Sweet Butternut Squash Muffins

Ingredients:

cooking spray
1 butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
water, as needed
190ml  white sugar
45g butter
250ml all-purpose flour
190ml oats
12.5ml teaspoons baking powder
2.5ml ground cinnamon
2.5ml ground nutmeg
2.5ml ground allspice
Sea salt
2 eggs
125ml milk
15ml sour cream
5ml vanilla extract
12 pecan halves

Method:
Preheat oven to 190˚C. Prepare 12 muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners and prepare the liners with cooking spray.

Put squash into a roasting pan with cut sides down. Pour enough water into pan to fill 1/2-inch deep.

Roast squash in preheated oven until flesh is easily pierced through with a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove roasting pan and reduce heat to 175˚C.

Scoop hot squash into a large bowl and mash until no large chunks remain. Stir sugar and butter into the squash.

Whisk flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl. Stirring constantly, add a spoonful of squash mixture into the egg mixture to temper it before adding egg mixture to the squash mixture; stir.

Fold flour mixture into the squash mixture until just incorporated; spoon into muffin tins. Top each with a pecan half.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes.

Recipe makes 12 muffins