Butternut Squash Hasselback

The other day I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, naturally killing time at work, and I stumbled upon a video on how to make butternut squash Hasselback. The name itself intrigued me, and I happened to have a squash at home that needed to be used, so I thought, perfect! Let’s try it. So presented to you today is my version of a sweet and spicy, beautifully presented, butternut squash.

What you need:

1 Large Butternut Squash
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
2 Jalapeños, thinly sliced
¼ Cup Pure Maple Syrup & Honey
3 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Dried Bay Leaves

What to do:

Preheat oven to 425°. Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds with a large spoon. Using a peeler, remove skin and white flesh below (you should reach the deep orange flesh). Rub all over with oil then season with salt and pepper. Roast in a baking dish just large enough to hold halves side by side until beginning to soften (a knife should easily slip in only about ¼”), 15–18 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring the maple syrup, honey, butter, vinegar & peppers to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until just thick enough to coat spoon, 6–8 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and keep glaze warm. Remove peppers as soon as desired heat level is reached. (I took mine out right before it turned to a syrup, and it was a perfect spicy.)
Transfer squash to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Using a sharp knife, score the tops of the squash halves crosswise, going as deep as possible but without cutting all the way through. A trick to help with this, is put two wooden skewers on each side of the squash, and cut down until you hit the skewers, which shouldn’t go all the way through the squash. Return squash to baking dish, scored sides up, and tuck bay leaves between a few of the slices, then season with salt and pepper and with a brush glaze on each half with your sauce. Don’t use it all!
Return the squash to the oven, and every 10 minutes or so, use the pastry brush to glaze the squash. Lift off any glaze in dish that is browning too much. Cook until tender and glaze forms a rich brown coating, 45–60 minutes. On the last glazing, top the squash with the reserved jalapeños.