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Creme Anglaise
Makes about 2 cups

6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups half and half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Whisk egg yolks and 2/3 cup sugar in medium bowl to blend. Place 2 cups half and half in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk hot half and half mixture into egg yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens slightly and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 12 minutes (do not boil). Discard vanilla bean. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Can be prepared 1 day ahead; keep refrigerated.

Butternut Squash Apple Puree
Serves 6

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium-size Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered
Freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons water or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon hazelnut oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place squash and apples on a baking pan and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake until squash and apples are tender, turn once, about 1 hour. Cool 5 minutes. These can be roasted 1 day ahead. Cover with foil and refrigerate. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Pour half of the butter, stock or water, and maple syrup into a food processor. Add half of the squash and apples. Purée the first batch to reach the desired consistency. Pour into a bowl. Then repeat with the second batch. Season the squash purée with salt and pepper. The squash purée may be made 3 days in advance, kept covered and chilled. Re-heat before serving, adding additional water if needed. Spoon the puree into a serving dish and drizzle the hazelnut oil on top. Serve.

Tip: You can prepare the squash or root vegetables ahead of time. Simply clean, peel, chop or slice them. Potatoes, parsnips and celery should be prepared the same day but kept in cool water to prevent discoloration of the flesh. Squash, rutabagas, celery root, and turnips can be prepped 2 days in advance and stored, uncooked in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Roast Butternut Squash Soup

2 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
2 granny smith apples, peeled, seeded, and cut into sections
2 cups apple cider
5 cups of chicken stock
1 medium onion, sliced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 tbs curry
1 tbs honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup cream
salt pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly butter a baking dish. Add squash and season with salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until slightly tender, about 40 minutes.

Shortly before the squash is done, melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat, add onion and carrots until the onion is translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add honey or maple syrup and cook it until it bubbles. Add squash, apples, cider, stock and curry. Raise heat and bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until apples are soft and squash is cooked through. Puree. If you like extra smoothness, press soup through a strainer or pass it through a food mill. Return to the pot and add cream. Stir over medium heat and bring back to a boil. Serve.

Pumpkin Pie
Makes: 1 9-inch pie

Crust: 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 cup apricot preserves

Filling: 3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon (rounded) salt
1 16-ounce can pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sour cream
3 large eggs, whisked until blended

To make the filling: Using a whisk, mix the first 6 ingredients of the filling in a large bowl until no lumps remain. Blend in pumpkin, whipping cream, sour cream and eggs. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend first 3 ingredients for the crust in processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cream and process until clumps form. Gather the dough into ball, place on plastic wrap and flatten into disk; chill 15 minutes. Roll out dough on floured surface to 14-inch round and then transfer dough to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch and fold overhang under. Crimp edge as desired. Freeze 15 minutes. Line crust with foil and pour in baking beads or beans. Bake until sides are set, about 10 minutes. Remove foil and beads. Bake crust until pale brown, about 10 minutes more. Spread preserves over crust cover and set aside until ready to use.

To Bake the pie: Preheat oven temperature to 325°F. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake until filling puffs at edges and center is almost set, about 55 minutes. Cool on rack. Cover; chill until cold.

Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Salt

Put seeds on a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt. Put in a 250 F oven. Roast one hour.

Acorn Squash
Serves 10
5 acorn squash
10 tsp butter
10 tsp cinnamon and or nutmeg
20 tbs maple syrup

Cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds. Put 1 tsp butter in the centers, sprinkle spice, 1 tbs of maple syrup.

Place squash halves in a pan and bake at 350°F for one hour. Serves 10.

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