Ok for some very strange reason, every time I here the word Butternut, I think of that old priest from the Princess Bride and frankly, it makes me giggle…like a little girl….

Now that that is out of the way…I thought I had better get this blog in before Fall is over and I have to come up with some pithy post about pumpkin and Winter…ya, I’ve got nothin’.

So here goes. I had a ton of butternut squash that I had purchased from the local Farmer’s Market and wasn’t sure what I should do with them. Then I started thinking, “Hmm, they kind of taste like pumpkin”…So, I surfed around the Web and it turns out you can actually use it to bake with- genius! I made these for my kids and like the little turkeys that they are, they gobbled them up! (pun intended…Yes, I am all about pithy;)

Butternut Squash Minni Muffins
~Serves 10-15~

Food Stuffs:
2c Butternut Squash- Baked, skins removed, and mashed
2 Eggs
1/4cWater
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 Brown sugar
3/4c Oil or melted butter
1 3/4c AP flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1tsp Baking Soda
2 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1tsp Vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350

Combine all the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl. Next, mix together the dry ingredients. Carefully fold all the ingredients together. Mix until everything is moist, but do not over mix.
Put the mixture into a plastic bag and cut a very small hole in the corner of the bag. Press all the air out and tie off the top of the bag. Pipe the mixture into mini cupcake pans that have been well greased. Put a pan of water on the bottom wrack of your oven. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until you can poke the top of the muffin and it bounces back OR until an inserted toothpick comes out clean…so many options ;P

Serve this up with a steaming mug of your favorite chi or coffee and some Orange Zest Butter and YUM!!!

What! You don’t have any Orange Zest Butter!!! Keep reading:

Orange Zest Butter:
1Stick butter-room temp
Zest from half a medium orange- about 1.5 Tbs
1/4c Honey
Pinch of salt

Blend all the ingredients in your blender and serve :)  Mmmm…