Fall Harvest Soup Served in Pumpkin-shaped Bread Bowls

There's nothing better that a hot bowl of butternut squash-apple soup on a chilly day! This rich, creamy, soup is served in a scrumptious bread-bowl shaped like a pumpkin! With spicy candied walnuts on top, this is truly the perfect meal for fall!

For the Bread:

1 cup water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoon of salt

1-1/2 teaspoon of sugar

1-1/2 cups of bread flour

1 teaspoon of instant yeast

plain dental floss

For the Soup:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sliced leek, white and pale green parts only

1 tablespoon minced garlic

8 cups peeled and roughly diced butternut squash

2 diced apples

2 teaspoons spice rub

6 1/2 cups chicken stock

sea salt

For the Walnuts

4 cups walnuts

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I added extra)

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg white

2 teaspoons vanilla

Make the dough by mixing all of the ingredients with the dough cycle on your bread machine. This bread recipe makes four bread bowls. Treat th dough in the same manner as any other bread you may make. Roll dough into four equal sections, rolling each into the shape of a ball. Tie dental floss around each one loosely, to mirror the look of the lines on a pumpkin. Ensure the string is not tight, as the dough will rise to form indents along the string. Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

Melt butter in large pot over moderate heat until brown. Add leak and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute briefly. Add squash and apples, raise heat to high, and cook until the vegetables begin to caramelize. Stir in spice rub. I used a mixture of sea salt, ground cinnamon, coriander, crusher red pepper, ad chili powder. Add teh stock, bring to a simmer and partially cover. Lower the heat and cook until the squash and apples become tender, roughly 40 minutes. Use immersion blender to puree. You can use a normal blender, but it may take a little longer.

Toss walnuts in egg white and vanilla. Season with brown sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Bake at 300 degrees in a preheated oven for roughly 30 minutes.

Cut off the top of the bread bowl and hollow it out. Pour soup inside, place walnuts on top, and enjoy!