Baked Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar and Butter

1  acorn squash, cut in 1/2*

2  Tbs  brown sugar

2  Tbs  butter, softened

2  Tbs  maple syrup

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°.

Scoop the seeds and stringy pulp out of the squash cavities and discard.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, syrup and salt and pepper, to taste. Rub the squash cavities and cut sides of the squash with the butter mixture and place them on a baking sheet, cut side up. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork. 

*I like to cut them into quarters because the butter mixture will spread across the squash better, rather than just melting down into the bottom of the squash. Cut them in half around the equator first before cutting into quarters. This makes a pretty ruffled edge.

A Paula Deen recipe.