Butternut Squash Cupcakes

October 13, 2012

Winter squash is a staple of fall and winter produce. It’s tough skin and hard flesh makes it a perfect cold weather crop and it’s plethora of vitamins and minerals makes it a healthy fall treat.  The fun part about winter squash and pumpkins is they can be used in both savory and sweet dishes. One of my favorite squash dishes is a staple in Chef Josh Ingraham, the Executive Chef of the Dunkin Donut’s Center’s, Christmas kitchen! Maple roasted butternut squash, wrapped in sage and bacon is seriously to die for and so easy! I’ll try to get him to post his famous recipe!

I am a huge fan of Jamie Oliver’s cooking; he cooks so rustic and true to home. His cooking has finesse but isn’t fancy. One of my favorite recipes of his are his Butternut Squash Cupcakes. Unfortunately, they can be a bit heavy! A ton of oil, fatty dairy and white flour make them not something I want to bake on a regular basis. So I decided to try and make them suitable for Hippie Babies and I think I did alright. Here’s what I came up with:

Healthier Butternut Squash Cupcakes:

Makes 23-24 cupcakes

14 oz butternut squash, cubed with skin on

2 ¼ cups of light brown sugar

4 large free range eggs

1 tsp kosher salt

2.5 tsp baking powder

1 ¼ cup AP Flour

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

¼ cup ground flax seed

1 tsp apple pie spice (or cinnamon)

½ cup apple sauce

¼ cup olive oil

1 cup organic vanilla yogurt, strained

1 orange, zested

1 lemon, zested

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract (I promise the vanilla bean is worth it!)

2 tbsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

In a food processor, process the butternut squash until well chopped up. (You will need to constantly scrape down the side of the bowl.)  Add in the brown sugar and eggs and pulse for a few seconds. Add in flours, flax seed, salt, apple pie spice and baking powder and a pulse a few more seconds. Last, add in the apple sauce and olive oil until well blended.

Divide the batter among muffin pans lined with cupcake paper. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer poked in the middle of the cupcakes come out clean.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the icing. Mix together the yogurt, vanilla bean, lemon zest, orange zest, powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Cool the cupcakes on a rack until cool to the touch. Top the cupcakes with icing and serve for a healthy treat!