Winter Squash Soufflé Bake

Late October, the trees past peak now, the leaves coming down in earnest when the wind picks up. After the display there's always this quiet phase: the bones of the trees showing through, the landscape becoming structural rather than spectacular. The leaves on the ground are deep and when you walk through the grove they make the sound that leaves make only in October, a dry-crinkle sound that belongs to this month and no other.

The first frost came Tuesday night. I was ready for it — the basil had already been made into pesto (four jars in the freezer), the last tomatoes harvested and sorted for green tomato relish. The frost takes what it takes and leaves what it leaves, and what it leaves is the kale improved by cold, the chard still going, the parsnips and carrots in the ground getting sweeter by the week. Some things need the cold to be what they're meant to be.

Made a pumpkin pie from scratch this week — not from the orange globes, which are mostly decorative, but from a Hubbard squash from the cellar, roasted and pureed. The result is better than the canned variety, more complex in flavor, the sweetness less uniform. I made two pies, ate one, gave one to Carol. She called to say it was the best pumpkin pie she'd had. I said: it's not pumpkin. She said: even better.

The property has its winter posture in all but the temperature. The garden beds are mulched, the garlic is in the ground for next year, the summer's work complete. What comes next is the interior season: long cooking, the woodstove, the root cellar providing, the maples waiting for March.

After roasting and pureeing the Hubbard squash for Carol’s pie, I had more puree left than I knew what to do with — a good problem to have in late October, when the cellar is still full and the woodstove is earning its keep. This Winter Squash Soufflé Bake came together the following evening, lighter than a pie but with all the same depth of flavor, the kind of dish that reminds you why you bother storing squash through the fall in the first place.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 cups roasted winter squash puree (Hubbard, butternut, or kabocha)
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the dish
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions

Preheat and prepare. Heat oven to 375°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish or deep casserole and set aside.
Mix the base. In a large bowl, whisk together the squash puree, egg yolks, milk, melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and flour until smooth and well combined.
Whip the whites. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar using a hand mixer or stand mixer until stiff peaks form — about 3–4 minutes. Do not over-beat.
Fold gently. Fold one-third of the whipped whites into the squash base to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites in two additions, keeping as much air as possible.
Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden and the center is just set with a slight wobble. Avoid opening the oven during the first 35 minutes.
Serve promptly. Bring the dish straight to the table and serve warm — the soufflé will begin to settle within a few minutes, which is perfectly fine. It’s just as good slightly deflated.

Nutrition (per serving)

Winter Squash Soufflé Bake — When the Cellar Provides and the Pie Gets Complicated