Recipe: Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Vanilla-Lime Creme Fraiche

This is my almost award-winning recipe for a fall classic. While not particularly difficult, it is a little time consuming.
What you need for the soup:
2 medium Butternut Squash/diced (2 pounds each)
1 Granny Smith Apple/diced
2 Carrots/diced
1 small white onion/diced
2 stalks celery/diced
46 oz Chicken stock (Vegetable can be substituted, if so add 1 stalk celery and 1 tsp celery seed)
1 pint heavy cream
2 Star anise pods
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
4 tblsp cinnamon
4 tblsp nutmeg
2 tblsp turmeric
1 tblsp white pepper
1 tblsp smoked paprika
1 tblsp Ancho chili powder
salt

  Preheat oven to 350. On a greased cookie sheet lay out the diced squash in a single layer. Dust with 1 tblsp each cinnamon and nutmeg, and a liberal pinch of salt. Place in oven for 20 minutes. While the squash is roasting, begin sautéing the mirepoix (Celery, carrots, onion) in a dutch oven, on medium-high heat.
   Remove the squash from the oven and place in the dutch oven. Add the apple, star anise, turmeric, and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and leave cooking for 20-30 minutes, or when the squash is fork tender.
   Remove star anise pods, add all remaining spices except brown sugar. In batches, add to blender and liquify. Empty from blender into a new pot through a strainer, slowly. Use a large soup spoon the help remove thick pulp from strainer. Once soup has been filtered, add cream and brown sugar. Blend and strain again to ensure creamy texture. Top with Creme Fraiche and fresh grated nutmeg

For Creme Fraiche:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tblsp buttermilk
1 large lime
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Combine whipping cream and buttermilk in a glass bowl. Add vanilla extract. Using a microplane, zest the lime directly into the mixture. Cut lime in half and juice into the cream. Let stand at room temp for 8 to 24 hours, or until thick. Stir well before covering, can be refrigerated for 10 days.