Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

It is raining in Jerusalem! 

Fine, it kind of drizzled, only this morning, for a few minutes. 

Ok so maybe it does not really count as a Jerusalem winter rain because it was not that much rain and it definitely is not cold but it is Sunday and it kind of rained so I’m making soup for #soupsunday! 

On Sunday mornings I do not have much going on in my kitchen in terms of produce as most of it has been used up for Shabbat cooking. Today I opened my fridge and found a butternut squash that I bought a few weeks ago and had been meaning to roast with some carrots and onions under a chicken, but that hasn’t happened so I decided to roast the squash and use it for a soup. 

Roasting butternut squash is great for a couple of reasons. First, roasting the squash imparts delicious flavor with pretty minimal effort, the sugars in the butternut deepen and caramelize which adds great flavor to the soup. Another great reason to roast the butternut squash is that you don’t have to deal with peeling and cubing the squash which can sometimes be a frustrating thing to do. As the butternut squash roasts, it softens and once it's cooled you can easily scoop the tender creamy flesh away from the skin. Yes, roasting and cooling the butternut squash does take time, but it is a hands-off step in the recipe and you can even prep the squash up to three days in advance and store it in the fridge or you can roast it, scoop it, and freeze it and defrost when you are ready to make the soup. 

The other ingredients for this soup are things that you most probably have on hand. Onion, carrot, and garlic add great base flavor to the soup. The curveball in the flavor department is an apple, any type will do, this adds a sweet-tart note to the soup and pairs beautifully with the butternut squash. 

There are a few spices in this soup and all of them compliment the sweet and nutty flavor of the squash. Black pepper for a contrasting earthy spice note, cayenne (hot paprika or chili flakes will work too) for a good kick to balance the sweetness, and cinnamon with its warm notes go perfectly with the butternut squash for those classic fall flavors. 

Make this soup today to keep in the fridge all week so you can enjoy a cozy bowl of autumn even if it’s 70°F outside. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup 

1 medium butternut squash about 2.5-3 lb.

3 Tbsp olive oil 

Salt 

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 medium onion, peeled and diced 

1 carrot, peeled and diced.

1 apple, any type, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch of cayenne pepper/chili flakes 

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

3-4 cups of water

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C 

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seed. Drizzle the flesh of the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of olive and season with a pinch of salt and the black pepper. Place on a cookie sheet or oven-safe dish and roast for about 45 minutes or until very tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Once cooled scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash and set it aside. Discard the skin. 

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt. Stir to coat the onion in the oil and salt and cook for 5-8 minutes. Add the carrot and apple and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cayenne, and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the roasted butternut squash along with enough water just to cover the squash. You might need less than what is listed in the recipe it is always best to err on the side of caution because you can add more liquid you can’t remove. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the flame, cover the pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Using an immersion blender puree the soup until smooth add more water if necessary to reach your desired texture. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Ladle into bowls and top with roasted pumpkin seeds. To store the soup allow it to cool completely and then store it in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to one week or in the freezer for 3 months. 

Yield: 4 portions 

Marble Muffins

Are you team chocolate or team vanilla? Well, when it comes to these marble muffins you don't have to choose! A sweet vanilla batter gets swirled with a rich chocolate batter to make these muffins that will please the chocoholics and vanilla lovers in your house. 

I often talk about the inspiration for muffin flavors and the idea for these marble muffins came from two members of my family. My brother-in-law and one of my sisters-in-law share a birthday which is this week. My brother-in-law loves the classic marble cake and my sister-in-law is the queen of baked goods, loves chocolate, and lives for coffee so when I made the chocolate batter I added some coffee to accentuate the chocolate flavor. 

Marble cake is also the perfect cake to symbolize the relationship with siblings-in-law. When your brother or sister marries someone a new person is joining your family and you gain a new brother or sister. That new person blends into your family and adds another dimension. Much like the chocolate swirling with the vanilla your new sibling brings their amazing qualities to your family. Ok, that marble cake symbolism might have been a bit cheesy and a bit of a stretch, so happy birthday Daniel and Amy! I'm so happy that you married Ayala and Shalom (no backsies - Wendy it's not your birthday but that applies to Eytan too) 

Marble Muffins 

2 cups flour 

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt 

1 cup milk of your choice 

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp instant coffee granules dissolved in 2 tsp water 

Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C 

Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners or coat with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a liquid measuring cup or medium bowl mix together the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry along with the sugar. Mix until just combined.

Pour about half the batter into another bowl don't worry you don't have to be so exact. To the second bowl add the cocoa powder and the coffee. Stir until combined. 

Scoop about 1 teaspoon of the vanilla batter into prepared muffin cups and then top with 1 teaspoon of the chocolate batter add another teaspoon of vanilla batter on top and top off with the rest of the chocolate batter. Using a toothpick or skewer swirl the batter making sure to be touching the bottom of the pan so you are swirling all the layers. Don't over-marbelize the batter you still want to have two distinct colors.

Bake for 14-16 minutes. 

Yield: 12 standard size muffins 

Like all the muffins on this blog, these should be stored in a zip-top bag or airtight container on the counter for 2 days (if you don't eat them all beforehand) they also freeze beautifully.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins

Come September 1st people start talking about fall and all things fall-related even though the official start of fall isn't until 3 weeks later on September 22nd. It's now been almost 3 weeks since the official start of fall and while the weather here in Israel is still quite warm during the day, in Jerusalem I no longer wear sandals in the evening so for me, fall has finally begun. 

Whenever you think that fall begins there is one thing that has become synonymous with the start of fall and that is the pumpkin spice latte. The drink that was made famous by Starbucks (who started selling the seasonal item a bit too early this year on August 24th) is made with coffee, sweeteners, milk, and pumpkin pie spice. There was no actual pumpkin in the pumpkin spice latte until 2015 and it was only added to appease those that wanted to see actual pumpkin in the list of ingredients. Pumpkin spice is a spice mix made of the spices that are traditionally used in pumpkin pie: cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg. There is no actual pumpkin in the pumpkin spice mix. 

The combination of the warm spices with the bold flavor of coffee is a great combination and is delicious in latte form. But the pumpkin spice phenomenon has gotten a little out of hand with pumpkin spice hummus, dog treats, air freshener, seltzer, and the list goes on. 

I think that pumpkin spice should be used only in pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, and now pumpkin spice latte muffins! I took the flavors of this cozy fall drink and turned it into a muffin and I went with the original latte recipe and there is no actual pumpkin in these muffins just lots of coffee and pumpkin spice. 

If you don't have pumpkin spice on hand no worries it's simple to make your own blend

Enjoy these muffins with a piping hot latte and enjoy the cozy fall flavors even when it's still 82°F outside. 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins

1/2 cup hot water 

2 Tbsp instant coffee granules 

2 1/2 cups flour 

2 tsp baking powder 

3/4 tsp salt 

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR 1 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg + 1/4 tsp ground ginger + 1/8 tsp ground clove

1/2 cup milk of your choice 

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil 

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar 

2 Tbsp turbinado sugar - optional 

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips - optional 

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C 

Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners or coat with non-stick cooking spray. 

Dissolve the coffee in the hot water and set it aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a liquid measuring cup or medium bowl mix together the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry along with the coffee and the sugar. Mix until just combined.

Scoop into prepared muffin cups and top with turbinado sugar and/or mini chocolate chips. Bake for 14-16 minutes. 

Yield: 12 standard size muffins 

Like all the muffins on this blog, these should be stored in a zip-top bag or airtight container on the counter for 2 days (if you don't eat them all before hand) they also freeze beautifully.