This creamy and colorful Whipped Kabocha Squash with Vanilla Bean and Nutmeg will brighten up your Christmas table!
– 3 pounds kabocha squash, (1 large squash) – 2 Tbsp butter – 1/3 cup half and half, more as needed – seeds from 1 vanilla bean – 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg – salt and cracked black pepper, to taste GARNISH – chopped chives
Preheat oven to 375°F. Use a sharp knife to pierce the squash skin and place on a baking sheet. Bake until a sharp knife pierces the flesh, 60 minutes.
After letting the squash cool down a bit, cut it in half. With a big spoon, take out the seeds and then all the meat.
The kabocha meat should be put in the bowl of a food processor with a metal blade. Put in the nutmeg, vanilla seeds, butter, and half-and-half. Processing until smooth as a silk.
Pulse in salt and pepper to taste. Add extra half-and-half for a thinner purée. Serve squash in a bowl with butter and chopped chives.