Maple Glazed Delicata Squash

Perfect for Late Autumn Dinners

Recipe by Robin

Delicata squash is another of those veggies that I wouldn’t have known about if it weren’t for receiving them in our CSA share. It looked so intriguing that I bought some extra from Live Earth Farm at the Farmers’ Market. Then, of course, we received more the following week. Delicata is unique in that it’s the only winter squash whose skin is tender enough to eat. Its flavor is also (quite logically) delicate, and easily overpowered by other flavors. For that reason I eliminated the idea of adding orange juice, apple juice, or bourbon as I might in a yam glaze. I might have skipped the cinnamon also, being a lover of all squash flavors, but my husband (lukewarm on most squashes) likes it with winter squash. With or without cinnamon, you could also use this simple glaze on yams.

Delicata au Naturel

Just two tips on this recipe: glaze can burn onto baking sheet, so do cover it with parchment per instructions (foil will also work in a pinch). Because of this burn potential, take care to bake on the middle rack of your oven. If you’re using salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt to ¼ teaspoon plus a pinch, or add salt to taste. The salt adds depth and contrast to the sweetness of the glaze; think butterscotch. I tried a few methods of adding the glaze to the squash. It’s simplest to just pour it on and brush it around, and you can also use the brush for basting. Agreed: that was more than two tips. I can’t help myself sometimes.

Enjoy this simple recipe and my best wishes for smooth Thanksgiving cooking tonight and tomorrow, so that you can enjoy just being with family and friends.

Simple and Elegant

Maple Glazed Delicata Squash

serves about 6 - 8

~4 lb. delicata squash

¼ cup unsalted butter

1 tbsp. brown sugar

½  tsp. salt

½   cup maple syrup

¼ tsp. cinnamon, or less

Wash squash. Slice off ends and cut into 1 inch thick slices. Use paring knife to remove seeds from sliced rounds.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut a piece of baking parchment to size and lay over baking sheet. Spritz with real oil cooking spray and spread evenly with fingers, or rub with a little high temperature (such as peanut) oil.

Melt butter in small saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and salt. Add maple syrup. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until sugar and salt are completely dissolved.

Put squash slices onto baking tray. It’s best if they’re crowded. If there are too few on a baking sheet the glaze between them can burn. Pour glaze evenly over squash. Use a basting brush to coat all squash surfaces with glaze.

Put baking sheet into preheated oven on middle rack. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and baste with brush using glaze from inside squash slices. Return to oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and turn each piece of squash over with tongs. Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes, or until desired softness.

If you’d like to brown the glaze a bit more, baste the squash again and put baking sheet under broiler very briefly, about 1 – 1½ minutes, watching carefully.

Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon before serving. I like to put the cinnamon in a fine tea strainer, hold the strainer over the squash, and tap strainer lightly for even sprinkling. 

Closeup of Deliciousness