Dress up something old and it'll look fancier than something brand new. That's what happened to the Westby House bed and breakfast in Westby, WI. The century-old home which was likely built to shelter a large, raucous, rural family has been renovated and attractively-decorated so that now it welcomes the public as the Westby House Victorian Inn. Guests can relax in large suites and host intimate weddings. The bed and breakfast offers elegant dining in a luxurious atmosphere of vernacular architecture, stained-glass windows, polished woodwork, and antiques. The Westby House Victorian Inn is a re-touched picture of what life used to be.
And if the Westby House can make something old look so appealing, then I can too. I borrowed the Westby House's recipe for Pumpkin Walnut Crisp, substituted that old hubbard squash (the one we'd dressed up as a turkey) for the pumpkin, and created an elegant, healthy dessert. I refer to my squash as old, not because the squash itself was aged, rather it's kind is considered an old-fashioned squash variety found only on farms and in farmers' markets.
How'd it turn out? I enjoyed it for these reasons in the following order: deliciously sweet cinnamon and nutty flavor; moist texture,and healthy because of the oats and absence of white flour (gluten-free recipe for those interested). Did it taste like squash? No, a hubbard squash has a more mild flavor than pumpkin and its own distinct sweetness. That's why a friend told me that farm-women like to substitute this old-fashioned variety of squash for pumpkin. Click on Continue reading..." for the recipe.
The Westby House Victorian Inn's recipe for Pumpkin Walnut Crisp is published in the new Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast Cookbook. Editor Becky LeJeune of the Wisconsin Bed and Breakfast Association collected the most-requested recipes from Wisconsin's bed and breakfasts into one cookbook. So in this book you'll find the best of the best. Here's the recipe for pumpkin walnut crisp which the Westby House serves for breakfast, but with a scoop of vanilla ice cream I serve for an elegant healthy dessert.
- 2 (15-ounce) cans pumpkin
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Walnut crisp topping
- 3/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
- 3/4 cup coarsely-chopped walnuts
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (I left this out because I wanted to try it gluten-free)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish or small ramekins. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. (Because I used the squash which has a denser texture, I mixed these ingredients in a food processor.) In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, oats, walnuts, flour, and cinnamon for the walnut crisp topping. Add the melted butter to the topping mixture and stir until combined. Sprinkle the walnut topping over the pumpkin mixture and bake 45-50 minutes, or until center is set. Serve warm with whipped cream and cinnamon.
Comments