Acorn Squash

A year ago I had never heard of acorn squash. Now it is one of my favorite Fall side dishes to prepare. There are various ways to prepare acorn squash, but I like the classic sweet and buttery. I found multiple varieties of it on SimplyRecipes, FoodNetwork and AllRecipes. My version reduces the amount of butter and sugar, speeds up the cooking process and brings out the delicious taste of the squash.

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp maple syrup
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Directions:
Cut the acorn squash in half (stem should be on the side not bottom)
Place cut-side down in a bowl with water and microwave for 5 minutes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Place 1/2 inch of water in an oven-proof baking pan
Place acorn squash cut-side up in the pan
Melt butter in the microwave (10-12 sec)
Mix with maple syrup and sugar
Drizzle the mixture over the squash making sure to cover the entire surface (some sauce will settle in the center of the squash)
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender (test with a fork)