Happy Life Blogspot

So if October is for pumpkin, then November is for squash. At least in my mind it is anyways. In fact, my family doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving with a pumpkin pie. We celebrate it with a squash pie. It’s really a thing if you haven’t heard of it, and it…is…..delicious!! Kind of like a pumpkin pie just less spicy. But pies aren’t the only place you can sneak in this wonderful Fall vegetable. I also sneak it into my dinner rolls. These hearty dinner rolls are perfect for Thanksgiving or any Fall meal for that matter. The squash gives them that beautiful golden color and the honey gives them just a touch of sweetness! Mmmm!!! So….SO….GOOD! If you’re making these for Thanksgiving you might as well just go ahead and double the recipe already. These will go fast!!

Here’s all that you’ll need: flour, yeast, salt, nutmeg, milk, butter, honey, frozen winter squash, an egg, and poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds for topping (optional).

In a large bowl, mix flour, nutmeg, salt, and yeast. Stir to combine. Easy enough! 

In a small saucepan, heat milk, butter, and honey over medium low heat. Continue to heat until the butter is melted. Did you know that if you spray your measuring spoon with cooking spray the honey will just slide right out like magic? You don’t have to stand there for 5 minutes trying to let every last drop slooooooowly drop out or try to scoop it out with your finger only to make a big sticky mess! Some of us had to learn the hard way, I guess! Heat the mixture slowly, while stirring, and do not boil. We don’t want the milk to curdle! Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Beat on low with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky.

Add the squash and continue to mix on medium for another 2 minutes. Stir in remaining flour (or more if needed) to form a soft, sticky dough. Knead by hand for 6-8 minutes. Basically you’re just pushing it around the bowl with your fist, trying to collect up any extra flour or other ingredients that are left in the bowl. 

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 hour. The dough will double in size. 

Punch down dough and divide into 12 evenly shaped balls. Place balls into a 9 inch round baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place for an additional 45 minutes. When done rising, brush the tops of the rolls with a lightly beaten egg. Sprinkle with poppyseeds, sesame seeds, and pepitas, or leave them plain if you prefer. I think the seeds really make them look rustic! Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 25-28 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. If your rolls are browning too quickly you can cover the pan with foil for the last 5 minutes. Mine were just fine without the foil. Remove the from oven and serve warm! These rolls just scream Fall baking to me!! I love it!! The pepita topping is my all time favorite. Which is yours??? 

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