Italian Butternut Squash Soup

In a large saucepan, toast the ras el hanout over low heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the sugar and stir until the butter melts. Add the squash and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the stock, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream, grated cheese and the 1/2 ounce of crushed cookies.

In a blender, working in 2 batches, puree the soup until smooth. Strain the soup into a clean saucepan. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the sage and cook over moderate heat until the butter is golden brown and the sage is toasted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with some of the sage brown butter. Garnish with cheese shavings and crushed amaretto cookies and serve.

Ras el hanout, the fragrant North African spice blend, is available at supermarkets. Look for McCormick's blend.