When the second Cream Cheese Caper, or the Three Cheese Buffalo Burger Pizza , was also rejected I was instantly dejected followed by a rousing burst of resolution to be a Real Women of Philadelphia so I thought I'd bring out the big guns-Mama. Seeing as how the second and final entry round for Appetizers in the Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Contest fell in the same exact week as Mother's Day, I thought I'd play up the current event by submitting my Mama's Acorn Squash Dip. Truly I was jazzed with this entry investing entirely in the superstition of threes. This is my third entered video recipe. This dish has three major qualities which would of course resonate with Mizz Paula Deen and the family-friendly people at Philadelphia Cream Cheese: its a family passed-down recipe accompanied with memories of celebrations past, its presentation is fun and produces no waste of the main ingredient, and of course it tastes banging with nearly any dipping food item!
By this point, I am sure we can all guess what happened in the end. I bet on my trifecta straight to win and wound up bitterly tearing up my ticket. This recipe too was not selected as a finalist for The Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Contest. But what can I say that honestly hasn't already been said by losers throughout the eons? I laughed, I cried, I ate and yea, I guess I had a lot of fun participating too. Which of course I kind of resent.
So there you have it my Foodie & Foodettes! The Chronicles of my Cream Cheese Capers ends in learning more about myself without a kick-ass resume builder. Yet we live to cook, bake, and most importantly eat for another day. Further perusing of this post will provide the recipe for Mama's Acorn Squash Dip as well as the recipe video demonstrating prepare the acorn squash for the flesh as well as the dip vessel.
Mama's Acorn Squash Dip is all dressed up and ready to go!
- 1 3-4 lb acorn squash
- 8 ounce(s) of Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese
- 3 cup(s) of water
- 1/2 cup(s) of walnuts
- 1/4 cup(s) of dry, chopped dates
- 1 1/2 tbsp. of dark brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. of salt
- 1/3 tsp. of black pepper
- Over medium-high heat in a deep pot, add 3 cups of water and cover.
- Clean the acorn squash by washing and drying it, then cut a small piece off the bottom so the squash has a level bottom allowing it to stand on its own.
- Cut the top Using a paring knife, cut a circle into the top of the acorn squash through the flesh. Pull out the cut portion and clean out all of the seeds inside.
- Place the squash top-side down into the pot of boiling water. Half-cover and let steam for 15-20 minutes.
- Put the walnuts in a sandwich bag, and using a meat tenderizer pound on the bag until a nut crumble is achieved.
- Run your knife a few times through the dry chopped dates, set aside.
- Slice cheeses, breads, cut vegetables, or prepare whatever dipping items you choose will accompany this dip on the final serving platter.
- At 15 minutes, pierce the squash with a fork and if the flesh is easily pierced, take the squash out of the pot. If not, leave it in up to 5 minutes more.
- Put the hot acorn squash into a small bowl so you can easily maneuver the squash without burning your fingers while you extract the cooked squash flesh. Using a fork or a spoon, gently scope out as much flesh as you can without compromising the integrity of the shell. If the shell cracks slightly, its no big deal and it will still function wonderfully as the dip vessel.
- In a mixing bowl, add the softened Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese, the cooked acorn squash, walnut crumble, chopped dates, dark brown sugar, salt and pepper and mix for 3-4 minutes with a fork to thoroughly combine.
- Arrange your serving platter with your selected dipping items being sure to put the acorn squash shell in the center and propping the lid up on the side of the shell or askew on top. Spoon the dip into the shell and serve. I promise on my Mama any guest is going to love dipping into this Philadelphia Cream Cheese appetizer!
