Roasted Sweet Dumpling Squash with Oregano Honey

October 23, 2013 Published by Dina

Squashes are in season and make my head spin when I am at the market. So many varieties, colours, shapes and sizes. Needless to say I love them all and pile my kitchen counter with a few of these gorgeous things. What can I do? Vegetables are my “thing”. I get so excited I almost forget the weather is changing and it’s getting cold outside.

There are the usual varieties of squashes, like butternut and acorn, both of which I love and use often, and there are the less known varieties that get overlooked. I would place the sweet dumpling squash into the latter category. Really, it should be on your menu often this fall. It is available at the market from September to December and when you buy it it will be okay sitting in a cool spot in your kitchen for a few days (not in the fridge), until you are ready to enjoy its flavours.

Sweet dumpling squash

Sweet dumpling is a beautiful little guy (or gal, I haven’t looked), round and plump, with green little stripes over a stylish creamy skin. It lends itself beautifully to roasting, either whole, cut in half or in wedges. You can also stuff it with grains and dried fruits, like I did with the acorn squash here. I wouldn’t try to peel this one, it’s best to bake or roast with the skin on.

The recipe below is very simple. We are leaving for a few days and I wanted to cook a few things without fuss so they don’t linger on the counter too long and get lonely without me. I simply cut the top off at the stem end, removed the seeds using a spoon, placed a dab of butter inside and a little brown sugar and placed in the oven. I roasted it covered until a knife I inserted met no resistance. I then baked it uncovered for a few more minutes and that’s about it.

Well, not quite, I had oregano honey in the pantry and drizzled a little on top. If you don’t have oregano honey you can make it yourself by melting honey over low heat with a couple of fresh oregano sprigs and then strain to remove the leaves or if it looks nice leave the leaves in.


 

Ingredients:


2 sweet dumpling squashes, rounded shape

3 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup honey

A couple of sprigs of oregano

 


 

Directions:


Cut off the top of each squash from the stem end.

With a spoon scrape out all the seeds and stringy parts until you have a nice clean bowl.

Roasted sweet dumpling squash

Place a tablespoon of butter inside each squash.

Cut  the remaining tablespoon butter into small pieces and place them on the edge of the squash around the bowl.

Place a tablespoon of brown sugar inside each squash and sprinkle some additional sugar over the top.

Place on a foil lined baking dish or baking sheet (less to clean later), cover with another piece of foil.

Bake in a 375℉ until you can easily insert a knife into the flesh. Depending on the size. And freshness of the squash this mat take 40-60 minutes. Check it after 30 minutes and then every 15 minutes or so.

Uncover and continue baking about 10 more minutes to dry and caramelize the outside a little.

Remove from the oven and let settle a few minutes.

Drizzle with oregano honey and enjoy with a spoon on its own or alongside dinner entree.


 

Oregano honey:


Warm the honey in a small pot together with the oregano. let sit a few minutes.

While the honey is still warm strain it to remove the leaves or serve as is.

Drizzle honey over the squashes.


 

 

Sweet dumpling squash with oregano honey

 

Roasted sweet dumpling squash

 

Sweet dumpling squash with oregano honey

 



 

16 Comments

  • This is so cute! And simple too! I love it 🙂

  • Karen S. says:

    I would love to have an approximation of the time it would take to get the squash to the point where you can insert a knife easily into the flesh…

    • Dina says:

      Hi Karen, depending on the size and freshness of your squash this can take between 40-60 minutes. Try after 30 minutes and then every 15 minutes. Thanks for dropping by the blog.

  • Jill Richards Weed says:

    Yummy and look beautiful. A wonderful fall dish.

  • Karen says:

    I just bought a sweet dumpling squash for the first time today and found your post through an online search. Thanks for the cooking recommendations, the oregano honey sounds wonderful… but please, do tell me where you got that fabulous spoon! (Well, the whole set.) I have never seen silverware so striking!!!

    • Dina says:

      Karen, thanks for stopping by the blog and I am glad you liked the recipe. I bought the spoons at Home Sense in Calgary, they are smaller than usual, a little over a demi-tasse size, but found something similar on eBay that you can look at. Click here to see. I am away in Europe now so I cannot give you any more specifics but will check again when I get back home in the spring.
      Thanks,
      Dina

  • I have never come across an herbed honey before and am totally smitten with the idea and all of it’s applications now!

    • Dina says:

      Hi Sarah, thanks for the comment. First time I tried herb honey it was a thyme honey made from bees feeding on thyme flowers. The flavours are special, sweet and savoury at the same time with herbal aroma. You can buy them online, there are several source if you google oregano honey or thyme honey. Stay in touch.

  • bellini says:

    They are quite pretty on the plate too.

  • Anne Goresht says:

    Sounds delicious AND looks beautiful!!!!

  • J says:

    They look beautiful!