Ingredients
- 4 medium size butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
- 8 Ounces (2 sticks) butter, divided
- 1/2 Cup California golden raisins, divided
- 71/2 Cups (about 2 quarts) chicken broth or water
- 1 Cup heavy cream, divided
- Salt and pepper; to taste
- 21/2 Cups Frangelico, Galliano or your favorite liqueur
- 1 baguette
- Ground cinnamon (optional)
Procedure
Cut squash in half; remove seeds and discard or roast them for snacking. Fill each squash cavity with 2 tablespoons butter (1 ounce) and teaspoon raisins. Turn upside down onto baking pan and pour some chicken broth around. Bake at 300°F for about 45 minutes or until squash is soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool. With large spoon, remove pulp from shell and discard shell. Turn pulp with raisins into saucepan; add more chicken broth as needed and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Turn into blender and blend until smooth. Return to pan. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper; heat through and keep warm.
In a separate pan, combine remaining raisins and liqueur. Bring to a boil and flame to remove the alcohol…be very careful! Drain liquid into soup mixture; reserve raisins.
For crostini, slice baguette diagonally into 1/4- to 1/3-inch thick slices and toast. Chop reserved raisins and sprinkle on top.
To serve, reheat soup; adjust seasonings, if needed, and serve in a bowl with a little cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top and the crostini on the side.