Butternut Squash Muffins With A Frosty Top Food

PERFECT BUTTERNUT SQUASH MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 20 muffin cups.
• Cut a 1/2-inch hole into the larger part of the squash and cover with a damp paper towel.
• Cook squash in a microwave oven in 3-minute increments, turning slightly after each increment, until squash can be easily pierced with a fork, 9 to 12 minutes. Set aside until cool to the touch, about 20 minutes.
• Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Measure 1 1/2 cups squash into a large bowl. Mash eggs, water, vegetable oil, white sugar, and brown sugar into the squash. Whisk whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin pie spice into the squash mixture until you have a smooth batter. Fold raisins and walnuts into the batter.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups to about 1/2 to 2/3 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MUFFINS WITH CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F; spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray, or use paper liners; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a separate mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the squash, egg, oil and milk.
• Add the wet ingredients all at once into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined; it's important NOT to overmix.
• Fold in the cranberries.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups and bake in preheated oven for 16 to 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the centre of the muffins comes out clean.
• Cool muffins on wire racks.

JAMIE OLIVER'S BUTTERNUT SQUASH MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Place squash in blender/food processor and finely chop.
• Add remaining ingredients to blender/food processor and process until combined.
• Fill muffin tin with mixture.
• Bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Cool on a wire rack.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MUFFINS WITH A FROSTY TOP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line your muffin tins with paper cups.
• Whiz the squash in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the sugar, and crack in the eggs. Add a pinch of salt, the flour, baking powder, walnuts, cinnamon and olive oil and whiz together until well beaten. You may need to pause the machine at some point to scrape the mix down the sides with a rubber spatula. Try not to overdo it with the mixing - you want to just combine everything and no more.
• Fill the paper cups with the muffin mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Check to see whether they are cooked properly by sticking a wooden skewer or a knife right into one of the muffins - if it comes out clean, they're done. If it's a bit sticky, pop them back into the oven for a little longer. Remove from the oven and leave the muffins to cool on a wire rack.
• As soon as the muffins are in the oven, make your runny frosted topping. Place most of the clementine zest, all the lemon zest and the lemon juice in a bowl. Add the sour cream, icing sugar and vanilla seeds and mix well. Taste and have a think about it - adjust the amount of lemon juice or icing sugar to balance the sweet and sour. Put into the fridge until your muffins have cooled down, then spoon the topping onto the muffins.
• Serve on a lovely plate (on a cake stand if you're feeling elegant, or on a rustic slab if you're more of a hunter-gatherer type!), with the rest of the clementine zest sprinkled over. For an interesting flavor and look, a few dried lavender flowers or rose petals are fantastic.