Butternut Squash Dinner Rolls

Alright, ladies and gentlemen- this is epic, so bookmark this page.  Here, I give you my best yeast roll recipe, perfect for wowwing basically everyone.
Tastes: Sweet and yeasty (in a good way), with a hint of squash flavor
Reminds me of: Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners- decadent!
Make it a meal:  These are great for sandwiches or burgers, or as a side to accompany soup and salad

A NOTE BEFOREHAND:
This recipe makes 40-50 bun-sized rolls.  It halves or quarters very well, and if you are using a stand mixer to make your dough, I suggest at least halving the recipe.  Otherwise, proceed with caution, because it will take your Kitchenaid to its limits.  It sure does for mine!
ALSO
You can use pureed (cooked) sweet potatoes or pumpkin in place of the butternut squash.  All are wonderful, but we tend to always have at least one butternut squash on hand at all times (such a long shelf life) so that is how I make them.  To make the puree, I roast a squash on foil in the oven for 1-2 hours at 350 degrees.  Let it cool completely, then halve, scoop out the pulp, and mash by hand, puree in a blender, or use an immersion blender.  Freeze what you don't use now, and thaw it later to make more tasty treats.  The same works for sweet potatoes or pumpkin.

You'll need:
2 cups pureed butternut squash
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups warm milk (I use skim- it's just fine either way)
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2.5 Tbsp yeast (yes, it is a lot, I know)
2 cups whole wheat
9-10 cups all purpose flour

Combine first 6 ingredients in the bowl of your blender and mix well.  Add yeast, whole wheat flour, and 6 cups of the all purpose flour.  Mix, then switch to a dough hook, or turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface and incorporate the remaining AP flour, until the dough is elastic and slightly tacky, but not sticky.  Transfer the dough to a very large oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil, then cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot  for 90 minutes.  Punch the dough down, divide in quarters, then divide each quarter into 12 balls and place balls on a greased baking sheet about an in apart.  Spray tops lightly with cooking spray, then cover each tray with a clean towel and let rise for another 45 minutes.  Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven, brush tops with orange juice glaze (instructions below) if desired,  and return to oven for another 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rolls cool, then remove from baking sheets.  Delicious on their own, or for a dessert-like treat, serve with orange butter (instructions below).

Orange Juice Glaze and Orange Butter:
The glaze seals moisture into the rolls, and makes them better for slicing or reheating. Combine 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan.  Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and brush over the tops of the rolls, reserving the rest of the glaze to make orange butter.  For this, combine the remaining glaze with 6 tablespoons butter, and stir until butter has melted.  Refrigerate until solid (or mostly solid) then beat with an electric mixer until whipped and smooth.  Serve on rolls.

Fresh Cranberry Pecan Bread

Tastes: Tart, moist, and sweet
Reminds me of:  The muffins from Alpine Bagel in college.  Hallelujah, what muffins!

To market, to market:
2 cups AP flour
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts if you prefer, but pecans lend a sweeter taste to the bread)
1 cup chopped cranberries (you can use up to 1/2 cup more if you like, and the recipe still works great)
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
zest of one lemon (or orange)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9x5 loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans.  Combine all ingredients until blended, but do not overmix.  Pour into pan(s) and bake 50-55 minutes for a large loaf or 35-40 minutes for small loaves.  Remove from oven when top is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool in pans, slice just before serving for moister bread.

Cheaters Spice Cookies

Makes me remember:  Afternoon tea (Chai tea, of course!), cool, dry october days, North Carolina
Tastes: Very much like a gingerbread cookie, super chewy
Jazz it up!: Like gingerbread cookies, this would go well with a lemony glaze, but cream cheese icing piped on top of each cookie is wonderful too

To market, to market:
1 box spice cake mix (we ALWAYS have good results with Duncan Hines)
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg whites (I use just whites in my cookies and they are perfect)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients very well using an electric mixer.  Dough should be thick and very pliable but not sticky.  I used a cookie press to achieve the cookies pictured above, but they turn out just as well rolled into small balls and slightly flattened onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for about 7 minutes, until edges are just beginning to brown.  Cool completely, then store tightly covered for up to a week.  Using a cookie press, this makes 60-70 cookies.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Makes me remember:  Crisp autumn evenings spent with family and friends
Tastes: Mellow with a subtle spiciness
Make it a meal:  Since this soup is thick and filling, a simple garden salad is all you need to complete your spread, but carb lovers may want some crusty french bread too!

To market, to market:
1 large (or two small/medium) butternut squash
1 medium onion, diced (you should have about 1 cup onion)
3 Tbsp butter
12-16 oz low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp ground nutmeg
(salt and ground cayenne pepper)
2 Tbsp (plus some for garnishing) fat-free sour cream

Wash the butternut squash, then stab a few holes in it.  Put it on a foil-lined pan or dish in the oven, and roast for 1 hour at 350 degrees (you should be able to squish it just a bit when it is ready).  Remove from oven, let it cool till you can handle it, then cut off the top and bottom inch of the squash.  Split it lengthwise in half, scrape out and discard seeds and strings.  Scoop the pulp out with a spoon and place in a stockpot with the butter, onion, and nutmeg.
Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then reduce heat to low, add broth, cover and continue to cook for 20-30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
Remove from heat, blend with an immersion blender (or regular blender, just be careful as it is HOT) till creamy, add sour cream and salt and pepper to taste.  To serve, ladle into bowls, add a swirl of sour cream, and dust with nutmeg.  Enjoy!