Roast Squash, Brown Butter & Walnut Muffins with Maple Glaze Recipe

Ingredients

450g wedge of squash or pumpkin
125g unsalted butter + 60g
75g walnut halves
220g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
2 eggs
100g caster sugar
100g Demerara sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g icing sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 1 hr 10 mins

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Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Scrape any seeds out of your squash or pumpkin wedge and pop it on a baking tray. Roast for 30 mins till the squash/pumpkin is tender and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes, then scoop the soft flesh out of the skin. You need 200g cooked squash for this recipe. Weigh that out and scoop it into a bowl. Mash till smooth. Set aside to cool.

2. While the squash cooks, chop 125g butter and add it to a small pan. Set over a medium heat and gently warm, stirring, till the butter melts. When the butter starts to foam, keep stirring it and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent any milk solids sticking and burning. The butter will slowly start to brown. As soon as it's golden brown and nutty smelling, take off the heat. Pour through a heatproof sieve into a large mixing bowl. Set aside to cool.

3. Roughly chop the walnut halves and set aside. Once the squash is out of the oven, turn the temperature down to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas 3. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with 8 muffin cases.

4. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a large, clean bowl. Add a pinch of salt and whisk together. Set aside.

5. Crack the eggs into the cooled brown butter. Whisk together to combine. Add the cooled, mashed squash, the caster sugar, Demerara sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk together till smoothly combined.

6. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together briefly – don't overmix the batter. A few lump is fine, just as long as there's no visible dry flour. Quickly fold in the chopped walnuts. Divide the batter between the muffin cases. Bake for 30-35 mins till the muffins are risen, golden and springy to the touch. Transfer to a wire cooling rack.

7. While the muffins bake, make the maple glaze. Melt 60g butter – you can blast it briefly in the microwave in a heatproof bowl, or melt in a pan then pour into a bowl. Add the icing sugar and a pinch of salt. Pour in the maple syrup. Stir together till combined and thick. Let the icing sit for 15-20 mins to thicken up.

8. Spoon the maple glaze over the cooled muffins. The muffins can be served straight away.

9. Eat Me, Keep Me
The muffins are best eaten on the day they're made, although they'll keep for 2-3 days in an airtight tub. They'll get softer and denser the longer you keep them. You can freeze them, unglazed, for up to 3 months. Let the muffins defrost overnight. You can give them a quick blast in the microwave to warm them up before eating.