I’m tired of fighting it.

We had snow yesterday (snow, people!), so I’m diving into fall cooking starting with a simple breakfast — acorn squash roasted with cultured butter, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and a liberal sprinkling of salt. I’ll be restocking my squash supplies over the weekend so this kind of thing is always an option.

Update: I’ve added a recipe of sorts after the jump.

Roasted Acorn Squash

This recipe can handle all sorts of tweaking, so play around to find what works best for you. Substitute honey, agave nectar or maple for the sugar. Instead of cayenne pepper (or in addition to), try cinnamon. For something savory, skip the sugar and add cumin and minced garlic, then spritz with lime juice when it’s done. Acorn squash is a wonderful blank canvas for flavors.

1 acorn squash
2 tablespoons butter, softened
brown sugar, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and dry squash, then cut in half lengthwise (with the ribs). Scrape seeds and pulp from squash halves with a spoon. Smear one tablespoon of butter over the orange flesh of each half, then sprinkle (liberally, if you’re me) with remaining ingredients. Place in a baking dish with cut sides up and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour, or until soft. The butter and seasonings will pool in each baked half, making a delicious sauce.