Bourbon Squash Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch tube pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
• Soak raisins and cherries in 2 cups of bourbon or whiskey for 48 hours. Before making cake, drain well and reserve the bourbon.
• In a separate bowl, mix flour, nutmeg and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, cream butter with the white sugar. In a separate small bowl, cream yolks and brown sugar until very light.
• In a very large bowl, combine the two sugar mixtures and blend well.
• Alternately add flour mixture and reserved bourbon in three stages, mixing well with each addition.
• Add soaked fruit and fold in. Add nuts and fold in.
• In a clean medium bowl, whip egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter until evenly distributed.
• Pour into prepared 10 inch tube pan. Place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven and bake for 4 to 5 hours at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Ovens vary, so watch the baking time. Test cake with wooden pick. (May take longer than 5 hours).
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning out. When almost cool, brush sides and inside hole heavily with bourbon. Wrap cake with bourbon soaked cheesecloth, then with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight and saturate again with bourbon. Cover with plastic wrap and then with foil and store for at least 2 weeks in a cool dry place.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• With a sharp knife, prick the squash in several places to allow steam to escape while it cooks
• (otherwise it could burst). Place the squash in a baking dish lined with foil and roast for about 90 minutes, until the squash is soft when you push on it. Let cool for 30 minutes, so it=s easier to handle, then peel, seed, and remove strings. Cut the roasted squash into 1/2-inch pieces, or scoop meat out with a spoon.
• In a heavy soup kettle, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Cook until light golden brown and add the leeks and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes and add the garlic and ginger. When the garlic is fragrant, add the maple syrup, soy sauce, bourbon, sherry and nutmeg. Add the squash and stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook gently for 15 minutes.
• Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), puree the soup until very smooth. Add the evaporated milk, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes; do not bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve in soup plates.
• If you like, garnish this soup with garlic and Parmesan cheese croutons and a dollop of non fat sour cream.