Pumpkin Loaves

This recipe makes 2 loaves….one for now and one for unexpected company in the future.

 

  • 3  1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cups sugar (yes, this is right)
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1 cup Crisco oil
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree not pie filling)
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup English toffee bits

Sift  dry ingredients in a medium bowl, add the beaten eggs, water, oil and pumpkin.  Stir in the toffee bits and pecans until well blended. Grease 2 loaf pans and bake for about 1  1/2 hours in  a 350 degree oven.

Check for doneness and let cool on a rack. Remove from the pans. Wrap in saran and, if freezing, insert inside a freezer bag.

Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake

A few additions to the classic cheesecake using pumpkin and you raise the bar another step up. The use of preserved ginger is awesome.

 

  • 1  1/4 cups gingersnap cookies , crushed
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1  1/2 cups canned pumpkin (not pie mix)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cubes preserved ginger, chopped fine
  • 1 tbsp. juice from preserved ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. each nutmeg (freshly grated), 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 3 pkgs. Philadelphia cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup English toffee bits
  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 3 large eggs

To make the crust, add the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter together and press into a 9 inch springform pan.

Whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, spices, ginger and juice and set aside.

Beat together the cream cheese until fluffy and slowly add in the condensed milk, eggs, toffee bits and the pumpkin mixture. Blend well.

Place  a pan in the bottom of the oven, half filled with water. This will allow steam and prevent cracking of the filling. Pour filling into prepared pan and bake in a 325 degree oven for about 50-55 minutes, until the center is set. Turn the heat off and let cool in the oven for 60 minutes and then finish cooling on a rack. Let this sit  in the refrigerator overnight. All you need is cinnamon flavoured whipped cream and you have gone another level to finish this off.

 

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Well now….pecan pie and pumpkin are my two most favourite pies. If  you combine them into one dessert,  you may have baked your way into “baker heaven”.  Just kidding…try this one out , it may not last from oven to dinner though. Once you test it, you won’t put your fork down.

Pastry – your own favourite recipe here

  • Pumpkin filling
  • 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin (not the pie filling)
  • 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp. sour cream
  • pinch of ground cinnamon
  • pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, egg, sour cream and spices.  Add a pinch of salt and whisk until smooth.

 

  • Pecan Layer
  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 3 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp. freshy grated lime zest
  • 1  1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
  • pinch of salt
  • 1  1/3 cups pecans (chopped coarsely)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together the syrup, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, zest, juice, and salt in a bowl until combined. Add the pecans and stir to mix.

Prepare the pastry and fit into 9 inch pie pan. Prick the bottom and sides of the pastry and bake for about 20 minutes. (Use dried baking beans or cover the bottom with tin foil.) Spread the pumpkin mixture evenly in the shell and carefully spoon the pecan layer over it.

Bake until the crust is golden and the filling has puffed up (about 35-40 minutes). Center will still be slightly wobbly. Run a sharp knife blade around the pan to a depth of 1/2″ and cool completely. This helps the cheesecake from cracking.

Whip some cream and put a dollop on each slice of pie when served. Yup! I would have to decide which hip to rub it onto…..BUT it is yummy!

Harvest Trifle

It is called “Harvest” due to the fact  that pumpkin is used. I would also be tempted to use it a Christmas. It looks lengthy but is more than delicious. I have been tasting as we go. On Saturday, we will take pictures of the finished product to add to this site.

Pour  yourself a coffee, sit down and read this through. Take a deep breath and say “damn I can do this” and go for it. Not hard to do.

Vanilla Rum Custard

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp. rum, or to taste

Whisk the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of the milk together in a medium bowl. Add the sugar, egg yolks and salt. Whisk until the sugar dissolves.

In a saucepan bring the remaining milk and cream to a simmer. Remove 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture, whisking it vigorously into the yolk mixture until well blended. Gradually whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan.  Cook, stirring for about 2 minutes (to a boil) and then another 30 seconds more. Pour into a clean bowl and add the vanilla and rum, stirring to incorporate well. Cover the surface with plastic to avoid a skin forming. Let cool to room temperature and place in the refrigerator. (can be made 2 days ahead). You are not done yet….

Pumpkin Caramel Sauce

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin

Melt the butter in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook until mixture become a deep amber colour, stirring constantly –   about 8 minutes. Now don’t get scared here. SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY, add the cream, whisking as you pour. It will seize up like a newly washed girdle that got stuck in the drye,r but keep whisking. (I kid you not).  It will take up to 5 minutes for the caramel to dissolve and become smooth again. Add the pumpkin and salt and stir until completely blended.

Cover with plastic and when room temperature, place in the refrigerator. Nope..still not done. (Can be done 2 days in advance as well)

Roasted Fruit

  • 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 4 large firm Bosc pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. grated lime zest
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp. ground mace
  • 2 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the fruit  in a large bowl with all the juice, sugar and spices to cover all the pieces. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, spread out the fruit in a single layer. Dot with butter and place in the oven. Every 15 minutes turn the fruit with a spatula for a total of 45 minutes. Really watch the last 15 minutes so the fruit doesn’t burn. Cool the fruit on the pan.

Pound Cake and Gingerbread Cookies

Bake your own, but it can be already made and  packaged – either one is okay

  • 20 gingerbread cookies are needed
  • 6 tbsp. a favourite liqueur (almost anything will do)

Wait until you read the full assembly instructions before doing anything here. This is just a heads up.

You have a choice here. Either make one large trifle or individual servings. In the case of the latter, just divide the ingredients equally in your prettiest dishes.

Line each dessert dish with cake cubes. Crumble the gingersnaps and use half to layer the cake pieces. Drizzle half of the liqueur over this. Drizzle enough of the caramel sauce to cover the cake. Spoon some of the roasted fuit into the dishes

Cover this layer with more cake and cookies, drizzle the remainder of the liqueur over, layer with sauce and add more fruit. You will not use up all the cake and cookies so just set it aside for the moment.

Now, cover all the dishes with plastic and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Topping

  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 3 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla
  • 1 tbsp. rum
  • sprinkling of gingersnaps

When ready to serve, place a large dollop of whipping cream on top of each dish, add a drizzle more of the caramel sauce and add a sprinkle of gingersnaps. Whew!

There, I told you you to do it. Now, I need a martini…….

Starting Ahead of Baking Time

With so much over-whelming news about the east coast weather and on the west coast…two earthquakes in three days…I decidedI needed a pick-me-up. I made the dough for my cheese shortbread and put it in the freezer and I now have the Gumdrop Christmas Cake in the oven.

The dishwasher is going and when my cake comes out of the oven, I will make lunch and then clean my oven. Next week it will be running for hours on end and it needs to be sparkling clean before we start.

THEN  I have to make a list of things to be done in order be ready for the dinner next  Saturday. This may sound crazy, but when I do this (for me it works), I don’t have any last minute panics. Things like cleaning the silverware, lining up what we are serving, making sure the grocery list is completed, table setting ideas…..

Darn good thing I did…the dessert I am making will take about three days prepping.  Day 1 I will make the pound cake and  then on day 2, I will make the pumpkin/rum/lime custard….did I get your attention?

Day 3 – I will complete the dessert.  The dessert is a pumpkin-rum trifle and is truly amazing. It is one of those recipes that says to you “damn I can do this”. I did.

Wow! I may have to have a martini later….haha

We did a ton of shopping last weekend but it had to cover the baking we do on November 11th.

Pumpkin Turtle Pie

This pie is soooooo delicious, even by using packaged pudding mixes it’s

 still from scratch.

 

  •  1 graham pie crust (ready made)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. caramel ice cream topping
  • very generous 1/2 cup pecan pieces, divided
  • 1 cup cold milk
  • 2 pkgs each (3/4 oz) vanilla instant pudding
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups sweetened whipped cream
  • Chocolate, shaved (optional)

Pour one-quarter cup of caramel topping on the pie crust bottom and sprinkle one-half cup chopped pecans on top.

Beat milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with mixer on low just until well blended, gently fold in one cup of whipped cream and spread into crust.

 Refrigerate at least one hour.

Yummy, yummy, yummy……ooohhhhhh, another slice? I couldn’t….well, okay.

Just before serving top with remaining whipped cream, sprinkle remaining

pecans, chopped fine, and drizzle some of the caramel topping across the

 top. You can also sprinkle with shaved chocolate if you wish.

OMG…this is like the ‘silk’ pies served in the restaurants and charged big bucks

 for.  Enjoy!

Individual Pumpkin Tarts With A Twist

This is slightly different. Again, as this is my third baking of pumpkin today, it has been changed up.

You will need pastry dough, perferrably one you made, but if the frozen kind, thaw and then roll out so you can cut out the circles.  I used 4″ pans with removable bottoms. Put the pastry in and fit to the top, just you would if making a pie.

Now with a pastry brush, heat some marionberry jam or a tart fruit jelly and brush the bottom of the pastry.

You need:

  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1  1/2 cups solid packed pure pumpkin
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup of jelly or jam (no lumps).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook for about 30 – 40 minutes, and cool on a rack, lightly covered with a bowl or tin foil. This will allow the pie to continue cooking while it cools and there are no cracks on the surface. True!

Tasty Pumpkin Soup

Always on the lookout for something new and knowing you have all the ingredients in the pantry? Try this one on for size.

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 leek, cleaned, white and light green pieces only
  • 1 rib of celery, peel off the threads
  • 1 gold flesh potato, diced
  • 1 tsp. curry powder
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 2-2 1/2  cups whipping cream
  • 1 can pure pumpkin (not pie mix) (796L can size)
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Brioche croutons (or buttered sourdough croutons)

Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat, adding the leek and celery and saute for about 3-4 minutes until soft and fragrant, not brown.

Add the diced potatoes and curry powder and saute for another minute. Now add the stock, pumpkin, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer and cover pot. Cook for about 15 minutes. Add the cream and cook until heated through. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Put into a pretty soup bowl, add a few freshly toasted croutons .

The curry adds  a little flavour but no heat and it is a wonderful refreshing soup. Add a bottle of well chilled Piesporter (glass, if only you).

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Smoothie

This smoothie is little different….it is packed with vitamins and is really scrumptious. Did I say “non-fattening?” I don’t think so.

 

  • 1/4 cup pure pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
  • 1 small banana
  • 1 tsp. creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • dollop of whipped cream
  • sprinkle of cinnamon

In a blender, mix 1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin and vanilla yogurt. Add a small banana and a spoonful of creamy peanut butter and a tbsp. honey. Blend well.

Now add a handful of ice cubes and about 1 cup of whipping cream until you get the desired consistency. If it is too thick, thin with a little milk. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and cinnamon.

All who try this always ask if there is more.