I make these every couple of weeks or so, varying the coating.
Ingredients
Choose one or more of the following:
acorn squash
butternut squash
Optionally, for coating the inside surface:
Non-dairy alternative to butter for the vegan version (or use butter for the not-vegan one)
Maple syrup
Brown sugar
Other stuff (e.g., nutmeg, cinnamon, harissa, cayenne, and so on)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C).
Line a rimmed baking sheet/pan with foil, and/or spray or coat the sheet liberally with stuff that will wash off.
Pry any remaining stem off of the squash. (Please be careful… the stem can give way suddenly.)
For the acorn squash, trim a flat spot off of the pointy part, just enough so that it can rest flat.
Slice the squash in half:
The acorn squash gets cut through the middle, not through the stem area.
The butternut gets cut the long way, through the stem area.
Scoop out and discard the seeds and the fibrous, stringy . Some folks like to roast the seeds.
Optionally, put some butter (or non-dairy alternative) into a bowl with some maple syrup and brown sugar, and melt it with your preferred method (e.g., microwave). Stir it together and brush/spread it onto the exposed interior surfaces of the squash, pouring any remainder into the emptied seed cup areas.
Put the squash in the oven for 45 minutes. If you prefer that the inside remain firmer, take the squash out earlier. If you painted the surface, that will get pretty dark and bubbly.
That’s it. They’re ready to eat. I sometimes eat the skin of the acorn squash, but not the butternut squash very often (although both kinds are edible and nutritious).
The actual technical term is “placental tissue,” so you call it whatever you prefer.