Today is the first day of Holiday Food Fest! Liz at Hoosier Homemade is hosting Fall Desserts today. Make sure to go to her place, link your favorite fall dessert, or just stop by and leave a comment. She’s giving away a Papmered Chef Pie & Tart Cookbook and a great Etsy candle. Next week, Alta from Tasty Eats at Home is hosting Fall Dishes – so get your fall dish ready to go. You can find the complete Holiday Food Fest schedule here.
I love pumpkin everything but not everyone does – so I thought I’d make a sugar-free, gluten-free butternut squash tart for everyone that’s anti-pumpkin. The filling for this tart is so simple to make yet tastes fresh and smooth – you could really bake it in anything. I haven’t tried it without crust but I’m sure it would be divine.
I know that there are many ways to cook a squash – for this tart I decided to peel it and cook it on the stove top. You could also oven roast the squash or, if it fits in your CrockPot, you could cook it in there, too.
My pumpkin hating husband loves this tart – and we both are in awe of the beautiful gluten-free, sugar-free crust. You can get my flaky pie crust recipe here. I used an 11 inch tart pan – I don’t have a 9 inch and couldn’t find one in any of the stores. I’m sure I can buy it on-line but for now I’m holding out on pure principal. They should stock 9 inch tart pans, too. So, to fill an 11 inch tart pan you need a little more than 5 cups of puree.
A note about the sweetness – so often I hear that my food isn’t sweet enough. I am not a fan of sugary foods. Instead, I value flavor and sweetness that compliments the natural elements of the food. I see no point in eating sugar-free and over-doing the healthier sweeteners. Butternut squash has a natural sweetness to it, so it doesn’t need lots of agave. My suggestion is to taste the filling and if it’s not sweet enough for you add agave 1 tablespoon at a time until it suits your tastes.
If I had it my way, though, I’d urge you to learn to appreciate foods in their natural forms. You’ll be amazed at what you’ve been missing. And, eating this way is much healthier for anyone watching their blood sugar levels, those wanting to lose weight or maintain long-term weight loss, and anyone who is concerned with eating healthier overall.
This post is also linked to Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter, Finer things Friday, Fight Back Friday, and Foodie Friday.
Last week’s Slightly Indulgent Winners - Kate from Cooking During Stolen Moments and Chaya from Chaya’s Comfy Cook Blog. They’ll both receive a year-long subscription to Eating Well.
Butternut Squash Tart
serves 8 – 121 (3 pound) butternut squash
1/3 cup agave
3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese at room temperature
3 eggs
1 teaspoon good quality cinnamonPlace a rack in the middle of your oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel butternut squash, remove seeds, and chop into one inch cubes. Place in a large sauce pan, fill half way full with water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until squash is fork tender. Drain squash in a colander set in the sink. Let squash cool slightly.
While squash is cooking, roll out pie crust and line an 11 inch tart pan with the crust. If your crust rips or cracks, just use a wet finger to repair it. Set lined tart pan on a large sheet tray, cover, and place in refrigerator until you’re ready to fill it.
Place squash in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process squash until it’s a smooth puree. Add agave, mascarpone, eggs, and cinnamon. Process until smooth. You’ll have about 5 ½ cups of puree.
Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Use a ladle or measuring cup to transfer the butternut squash puree mixture into the tart pan. Fill as full as possible without having it overflow. Place in the oven on the sheet pan and bake for 22 minutes. Rotate the tart 180 degrees and bake for another 23 minutes or until the squash filling is set. You can tell by wiggling the sheet pan slightly – if the middle doesn’t wiggle it’s done.
Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy!
