There are so many good individual aspects in this recipe that I love so much and are so delicious on their own. Add them all up though, and you have one epic autumn toast.
Let’s break down each delicious component of this:
Maple candied toast. Yes, you read that right. Maple candied toast. Sourdough is toasted up in butter and maple syrup to make a perfect sweet-savory combo. I fell in love with maple candied bread years ago in the early blog days, and have been making variations since that time.
Delicata squash. One of my favorite squashes to use come fall. The skin is thin so peeling isn’t needed, and they are much easier to prep compared to bigger, tougher-skin squash.
Whipped ricotta. If you think ricotta isn’t your thing, please do yourself a favor and whip up some fresh ricotta and see if that might change your mind. Whipping transforms the texture to the lightest and creamiest creation.
Hot maple drizzle. I love the concept of hot honey that I have seen making its way through the food blog world. But this hot maple drizzle? It might just go on every recipe I make from now until spring. It adds the right amount of heat to balance out the creamy richness of the ricotta and sweetness of the candied toast in this recipe.
- For the squash:
- 1 delicata squash, cleaned well
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- For the maple-candied toast:
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Pinch of salt
- 4 slices sourdough bread (stale works well)
- 8-10 sage leaves
- For assembling:
- 1 cup fresh ricotta (homemade or store bought)
- Salt, to taste
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ red pepper flakes (or more to taste, if desired)
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds to discard. Cut squash halves slices that are about ½ thick. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground ground pepper. Place on a metal baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake in preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until tender and browned in spots. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the toast. In a large skillet over medium heat, add butter, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Once butter is melted, add bread, pressing down gently to ensure the bread gets coated in the butter and maple syrup. Add sage leaves and coat as well. Flip bread to coat the other side. Continue to cook over medium heat until bread is toasted and a nice golden brown color. Flip to toast the other side. Remove bread and sage leaves and place on a piece of parchment paper to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl or stand mixer, add ricotta. Beat for about 3-4 minutes until smooth and creamy. Season with salt, to taste.
- To make the hot maple drizzle, in a small bowl, stir together maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and red pepper flakes until well combined.
- To assemble the toast, spread each cooled piece of toast with whipped ricotta. Top with slices of roasted delicata squash and candied sage leaves. Top with a little bit of the hot maple drizzle (you will have extra you can use later).
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