Butternut Squash Muffins with Sour Cream Glaze

I think Aunt Sharron has a crush on Jamie Oliver.  She arrived with two of his cookbooks and proceeded to make me want to fall in love with him, too.

He had me at “sour cream glaze”.  At first I thought he’d made a typo; surely he meant cream cheese?  Lemon zest, orange zest, powdered sugar and sour cream?   But after I tasted the butternut squash muffins destined to be glazed, I decided to trust him. 

  

These muffins were astonishingly moist , bursting with flavor and endearingly yummy.  Endearing because they’re healthy (veggie, organic eggs and olive oil) and  simple to make with no fussy ingredients.
We ate them for two days  before I got around to making the glaze.  Delicious without any topping I almost didn’t go the extra step.  Glad I did because this zesty, sweet and sour frosting took the muffins from really, really good (though a bit frumpy) to fabulous and so pretty all dressed up in frilly bonnets.  We shared them with neighbors to their great delight.
Cheers!

Butternut Squash Muffins with Sour Cream Glaze

Adapted from Jamie Oliver
14 ounces butternut squash, skin on, deseeded and whirled in food processor until finely chopped
2 ¼ cups light brown sugar
4 eggs
Pinch of salt
2 ½ cup flour
2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
Handful of walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Combine eggs, oil and brown sugar, fold in squash. In separate bowl combine dry ingredients (including walnuts). Make a well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Bake in 350 degree oven for twenty minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Sour Cream Glaze

½ cup sour cream
zest of one Satsuma (or whatever orange you have on hand); plus more for garnish
zest of one lemon
Juice of half a lemon
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix well and spoon over cooled muffins. Grate orange peel over frosting as garnish.