Today, we talk with Siouxland Public Media's arts producer, Ally Karsyn, about comfort food that doesn't involve a Velveeta loaf. She shared her recipe for butternut squash soup and dark chocolate pumpkin swirl bread.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
1 butternut squash
1 onion
2 medium carrots
1 stalk celery
2 large apples
4 cups broth
½ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
4 sprig fresh sage
6 sprig fresh thyme
Roast butternut squash in the oven. Then dice the onion, carrots and celery and sautéing in olive oil. Add cubed apples and butternut squash. Top with spices and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until vegetables are soft.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to a creamy, thick consistency.
DARK CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN SWIRL BREAD
2 1/2 c. unbleached white flour
½ t. salt
1 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil or melted butter
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
¼ c. plain yogurt or sour cream
2 t. vanilla extract
3 oz. (1/2 c.) dark chocolate
3 T. cocoa powder
Pepitas
Pecans
Mini-chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or melted butter.
In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar. Add the oil/butter, canned pumpkin, yogurt, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Meanwhile, place the 3 ounces of chocolate in a small bowl and melt in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the cocoa powder.
Split the dough evenly between the two mixing bowls. Add the melted chocolate to one of the bowls and stir until incorporated. Add pepitas, pecans and chocolate chips as desired.
Layer the two different batters into the prepared loaf pan, alternating between pumpkin and chocolate; smooth out each layer before moving to the next. Once all batter has been added to the pan, drag a butter knife through the loaf pan to cut through the two batters.
Bake at 350 for an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.
