2 delicious squash desserts perfect for a chilly evening

Try out these tasty recipes for pumpkin tartlets or whiskey-squash cake. They're the perfect treat for a cool fall or winter evening, and are bursting with a distinct and unforgettable flavour.

These great looking tarts are nutritious too! This recipe takes 35 minutes to prepare, 25 to cook, and yields 8 tartlets. Here's what you'll need:

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) canola oil
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) butter
• 3 medium eggs
• 250 ml (1 cup) light evaporated milk
• 55 g (1⁄4 cup) brown sugar
• 50 ml (1⁄4 cup) shredded coconut
• Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) ground cinnamon
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) ground ginger
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) grated nutmeg
• 450 ml (15 oz) can unsweetened puréed pumpkin
• 4 sheets phyllo pastry (44 x 28.5 cm or 17 x 11 inches each)
• 24 blackberries
• Icing (confectioner's) sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 190ºC (375ºF). Warm the oil and butter in a small saucepan until the butter melts. Use a little of the mixture to grease eight individual seven centimetre (three inch) tart pans.
2. Whisk the eggs, evaporated milk, brown sugar, coconut, orange zest and juice, and the spices in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the puréed pumpkin.
3. Cut phyllo pastry into even squares, eight from each sheet (32 in total). Layer four squares into each of the eight pans, brushing each layer with oil and butter mixture. To create a petal effect, layer squares at angles to one another. Spoon pumpkin mixture into the centre of each tartlet.
4. Bake tartlets until filling is set (20 to 25 minutes). Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool tartlets briefly. Just before serving, top with blackberries and a light dusting of icing sugar.

Each tartlet contains the following nutrients:

• 170 Calories
• 5 g Protein
• 6 g Fat (including 3 g saturated fat)
• 26 g Carbohydrates (including 6 g fibre)
• 75 mg Cholesterol
• 170 mg Sodium

This recipe contains B vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin C, iron, and magnesium, and it tastes so good you won't realize you're getting lots of nutrients. The recipe takes 15 minutes to prepare, 50 to cook, and serves 16.

• 255 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder
• 5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda
• 5 ml (1 tsp) salt
• 10 ml (2 tsp) cinnamon
• 300 g (1 1⁄2 cups) granulated sugar
• 250 ml (1 cup) canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 400 ml (1 3⁄4 cups) cooked, mashed butternut squash
• 50 ml (1⁄4 cup) whiskey
• Icing (confectioner's) sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Coat a 2.5 litre (10 cup) fluted ring pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
3. Beat sugar, oil, eggs, and squash in a large bowl until well combined. Beat in flour mixture until evenly moistened, then beat in whiskey. Using a rubber spatula, scrape batter into pan.
4. Bake until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Leave cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin-bladed knife around the edge and centre ring of the pan. Turn out cake onto rack and leave to cool completely. Dust with icing (confectioner's) sugar if desired.

Each serving of this cake contains the following nutrients:

• 282 Calories
• 3 g Protein
• 15 g Fat (including 1 g saturated fat)
• 33 g Carbohydrates (including 1 g fibre)
• 63 mg Cholesterol
• 289 mg Sodium

Are you sad that you only eat pumpkin pie a few times a year? Then give these squash-based dessert recipes a shot. You'll be delighted by their unique flavours and don't even need to feel guilty: squashes are some of the healthiest veggies around.

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