butternut squash – The Herbal Bake Shoppe https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com Bringing herbalism & baking together Mon, 16 Oct 2017 19:59:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Butternut Squash Drop Biscuits with Quatre Espices https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/butternut-squash-biscuits-quatre-espices/ https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/butternut-squash-biscuits-quatre-espices/#respond Mon, 16 Oct 2017 19:59:31 +0000 https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/?post_type=recipe&p=2269
butternut squash drop biscuitsbutternut squash drop biscuits
butternut squash for mashingbutternut squash for mashing
quatre espicesquatre espices
dropped and ready for ovendropped and ready for oven
out of ovenout of oven
fall spice biscuitsfall spice biscuits

I admit the arrival of fall I do not anticipate or relish because it makes me feel cold. And I don’t get excited by pumpkins. It’s strange to think that while fall activities and pumpkins have been married forever, the rise of pumpkin spice is attributed to Starbucks and their latte. It’s also slightly disturbing that as a culture, our taste preferences can be so influenced by a coffee chain.

Make no mistake, I love pumpkin pie and I love coffee. The PSL is totally yummy.

I’m sort of obsessed by the idea of baking with vegetables and fruits. But pumpkin spice baking over flows everywhere now. These biscuits came from the desire to vary the theme.

Butternut squash purees just as nicely as pumpkin to incorporate into batters. I think you could substitute it in any recipe. The spice blend I used was inspired by the Flavor Bible (an awesome book) that lists nutmeg, ginger, and cloves as spices that go well with winter squash. I actually did not know Quatre Espices was a culinary entity, but it turns out to be a staple spice mixture crucial to French cooking especially for charcuterie, beef stews, and rich braises.

One last housekeeping note, the reason squash equals fruit is the botanical rule specifies that edible plants with seeds are fruit.

Sending much fall warmth and love to you!

Butternut Squash Drop Biscuits with Quatre Espices
For the pumpkin spice lover looking for some variety but without swaying from the fall warming comfort. Drop biscuits are super easy and quick. These are infused with a aromatic and slightly exotic spice blend called quatre espice, a French inspired mixture of white pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
Servings Prep Time
9biscuits 40minutes
Cook Time
15minutes
Servings Prep Time
9biscuits 40minutes
Cook Time
15minutes
Ingredients
  • 3/4cup butternut squash, mashed
  • 1/3cup organic whole milk
  • 1 1/2cup (180g) organic all-purpose flour
  • 1/4cup organic granulated sugar
  • 1tablespoon baking powder
  • 1teaspoon kosher saltif using sea salt decrease to 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1/2tablespoon white pepper, ground
  • 1/2tablespoon nutmeg, ground
  • 1teaspoon dried ginger, ground
  • 1/4teaspoon cloves, ground
  • 6tablespoons organic unsalted butter, cut into piecesto keep cold, cut butter then return to refrigerator until ready to use
Instructions
  1. Adjust oven racks to center of oven. Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit. Grease a baking sheet with butter.
  2. Peel and remove seeds from butternut squash. Chop into medium sized chunks. For peeling and chopping, cut off both stem ends. Peel with long strokes if you have a good peeler or if using a knife it may be easier to peel after cutting in half and then peel neck and round body separately. Slice neck into rounds then dice. Slice body in half, remove seeds with a spoon, then slice and dice strips.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add butternut squash chunks and boil gently for 15-20 minutes until soft. Drain. Mash chunks with a potato masher or place in food processor and pulse to puree. If using a potato masher, try to get as smooth as possible, a fork may also be helpful.
  4. Measure 3/4 cup of butternut squash puree and place in small bowl. Reserve remainder for another use (add butter and salt for a dinner side dish).
  5. Whisk 1/3 cup milk into mashed butternut squash. Set aside.
  6. In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, white pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
  7. Add cold butter cubes to flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers to combine until butter is incorporated and mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
  8. Make a well in center of flour and butter mixture and spoon in squash milk mixture. Gently fold squash into flour until all flour is moistened and squash is incorporated. Batter will be moist and sticky.
  9. Drop biscuit batter onto prepared baking sheet by large tablespoonfuls to make nine biscuits.
  10. Bake for 12-14 minutes until tops become golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for five minutes then remove with spatula to wire racks. Serve warm, reheated, or room temperature.
Recipe Notes

*Using organic ingredients whenever possible will make your baked goods all the more nourishing. For these biscuits use organic flour, butter, milk, and butternut squash if available.

]]> https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/butternut-squash-biscuits-quatre-espices/feed/ 0 Hawthorn Blueberry Petit Pain https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/hawthorn-blueberry-petit-pain/ https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/hawthorn-blueberry-petit-pain/#respond Tue, 01 Mar 2016 02:18:33 +0000 https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/?post_type=recipe&p=1462
petit slicespetit slices
dried hawthorn berriesdried hawthorn berries
simmering berries with honeysimmering berries with honey
hawthorn honeyhawthorn honey
petit pain slicedpetit pain sliced
dry ingredientsdry ingredients
wet ingredientswet ingredients
fresh out of the ovenfresh out of the oven
petit painpetit pain
looks like a muffinlooks like a muffin
Hawthorn Blueberry Gluten-free Petit Pain
Making herbal honeys truly feels rich. The opulence of the honey blending with berries or roots, gently warming for hours, resulting in liquid gold or purple in the case of hawthorn honey. It takes minutes to mix together and as long as straining is done when it is still warm, this too, just runs right through. The finger licking is the best I have ever tasted.
Servings Prep Time
4mini loafs 40minutes
Cook Time
20minutes
Servings Prep Time
4mini loafs 40minutes
Cook Time
20minutes
Ingredients
For hawthorn honey
  • 1/2cup dried hawthorn berries
  • 1/2cup honey
For hawthorn tea
  • 2tbsp dried hawthorn berries, powdered
  • 3/4cup hot water
For petit pain
  • 1tbsp chia seeds
  • 3tbsp hawthorn tea
  • 2/3cup (90g) buckwheat flour
  • 2tbsp tapioca flour (starch)can substitute potato starch
  • 1/2tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2tsp baking powder
  • 1/2tsp salt
  • 1cup (100g) walnuts
  • 1cup (85g) gluten-free rolled oats
  • 2/3cup plain whole milk yogurt, grass-fed
  • 1/3cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
  • 1cup butternut squash, cooked and cut into piecescan substitute any winter squash
  • 1/3cup hawthorn honey
  • 1/2tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, organic
  • 3/4cup blueberries
For topping
  • 1/3cup gluten-free rolled oats
  • 2tbsp coconut oil
  • 1tbsp hawthorn honey
Instructions
For hawthorn honey
  1. Prepare hawthorn honey. It may be easiest to do this 1-2 days in advance as honey cooks slowly on low heat for a long period of time. Infused honey can be stored in cool pantry until ready to bake quick breads.
  2. To prepare honey, add about 2 inches of water to bottom of double boiler and bring to simmer. In top of double boiler, combine hawthorn berries and honey. Place top of pan over bottom and cover. Continue to simmer on lowest heat for approximately 6 hours.
  3. While still warm, strain honey through sieve lined with cheesecloth into clean glass jar with lid. Stir and press on berries and allow as much honey as possible to drip into jar. Store covered with lid in cool pantry for up to 3 days until ready to bake mini quick breads.
For hawthorn tea
  1. While honey is simmering, prepare hawthorn tea. Combine powdered hawthorn berries and hot water in French coffee press or other tea infusing vessel. Steep for 30 minutes. Strain pressing on berries to extract as much liquid as possible.
  2. Tea can be prepared up to 3 days in advance of baking quick bread. Store covered in refrigerator or chia seeds can be soaked and refrigerated so they are ready to use in recipe.
For bread
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 4 mini 5½x3x2½ inch loaf pans with softened butter. Place prepared loaf pans on cookie sheet for baking.
  2. Soak chia seeds in hawthorn tea if you have not done this previously. Set aside.
  3. In large bowl, combine buckwheat flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. Combine walnuts and rolled oats in food processor and process for 30-40 seconds until resembles coarse flour. Add to flour mixture and whisk until well blended.
  5. Combine yogurt, coconut oil, squash, honey, and vanilla extract in food processor. Process until well blended but mixture does not have to be completely smooth.
  6. In medium bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in soaked chia seeds. Add yogurt and honey mixture and whisk until completely blended.
  7. Make well in middle of dry ingredients. Pour in wet ingredients and mix gently with wooden spoon just until blended. Do not over mix.
  8. Divide batter equally among four mini loaf pans.
  9. Drop blueberries into batter in pans. Depending on the size of your blueberries, this will be between 11 and 15 for each pan. With wooden spoon, gently push blueberries into batter until mostly covered.
For topping
  1. Prepare topping. Combine coconut oil and honey in small glass dish. Microwave for 20 seconds and stir to mix together. Add oats and mix thoroughly. Mixture will be sticky. Spread with fingers over top of breads.
  2. Bake for 18-20 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes then remove breads from pans and cool completely on racks.
Recipe Notes

hawthorn blueberry petit pain

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