Kabocha squash, ginger and miso muffins

Kabocha squashes in the wild…they also come in green.

Kabocha muffins recipe

(Makes 1 dozen muffins)

Note: The most labor intensive part of this recipe is the squash preparation, but you can roast extra and use the wedges as a delicious side, or save any extra puree for soups or other recipes. It also freezes well. Kabocha squash has a deeper, richer, nuttier flavor than standards like butternut or acorn, so it’s totally worth seeking out and imparts a unique flavor to these muffins. The flavor inspiration for these came from our local ACQ Bread Co., whose baked goods keep us lining up early at the Sunday morning farmer’s market.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium-sized kabocha squash (for roasting—see below)

  • Olive or other oil as needed

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 oz.) unsalted butter

  • 3 tablespoons light miso paste

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 cup squash puree (see “squash preparation” step of instructions)

  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar

  • 2/3 cup maple syrup

  • 1/2 cups, packed, diced squash pieces (see “squash preparation” step of instructions)

  • 2 tablespoons coarse demerara sugar

Instructions for squash preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare squash: with a large sturdy knife, cut squash into evenly sized wedges, skins on. Cut away seeds, stringy bits and woody ends, and discard. Arrange squash wedges in a roasting pan (or 2 if you have a large amount); overlapping a bit is totally fine. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over them. Cover pan with foil and slash a couple of openings in the foil with a knife, to vent excess steam. Roast for 25 minutes or longer, until flesh of squash is tender enough to be pierced easily with a knife tip. Cool until comfortable enough to handle. Chop up a couple of the wedges into blueberry sized pieces (skins and all) until you have about a packed 1/2 cup of small pieces. With the rest of the squash, remove skins with a paring knife and discard, then place flesh in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. This step may be done a few days ahead of baking the muffins. You can freeze the extra squash puree or use it for other recipes, like soup or pie.

Instructions for muffins:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a muffin tin (standard large size) with paper liners, or grease wells with butter or oil. In a small saucepan, melt butter and simmer until it starts browning slightly. Remove from heat promptly and whisk in miso paste until blended.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, and baking soda.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, 1 cup squash puree, grated ginger, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Whisk until completely blended. Mix in flour mixture until just blended. Stir in squash pieces. Divide batter among muffin tins and sprinkle tops with an even layer of demerara sugar. Place on the middle rack of preheated oven. Bake 25-35 minutes, or until muffins are puffed and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out cleanly.