Ingredients
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2 small acorn squash, cut in half horizontally
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6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
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2 tablespoons light brown sugar
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1 small Granny Smith apple
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1 small Honeycrisp apple
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1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic Ground Cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic Ground Nutmeg
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1/8 teaspoon Simply Organic Ground Allspice
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2 pinches sea salt, plus more for garnish
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1/4 cup chopped walnuts
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1/4 cup chopped pistachios, plus more for garnish
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1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
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1 teaspoon Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract
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1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic Whole Poppy Seed
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Honey
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large glass baking dish, add 4 tablespoons of butter. To melt it, just pop into the oven while it preheats.
2. Slice 1/8 of an inch off the bottoms of each squash half so they will sit flat.
3. Once the butter is melted, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly on the bottom of the pan. Lay the squash face down (with the "bottom" facing up) so the exposed flesh touches the brown sugar butter mixture in the pan. Bake in your preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife pierces easily.
4. Meanwhile, in a 10-inch skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted and hot, add in the diced apples. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until soft, but still firm and textured. Add the spices and salt.
5. Remove stuffing mixture to a medium-sized bowl and add the chopped walnuts, pistachios and cranberries. Add the vanilla extract and poppy seeds, toss together until well combined.
6. Invert the baked squash onto a platter or individual plates. Spoon in some of the brown sugar and butter from the baking dish and drizzle it into the center and along the tops of the squash.
7. Fill the squash centers with the apple filling and top with more chopped pistachios and a drizzle of honey. Serve warm.
Recipe Tip:
Replace some (or all) of the walnuts with pecans for a sweeter, richer nut flavor.
