Acorn Squash Stuffed with Autumn Fruit Compote
If you’re looking for a unique and awesome side dish for Thanksgiving, look no further. If you’re not looking for a Thanksgiving side dish, add this squash to your meal plan for the week. Because this squash is awesome.
It honestly reminds me of my favorite Depths of Fall Pie. Both have all the flavors of fall mixed into one dish. I made this the other day because I grabbed some beautiful acorn squash at the farmers market. I came home and headed where I always go when I need a recipe, my Google Reader.
I think the squash I got were pretty big because I ended up only having enough filling for 3 of the halves. And I can’t imagine one of those halves being a side dish. I ate one half for lunch and was full all afternoon.
The other two halves were cut into quarters for a more reasonable amount of food for a side dish. So when you do make this and you’re shopping for squash, keep in mind that you want to serve a half of a squash per person. It’s a lot easier to scoop out the awesomeness when you have a half instead of a quarter.
Three Years Ago: Gnocchi with Shrimp and Asparagus
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Autumn Fruit Compote
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
2 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 large apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 ripe pear, peeled cored, and diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp maple syrup
zest of one orange
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp bourbon
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Place squash cut side down in a baking dish. Add hot water until it is 1/4 inch deep. Bake for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the olive oil, orange juice, and bourbon.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add apple mixture and cook until the fruit begins to brown, about five minutes.
Stir in the orange juice and bourbon and simmer until the fruit is tender, about eight minutes.
Remove the squash from the oven, our the water from the pan, and turn squash cut side up.
Fill the squash with the apple mixture. Sprinkle walnuts on top. Bake 15 minutes more.
Recipe as seen on Apple a Day, originally from The All New, All Purpose Joy of Cooking
Boston area readers, don’t forget that I’m selling pies for Pie In the Sky. The cost of your pie will feed someone in need for an entire week! Please consider buying a pie for a good cause.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
WOW – I would like to have a piece of that cake as soon as possible! looks beautiful and delicious!
This cake looks beautiful and I love the addition of toasted coconut!
I love love cakes with coconut. So delicious.
Beautiful cake!
Totally agree – the more layers the better! The cake looks stunning!
Had I been at your dinner party you wouldn’t have had to cook anything. I would have just completely indulged in this gorgeous cake!
This cake looks incredible! coconut and lemon are two of my favorite flavors; I’m glad you don’t have to choose one or the other with this recipe.
This sounds wonderful. Coconut with lemon curd, yummmm!
This looks fantastic – so springy and beautiful, and absolutely delish 🙂
what a wonderful cake!
Beautiful cake! I’ve been craving a coconut cake, but I know too many people who don’t like coconut cake that if I made it I wouldn’t have anyone to share. Boo.
ooh, fabulous. love the lemon curd-coconut combo, and in a layer cake, fun!!
OF COURSE 4 is better than 2!!! This looks amazing….I love the idea of lemon and coconut together-and it’s gorgeous!
Love lemon curd, love coconut, especially love a cake that lets me “frost” the sides with ease. This looks so yummy!!
Such a delicious cake! I honestly didn’t know a 6 inch was half of a 9 inch….thank you 🙂
I told my girlfriend I would bake her a cake for her birthday this Sunday !!! I got lemon curd and coconut stuck in my brain, so I started googling… which led me to your page !!! This recipie looks almost perfect !!
Couple questions…
Do you think the coconut extract was too strong for the cake, because you also have the browned coconut pcs too? I was considering vanilla bean cake, lemon curd and toasted coconut on the outside… but perhaps that wouldn’t be enough coconut flavour…. your thoughts?
Lastly… what did you use as the frosting to keep the toasted coconut on? It looks like whipping cream…. ?!?!?
Thanks !!!
Kelly
P.S
This is the first cake I’ve ever baked !!! lol