Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin and Apple Cider Cookies

My goal for this week was to find something to make that didn't involve flour, or sugar, or butter. I failed. There are so many delicious fall treats that are best made at this time of year! I have a long list of things I want to make over the next few weeks, and half of them are sweets. My conclusion - make something healthy AND something sweet. And then give most of the sweet stuff away! The first recipes to cross off my fall cooking list include Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin and Apple Cider Cookies. Yum!


First up, the Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin, a delicious side dish that is so savory, you would think it was bad for you (but it's not!). The recipe I used can be found here, from Eat Better America.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

For substitutions from the original recipe, I used Parmesan bread crumbs I had on hand and EVOO instead of butter. I also bought pre-cut butternut squash, so the recipe calls for slices and I did cubes. 


1. Heat oven to 375. Cut butternut squash into cubes. Arrange slices overlapping slightly on bottom of sprayed baking dish. 


2. In small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese, and 1 tbsp of the oil-garlic mixture.

4. Brush squash slices with remaining oil-garlic mixture.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and bread crumb mixture. 

5. Bake uncovered 30-40 minutes, or until squash is tender. Sprinkle parsley over top before serving.

And enjoy!!! I had mine tonight as a side dish to baked fish. 

Now, on to dessert! 


I have mentioned before that I have a love of the cooking blog We Are Not Martha. They always have creative, fun recipes that use foods that are in season. I was searching for something to satisfy my apple crisp craving, and didn't want to make an apple crisp and risk eating it all! Fortunately, I found a recipe on We Are Not Martha for Apple Cider Cookies with Caramel. I wrote out the ingredients for the original recipe, but I doubled it because cookies are for sharing! 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
6 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup apple cider
12-15 caramels

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside.

2. In mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together.
Add the egg and combine.
Then add the cider and combine.

3. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until just combined.

4. Take about 1 Tbsp of the batter and place a caramel in the middle.
Round the dough around it.
Place the dough on lined baking sheet. 

5. Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes. Let cool in pan for a few minutes before removing to cooling rack.

Be prepared for a sticky mess when making these! The caramel did not want to stay inside of the cookie. 

Delicious with a glass of milk, or cider!

These cookies were delicious! They taste like caramel apples. Yum!! I packaged most and gave them away, but did enjoy one for dessert. I warmed mine up a little to get the caramel really melted. I only wish I had a little ice cream to top it off with. These definitely satisfied my craving, but made me want apple crisp even more! Maybe next time.