But more on that after dinner.
Tonight, I had my Lentil Bean Soup, which tasted even better today! I shredded a piece of cheese on top, which melted, transforming it in a form of hearty chili. Delish.
With a toasted piece of my new carb obsession: Arnold’s Natural Flax & Fiber bread.
I met my antioxidants quota with some blueberries & blackberries for dessert.
Onto tonight’s mystery:
A while ago, I got some recipe requests for a particular treat my grandmother makes after featuring it as a dessert. I finally succeeded at catching her in the act of making the…
Factzoids that must preclude the recipe:
At the same time, this makes it difficult to post a “typical,” standard recipe. My grandma does not use:
- measuring cups
- spices such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, etc.
- particular baking utensils such as brushes, spatulas, etc.
Use this recipe however you wish: either as an anthropological glimpse into my grandmother’s life in Eastern Europe and now in the U.S., or as a starting point guideline for a butternut squash roll you can modify to your own liking (as you will see, it could benefit from a “healthifying” treatment!)
I try to use approximations for measurements but don’t quote me on their accuracy =] So…
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Take a medium butternut squash, peel it and grate it. Saute it in a pan with some melted butter for about 10-15 minutes, until soft, and set aside.
Add (about 2 tablespoons) of butter and sour cream.
Then, add an egg:
Add (about 1/4+ a cup) of buttermilk:
Add a pinch of salt and (about 1/2 teaspoon) baking soda. Mix lightly until you hear “a buzz” from the baking soda. (I heard it!)
Then begin mixing with your hands:
If the dough feels too “runny,” or hard to work with, add a little more flour. It should look like this:
Let it stand for 20 minutes. Then prepare a floured surface and cut the dough in half:
Roll it out with a rolling pin (my grandma’s family made their own rolling pins back in the day)
It should look like this, approximately the size of a typical pizza pie. Maybe 1/4 inch thick?
Next, top the dough with half of the butternut squash and spread it throughout:
Next, fold it up!
Fold the corners under:
Repeat the same steps to shape the second roll. Place in a greased baking pan and then press down with the fork throughout:
Beat an egg with a little bit of water for an egg wash. Spread it on the rolls:
When I asked my grandmother why she added a little bit of water to the egg wash, she didn’t have an answer, aside from the fact that she’s been doing it all her life.
After 20-30 minutes in the oven (until top is browned), the result:
And the star of the show:
Thanks for reading! I hope this made a bit of sense =]
I may need to skip out of work to go home and make that bread. It made my mouth water.
Seriously though, I think Friday night may include some bread making now.
sweets&sweats
I may need to skip out of work to go home and make that bread. It made my mouth water.
Seriously though, I think Friday night may include some bread making now.
sweets&sweats
Looks great!!!! Thanks for the recipe
Oh wow! I have so much respect for your family. That looks so beautiful. Oh my goodness. Speechless!
Tell Grandma THANK YOU and we love her!
P.S. She does not even look 81.
Oh wow! I have so much respect for your family. That looks so beautiful. Oh my goodness. Speechless!
Tell Grandma THANK YOU and we love her!
P.S. She does not even look 81.
Awesome! I have my grandmother’s recipe for nutroll which makes 8 of them. :O So I’m working on cutting it down to size and making it lighter. Love the idea of using squash!
wow this looks incredible!
my grandma is the exact same way, she’s an AMAZNG cook and baker but doesn’t measure ANYTHING or write down any recipes so it’s so hard for me to recreate stuff.
wow this looks incredible!
my grandma is the exact same way, she’s an AMAZNG cook and baker but doesn’t measure ANYTHING or write down any recipes so it’s so hard for me to recreate stuff.
Such a cool recipe with a cultural twist! Your grandmother is so cute!
Such a cool recipe with a cultural twist! Your grandmother is so cute!
Such a cool recipe with a cultural twist! Your grandmother is so cute!
Your grandmother is incredible! I think this looks great, thank you for sharing! I loved all the details.
Your grandmother is incredible! I think this looks great, thank you for sharing! I loved all the details.
that its truly amazing
Thanks for sharing!!
Oh. My. Gosh. That bread looks absolutely incredible! Your grandmother is a genius! I would love love to try making it one of these days… I don’t think I could make it come out nearly as incredible looking as hers though.
wow, that sounds awesome
and you should have seen us trying to make pierogies the first time… my great grandma never let anyone help let alone have measurements!!
Your grandma is adorable! That roll looks amazing!
BEYOND lovely squash roll!! Your grandmother is too cute
BEYOND lovely squash roll!! Your grandmother is too cute