Roasted Squash Soup with Maple-Glazed Bananas

2 medium butternut squashes
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1 - 2 c apple juice and/or water
3 - 4 Tbsp butter
2 bananas, cut into slices
1/4 c maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squashes in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds and pulp. Cover the bottom of two baking dishes with water and lay squashes cut-side-down in pans. Bake for 45 min - 1 hr or until you can easily pierce through the skin of the squash with a fork. Let squash cool until you can handle it. Scrape out the flesh. You can either scrape it into a blender, if you want a smoother consistency, or right into the soup pot to mash with a potato masher if you want a chunkier consistency.

In soup pot, combine squash with brown sugar, cinnamon and salt to taste. Add enough apple juice or water (or a combination of the two) to give you the consistency you prefer. Add butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soup bubbles and is cooked through, and butter is melted.

While soup is cooking, in a separate pan, combine bananas and maple syrup and heat through, stirring to coat bananas.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a generous spoonful of bananas. Drizzle any extra maple syrup over the top of soup.

Serves about 6 as a side dish.

NOTES
Adapted from recipe of the same name at culinarycovers.com.

All amounts are approximate. I didn't actually measure anything -- just added a little of this and a little of that until the texture and taste were right.

The bananas really make this soup something special.

Kid ratings: 7-year-old gives it 7/10, 4-year-old gives it 100/39.

Tarte au Sucre (French Canadian Maple Syrup Pie)

Crust:
1 1/4 c flour
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 c ice water, plus additional if needed

Filling:
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 3/4 c packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c heavy cream
1/2 c maple syrup

Garnishes:
raspberries
whipped cream

Prepare crust: stir together flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until butter is the size of small peas. Stir in 1/4 c ice water. Dough should look shaggy and come together when pressed into a ball. If it's crumbly, add water by the tablespoon until it just holds together but isn't sticky. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out crust, then drape over a 9" pie pan (not deep-dish). Cut excess dough from edge. Crimp edges. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Prepare filling: whisk eggs and yolk lightly in a medium bowl. Add brown sugar, flour and salt, whisking until no lumps remain. Whisk in cream and maple syrup. Pour filling into chilled pie shell.

Bake pie in top third of oven until filling is deeply golden and puffed in the center but still wiggles slightly when nudged, 60-70 minutes. Check after 30 minutes. If edge is browning before center is cooked, cover edge with a foil collar and continue baking.

Cool pie completely, about 2 hours, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve chilled, garnished with raspberries and/or whipped cream.

NOTES
From Hannaford.
Untried.

Roasted Chicken with Maple Walnut Glaze

1 whole roasting chicken (about 6 1/2 lbs)
salt and pepper
1 c walnut halves, chopped coarsely
1 stick butter
1/2 c maple syrup

Place chicken in a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Place pan on center rack of oven and roast 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Roast until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer from oven to serving platter.

Heat saute pan over medium heat; add walnuts. Stir, toasting until lightly brown, 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.

Add butter to pan and melt. Remove from heat and stir in syrup. Pour over chicken. Serve extra glaze on the side.

NOTES
From Wegmans.
Untried.

Cornbread with Maple Cream and Cranberry Sauce

Cornbread:

1 c cornmeal
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sour cream
2/3 c water

Combine dry ingredients; add sour cream and water; mix well. Bake in a 9" square pan at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Maple Cream:

Combine 2 Tbsp cream with 2 Tbsp maple syrup; mis well.

Cranberry Sauce:

1 c sugar
1 c water
4 c fresh or frozen cranberries
optional additions: orange peel, raisins, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice

Combine sugar and water; boil until sugar dissolves and then add cranberries. Return to a boil; reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until cranberries burst. Add any additional ingredients at this point. Remove from heat; cool at room temperature and keep chilled.

To serve: Slice cornbread pieces in half horizontally. Soak cornbread slices in the maple cream; top each with 2 Tbsp cranberry sauce.

NOTES
From Frugal Cuisine.
Have never used this particular cornbread recipe, or this particular cranberry sauce recipe, but this is a really delicious way to eat up leftovers of both.