Sweet Surrender Squash Surprise—Dessert for 6
“Sweet Surrender Squash Surprise is a unique British dessert that ingeniously incorporates vegetables. This delightful treat features tender squash baked to perfection, sweetened with natural sugars and spices, and topped with a crunchy crumble. A surprising twist on dessert that’s both satisfying and health-conscious.”
Do This With That Stuff
- ‘Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
- Using a sharp knife and cutting board, carefully cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise
- Use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds
- Place the squash halves on a baking dish, cut side up
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger
- Brush each squash half with melted butter, then evenly distribute the sugar-spice mixture over the top of each half
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until the squash is tender when poked with a fork
- While the squash is baking, prepare the crumble topping: In a medium bowl combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt and rolled oats Mix well using a wooden spoon
- Add cold cubed butter to flour mixture Use a pastry blender or fork to cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs
- Remove baked squash from oven (be sure to use oven mitts) and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
- Allow squash to cool slightly before handling Use a spoon to scoop out flesh of each half into a large pot Discard skins Mash squash until smooth using wooden spoon or potato masher
- Spread mashed squash evenly in baking dish Sprinkle crumble topping evenly over mashed squash
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 25-30 minutes or until crumble topping is golden brown and crispy
- Remove from oven using oven mitts and allow dessert to cool slightly before serving’
Obvious and Not So Obvious Variations and Pairings
☕ Bitter
- ‘Add 1 tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
- Add 1/2 tsp of ground coffee
- Replace brown sugar with 3/4 cup of molasses
- Add 1/4 cup of chopped dark chocolate to crumble topping
- Increase ground ginger to 1/2 tsp’
🧂 Salty
- Increase the salt to 1 tsp
- Add 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese to the crumble topping
- Add 1/4 cup of chopped olives to the mashed squash mixture
- Replace unsalted butter with salted butter in both uses
🍋 Sour
- ‘Add 1/2 cup lemon juice
- Add zest of 1 lemon
- Replace 1/2 cup of brown sugar with 1/2 cup of molasses
- Add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to the squash mash’
🌶️ Spicy
- Increase ground cinnamon to 1 tsp
- Add 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- Add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Add 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- Increase ground ginger to 1/2 tsp
🍬 Sweet
- Increase the brown sugar to 1.5 cups
- Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the squash mixture
- Add 1/2 cup of maple syrup to the squash mixture
- Increase ground cinnamon to 1 tsp
- Add 1/4 cup of honey to the crumble topping mixture
- Add 1/2 cup of golden raisins to the crumble topping mixture
🍄 Umami
- ‘Add 1 tbsp soy sauce to the squash mixture
- Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese to the crumble topping
- Add 1 tsp of miso paste to the squash mixture
- Replace 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with 1/4 cup of mirin in the crumble topping’
🍸 Alcoholic
- ‘Spiced Rum: The warm, spiced notes of the rum complement the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in the dish
- Chardonnay: The buttery undertones of this wine pair well with the buttery squash and crumble topping
- British Ale: The maltiness of the ale balances out the sweetness of the dish’
🥤 Non Alcoholic
- ‘Sparkling Apple Cider: The effervescence and slight tartness of the cider will cut through the sweetness of the dish, while its apple notes complement the autumnal flavors of the squash and spices
- Hot Ginger Tea: The warmth and spiciness of ginger tea will enhance the ground ginger in the recipe, providing a comforting pairing for this dessert
- Lemon Barley Water: A traditional British non-alcoholic drink, its light lemony flavor and hint of grain from barley will provide a refreshing contrast to the rich and sweet dish’
IMPORTANT NOTE: Artificial Intelligence created this—this means the following may or may not be correct or accurate. If following a specific diet is critical to your health and well-being due to ailments or health conditions, please consult your doctor before trying any of these variations.
🥓 Keto
- ‘Replace 1 cup brown sugar with 1/2 cup erythritol
- Replace 2 cups all-purpose flour with 2 cups almond flour
- Replace 1 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup erythritol
- Replace 3/4 cup rolled oats with 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- Replace 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, with 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- Replace 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed, with 3/4 cup coconut oil, cold and cubed’
🍆 Mediterranean
- Replace brown sugar with 1/2 cup honey
- Replace ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger with 1 tsp of za’atar spice blend
- Replace all-purpose flour with 2 cups of almond flour
- Decrease granulated sugar to 1/2 cup
- Add 1/2 cup of chopped kalamata olives
- Add 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
- Add 1 tbsp of fresh chopped rosemary
- Replace unsalted butter with 3/4 cup olive oil for the squash and 3/4 cup olive oil for the crumble topping.
🥑 Paleo
- ‘Replace brown sugar with 3/4 cup of honey
- Replace all-purpose flour with 2 cups of almond flour
- Replace granulated sugar with 1/2 cup of coconut sugar
- Remove rolled oats
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil for the squash and 3/4 cup of cold coconut oil for the crumble topping’
🐟 Pescatarian
- No changes are required to make this recipe pescatarian friendly. The current ingredients and instructions do not include any meat or poultry, which are the only food items restricted in a pescatarian diet.
🌱 Vegan
- Replace 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted with 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- Replace 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed with 3/4 cup cold and cubed vegan butter
🥦 Vegetarian
- No changes are needed to make this recipe vegetarian. All ingredients listed are already suitable for a vegetarian diet.
🥩 Whole30
- ‘Remove brown sugar
- Replace with 1 cup of date paste
- Remove all-purpose flour
- Replace with 2 cups of almond flour
- Remove granulated sugar
- Replace with 1 cup of coconut sugar
- Remove unsalted butter, melted
- Replace with 1/2 cup of ghee, melted
- Remove unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- Replace with 3/4 cup of coconut oil, cold and solidified’
IMPORTANT NOTE: Artificial Intelligence created this—this means the following may or may not be correct or accurate. If following a specific diet is critical to your health and well-being due to ailments or health conditions, please consult your doctor before trying any of these variations.
🧠 Brain Health
- ‘Replace brown sugar with 1/2 cup of honey
- Replace all-purpose flour with 2 cups of almond flour
- Decrease granulated sugar to 1/2 cup
- Add 1/4 cup of flax seeds to the crumble topping
- Add 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts to the crumble topping
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/2 cup of coconut oil for baking squash and 3/4 cup of cold and cubed coconut oil for the crumble topping’
🌾 Celiac Disease
- Replace all-purpose flour with 2 cups of gluten-free flour blend
- Replace rolled oats with 3/4 cup of gluten-free oats
💩 Crohns Disease
- ‘Replace brown sugar with 1/2 cup maple syrup
- Replace all-purpose flour with 2 cups gluten-free flour
- Replace granulated sugar with 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- Remove unsalted butter, melted
- Remove unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- Add 1/2 cup olive oil for squash preparation
- Add 3/4 cup coconut oil for crumble topping preparation’
🩸 Diabetes
- Replace the brown sugar with 1 cup of erythritol
- Replace the granulated sugar with 1/2 cup of erythritol
- Increase the rolled oats to 1.5 cups
- Decrease the all-purpose flour to 1.5 cups
- Replace the unsalted butter with 1/2 cup of coconut oil for baking and 3/4 cup of cold cubed coconut oil for crumble topping
- Add 1/2 tsp of ground cloves
🍞 Gluten Intolerance
- ‘Replace 2 cups all-purpose flour with 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour’
🫀 Heart Disease
- Decrease the brown sugar to 1/2 cup
- Replace the unsalted butter with 1/2 cup of olive oil for baking the squash and 3/4 cup of mashed avocado for the crumble topping
- Replace all-purpose flour with 2 cups of whole wheat flour
- Decrease granulated sugar to 1/2 cup
- Add 1 cup of chopped walnuts to the crumble topping for added heart-healthy fats.
❤️ Heart Health
- ‘Replace brown sugar with 3/4 cup of honey
- Replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour
- Decrease granulated sugar to 1/2 cup
- Replace unsalted butter with olive oil in equal amounts
- Add 1 cup of chopped walnuts for added heart health benefits’
🧂 High Blood Pressure
- Decrease the brown sugar to 1/2 cup
- Replace granulated sugar with 3/4 cup of Stevia
- Remove salt completely
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/2 cup of olive oil for baking squash and 1/2 cup of mashed avocado for crumble topping
- Increase rolled oats to 1 cup
🍔 High Cholesterol
- ‘Replace 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted with 1/4 cup olive oil
- Replace 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed with 1/2 cup coconut oil
- Decrease the brown sugar to 1/2 cup
- Add 1/2 cup of apple sauce to replace reduced brown sugar
- Increase rolled oats to 1 cup for added fiber’
🦠 Immune System
- ‘Replace brown sugar with 1/2 cup of raw honey
- Replace all-purpose flour with 2 cups of almond flour
- Decrease granulated sugar to 1/2 cup
- Add 1 cup of chopped spinach
- Add 1/2 cup of chopped bell peppers
- Add 3 cloves of minced garlic
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/2 cup of coconut oil
- Add 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder’
🚽 Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- ‘Replace brown sugar with 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup
- Replace all-purpose flour with 2 cups of gluten-free flour
- Replace granulated sugar with 1/2 cup of stevia
- Replace unsalted butter with 1/2 cup of coconut oil for baking squash and 3/4 cup of cold coconut oil for crumble topping
- Add 1/4 tsp ground cardamom for additional flavor
- Remove rolled oats’
💧 Kidney Disease
- ‘Replace brown sugar with 1/2 cup of erythritol or another kidney-friendly sweetener
- Decrease the granulated sugar to 1/2 cup
- Replace all-purpose flour with almond flour for a lower phosphorus and potassium option
- Replace unsalted butter with olive oil, use 1/4 cup for baking squash and 1/2 cup for crumble topping
- Remove salt from the recipe entirely’
🐄 Lactose Intolerance
- ‘Replace 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted with 1/2 cup of coconut oil
- Replace 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed with 3/4 cup of dairy-free margarine’
🍺 Liver Disease
- ‘Replace brown sugar with 3/4 cup of stevia
- Decrease unsalted butter to 1/4 cup
- Replace all-purpose flour with 2 cups of whole wheat flour
- Replace granulated sugar with 3/4 cup of stevia
- Increase rolled oats to 1 cup
- Remove unsalted butter in crumble topping and replace it with 1/2 cup of coconut oil’
🤰 Pregnancy
- Decrease the brown sugar to 1/2 cup
- Replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour
- Decrease the granulated sugar to 1/2 cup
- Replace unsalted butter with coconut oil in equal amounts
Beti’s Reflections
On a recent culinary adventure across the pond, I stumbled upon a delightful British dessert that had me surrendering to its sweet allure. The Sweet Surrender Squash Surprise, a unique gem in British cuisine recipes, ingeniously incorporates vegetables into dessert, making it a perfect blend of health and indulgence.
The Sweet Surrender Squash Surprise is an ideal treat for six people. While it’s not suitable for those following gluten-free recipes, vegan squash recipes, dairy-free cooking, low-sugar desserts or keto diet recipes, it’s a fantastic option for those who are looking for vegetarian baking ideas or healthy butternut squash desserts.
This recipe calls for two medium butternut squash which lend their tender sweetness to the dish. The natural sugars of the squash are enhanced with brown sugar and a trio of spices – cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger – creating a spiced butternut squash bake that’s truly irresistible. A generous helping of melted butter adds richness to the dish while the crumble topping made from all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt and rolled oats gives it an irresistible crunch.
To make this homemade squash dessert, start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). After halving and deseeding your butternut squashes, brush them with melted butter and sprinkle over your sugar-spice mixture before baking until tender. While your squash is baking away in the oven, you can prepare your crumble topping by combining all-purpose flour with granulated sugar, salt and rolled oats before cutting in cold cubed butter until you have coarse crumbs. Once your baked squash is cool enough to handle safely (don’t forget those oven mitts!), scoop out the flesh into a large pot and mash until smooth before spreading evenly in a baking dish and sprinkling over your crumble topping. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until golden brown and crispy.
So there you have it – Sweet Surrender Squash Surprise! A delightful twist on traditional British cuisine recipes that’s both satisfyingly sweet and surprisingly healthy! This butternut squash dessert is sure to impress at any gathering or simply as an adventurous weeknight treat! So why not give this easy British dessert recipe a try? You might just find yourself surrendering to its sweet charm too!
Leave a Reply