and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes; cook 1 minute more and remove from heat.

Drizzle 1 cup of butterscotch into the 4 egg yolks to temper, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and gradually whisk tempered mixture back into filling. Simmer filling 1 minute to thicken, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and pour filling into pie shell.

Press plastic wrap onto filling to prevent a skin from forming. Cool to room temperature, then chill overnight.

TOPPING:
Beat heavy cream to soft peaks in a bowl with a hand mixer on medium. Add 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar and 2 teaspoons bourbon, beating until combined.
Top pie with the whipped cream and garnish with the remaining chopped Skor bar. Chill until ready to serve.