Butternut squash risotto. Butternut squash soup. Roasted butternut squash. My diet has been full of the stuff ever since I invested in a bushel bag of butternuts. But since there's only so many bowls of soup one person can eat, I needed to branch out. Enter Emeril's recipe for Butternut Squash Cobbler: Use the last of the season's squash to throw together an impromptu dessert easy enough for a Wednesday night.

And here to show you how, a special guest: my mustached sidekick/sous chef, Bertram the Butternut Squash.

First order of business: How the heck do you break down a butternut squash? Get a step-by-step tutorial from Food Network Magazine. Once it's peeled and seeded, dice into 1/2-inch cubes.

Cover the cubed squash with water and a pinch of salt, then cook until fork tender -- about 10 minutes. You could also roast the squash to develop more sweetness, but simmering gets your dessert on the table quicker.

While the squash cooks, whip some cream with a little powdered sugar and vanilla. If you've never made whipped cream, it's surprisingly easy and (bonus!) you'll impress your friends. Just use a clean stainless-steel bowl and super-cold cream.

When the squash is tender, mix with brown sugar, liquor of choice (I used bourbon) and chopped nuts (Emeril calls for pecans, but I used almonds). Spoon into a cast-iron skillet, and top with butter and a cinnamon stick. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened and bubbly.

When it cools a little, top with the vanilla whipped cream and ice cream, if desired. Then marvel at your handiwork. Take that, apple crisp!

Get the recipe: Butternut Squash CobblerWhat's your go-to winter dessert?