Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Dessert Mystery Revealed!



Late Sunday I posted the picture below and asked you to guess the mystery ingredient:


Any minute last guesses?

Well, let's see...this recipe includes:

eggs
vanilla
sugar
flour
butter
salt

AND...

yellow squash (Congrats Michele and Nicole for guessing correctly!)

I searched the internet for ideas to help my friends Nicole and Camille use their surplus garden vegetables. The first idea I developed was my No Cook Italian Vegetable Salad, but I wanted to try a novel approach too.

I found several different renditions of yellow squash desserts or even breads (think zucchini bread), but came up with this recipe as a Sweet Pea original and couldn't have been happier. Imagine my inside glee, as my two boys, who are a tough sell on regular yellow squash, gobbled up this dessert and asked for seconds. Each of their pieces of dessert contained half of a medium squash!

Vanilla Squash Custard

1/3 cup water
4 medium squash, peeled and diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup flour

Heat a medium saute pan to medium high heat and add the water and squash. Cook for 15 minutes or until the squash is mushy and the water has evaporated. Do not allow the squash to "brown."

(Alternatively, you can steam the squash or cook it in the microwave. The important thing here is that the squash is no longer firm)

While still hot, add the salt and butter, so the butter melts. Allow the squash to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a food processor or blender, add the squash, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. Process until smooth.

Add the flour and stir until just blended.

Pour into a greased deep dish pie pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the middle is no longer jiggly.

Can be served warm, room temperature or cool.

Serves 8.

Prepare to get a little giddy when you see your kids eat their squash ravenously!
SPC

2 comments:

Amy said...

Very creative!

Anonymous said...

The oldest boy child wasn't super keen, but the younger two littluns ate it up, and my husband was thrilled to help. Thanks for posting!