The Pumpkin at the Bottom of the Freezer

Maybe you’re imagining a whole pumpkin. Maybe, in your imagination, it was one that had been carved for Halloween and it now has icicles hanging out of its eye holes. Well, if you are imagining this, please know that my freezer is not that exciting–especially at this time of year. I have a confession: I think I like winter squash and pumpkin more than I actually like it. I think it’s mostly bland, unless it’s cooked with sausage or a roast. And I can manage it in baked goods.

In the fall, like all other falls, and with a heart full of good intentions, I purchase a box or two of winter squash at the Farmer’s Market. And every year, without fail, some (3? 5? 7?) of those squash end up in our compost. Thank God we compost, or I would keep this my dirty little mouldy squash secret. Sometimes squash seeds start growing in the compost in the spring.

Also, without fail, I take the rest of the squash, bake it, scoop out the insides, and freeze it. This is the pumpkin at the bottom of the freezer. And it will behoove me to say that it I am using the royal “I” here. My husband, much to his chagrin, often helps with this chore. And he has made it very clear to me that he is even more ambivalent than I am about winter squash.

“So,” you ask, “Why have you waxed so eloquently about squash in the past?” Well, maybe I was doing what I thought was good: encouraging vegetable consumption. And I do like squash, I just don’t love it. It’s like that friend that you always know will be there, but sometimes they’re just not that fun. (Maybe we’re all like squash at times. Maybe it’s the realization that we’re not all hot-shot fancy tomatoes.)

But I am using the pumpkin at the bottom of the freezer to make food and have been trying quite a few new (and old) recipes. Here are some we’ve particularly enjoyed.

Cider Pumpkin Bread

1/2 -1 C. firmly packed brown sugar (The original recipe calls for 1 C., but I usually reduce sugar in quick bread recipes by at least 1/3.)

1 C. pureed pumpkin (Canned is fine. Some frozen pumpkin/winter squash has a larger water content, so I always let mine sit in a sieve for a few minutes to drain.)

1/2 C. oil

1/2 C. apple cider or apple juice

1 egg

1 3/4 C. all purpose flour

1/2 C. whole wheat flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 C. chopped nuts

1/2 C.  raisins

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour bottom only of 9×5-inch loaf pan. In large bowl, combine brown sugar, pumpkin, oil, apple cider and egg; mix well.
• Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and cinnamon; stir just until moistened. Stir in nuts and raisins. Pour into greased and floured pan.
• Bake at 350°F. for 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar (I usually reduce this to 2 cups.)

1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin OR 2 C. frozen, thawed & drained pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup water

2/3 cup peanut butter

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (Substitute up to 2 C. with white whole-wheat flour.)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and peanut butter; beat well. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture; mix well. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Delicious Pumpkin Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 Cups sugar
• 2 Cups pureed pumpkin (Libbys in a can is good)
• 1 Cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 Cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Frosting:

• 3-4 oz. cream cheese (about half a small size package)
• 1/2 Cup butter (room temperature)
• 3/4 Cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar, pumpkin, oil, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nuts, mix gently to combine. Pour into an ungreased 9″ x 13″ pan, bake for 30-40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown. It should be pulling away from the sides of the pan a bit, and will spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven and let cool at least an hour before frosting.

To prepare frosting: Beat cream cheese and room temperature butter with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until well blended and fluffy. Add a bit more powdered sugar if a stiffer frosting is desired. Spoon the frosting onto the center of the cake and spread toward the edges until the cake is evenly frosted. If you want to be really decadent, the frosting recipe can be doubled for extra thick icing, a real kid pleaser. (I have not done this, but let me tell you, I am tempted.)

 

Happy Valentine’s Day Chocolate Desserts

It’s my tradition to bake heart-shaped cookies on Valentine’s Day (or before, as the case this year) and this year, I adapted a Christmas cookie recipe. I’d had it out in my recipe pile since Christmas, and was glad to get out my 3 heart-shaped cookie cutters and make them. I’ve also posted a delicious cherry brownie recipe I made recently to bring when we visited family. They were a big hit!

I’ve gone on about this before, in last year’s post, but I love Valentine’s Day. This year, it kind of snuck up on me. I didn’t get a card OR gift (yet) for my husband, but we decided to celebrate later in the week. Tonight, we’ll eat soup and cookies and give Evelyn her rocket-ship themed gifts. (Sorry…I don’t have a photo of the stuffed rocket ship I made for her!)

Chocolate Peppermint Hearts

originally from Bon Appetit December 2006

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup (about 31/2 ounces) finely crushed red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies OR about 5 crushed candy canes

Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients; beat until dough holds together. Divide dough in half. Shape each piece into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm enough to roll, at least 45 minutes and up to 1 day. You will need to let the dough sit out to soften a bit before you roll it.

Set rack in center of oven and preheat to 300°F. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. You will most likely need more flour on your surface and to keep the dough from sticking to your rolling pin. Using heart-shaped cookie cutters, cut out cookies. Transfer to sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather scraps into ball. Wrap; chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until tops feel firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking until all dough is used. Do ahead Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.

Stir chocolate in small metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until smooth. Using small spoon, drizzle chocolate over cookies in zigzag lines. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Drizzle remaining chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate is set, at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 3 days ahead. Store cookies between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.

Fudgy Cherry Brownies

8 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 C. unsalted butter

1 C. sugar (I don’t recommend reducing this…I already did by half a cup!)

1/2 C. brown sugar, firmly packed

4 eggs, room temperature

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 + 1/8 C. cherry jam (13 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9 by 13″ pan. Melt butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk in sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla, stirring 2-3 minutes. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and jam. Pour batter into pan and bake for 40 minutes or until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Allow brownies to cool before cutting. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

 

Sunday Pieday: Walnut Pumpkin Pie

Happy New Year, Folks. Welcome to 2012.

Last year was supposed to be the year of the pie. This year is year of the dragon. Dragons breathe fire, so maybe this is also the year of the grill. I was born in the year of the dragon, so I suppose this will be a more special year for me, though I’m not one to bother much with astrology. (Honestly, though, I kind of like being a dragon. I want to think that it matches parts of my personality, though I don’t do much grilling.)

Last year I’d hoped to blog about pies each Sunday. This hardly ever happened. If I were to go back on my blog and count, I think that perhaps I blogged about pies 3 days and probably two of them weren’t even Sundays.

I realized that I don’t bake enough pies to warrant blogging about them once every seven days. I imagine that if I had made a pie each week, that my cholesterol would be even higher than it already is (and, folks, it’s high), so maybe this is a good thing.

I did, however, make several delicious pumpkin pies over the holiday season and I wanted to share the recipes with you.

Remember: Pumpkin is a vegetable.

Walnut Pumpkin Pie

15-oz. can of pumpkin, or 2 C. home cooked pumpkin or winter squash, pureed and drained in a collander

1 can sweetened condensed milk OR (and I learned this the hard way) 1 can evaporated milk plus 1/2 C. sugar

1 egg

1 t. cinnamon, divided

1/2 t. each ground ginger, nutmeg and salt

1 graham cracker OR gingersnap pie crust (baked)

Topping:

1/2 C. brown sugar

2 T. flour

2 T. cold butter or margarine

1/4 t. cinnamon

3/4 C. chopped walnuts

In a mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, egg, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt; mix well. Set crust on a baking sheet; pour filling into crust. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the topping by mixing the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts.  Reduce oven temperature to 350. Sprinkle the walnut mixture evenly over pie. Bake 40 minutes longer, or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Serves 8.

Pumpkin Pudding Pie

Maybe you don’t like crust. This is an easy-to-make pumpkin pie that is quite healthful (at least for a dessert.) You can alter the spices to suit your taste.

1/2 C. sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

1/3 t. ground ginger, optional

1/4 t. ground cloves, optional

2 large eggs

1 15-oz can pumpkin OR 2 C. home cooked pumpkin or winter squash, pureed and drained in a collander

1 12-oz. can evaporated milk

Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in a small bowl. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the pumpkin and the sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Pour into a shallow, oven-proof dish and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes. Don’t overbake; the center should be slightly wiggly. Cool and enjoy at room temperature or refrigerate for later use. Serves 8.

Simple Christmas Baking: Part 3 Graham Crackers

I made these last night; they were delightful. The dough rolled out easily and the end result was crispy and slightly sweet. I noted that the next time I make them, I may experiment by using less sugar. I cut mine into trees, sheep, camels, and some very tiny snowmen. I think our whole family will enjoy eating these, and in other seasons, I’ll cut them into different shapes.

Homemade Graham Crackers

“What?” I can hear people saying, “Why would you make graham crackers when you can buy perfectly good ones at the store!” Well, these only have 7 ingredients, compared to the 12+ in commercially available crackers. Second, here’s your chance to use those Christmas cookie cutters for something with some nutritional integrity. 

1/2 C. softened butter

2/3 C. brown sugar (I’d recommend reducing the sugar to 1/2 or even 1/3 C. This recipe makes rather sweet crackers.)

1/2 C. water

2 3/4 C. whole wheat flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. (or more) cinnamon

1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg

Mix the butter and sugar in the mixer bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Allow to sit for 30-45 minutes. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll to a 1/8” thickness. Cut into squares or long rectangles, or with cookie cutters. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Simple Christmas Baking: Part 2 Dried Cherry Oven Pancake

Dried Cherry Oven Pancake

Here’s another recipe that can be served for breakfast or dessert. It’s easy to mix up and it can bake while you spend time with your family. Make this with dried Michigan cherries! (You can get them in big boxes at Meijer.)

1 T. butter, melted, plus more for the pan

3 large eggs, beaten

1/3 C., plus 1 t. granulated sugar

3/4 C. all-purpose flour (or a scant less whole-wheat pastry flour; the final product will not rise as high with whole-wheat flour, though.)

1 1/4 C. whole milk

1/2 C. dried cherries

Heat oven to 375. Butter the bottom and sides of a 2-quart baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs and 1/3 C. sugar. Whisk in the flour until no lumps remain. Whisk in the milk and melted butter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the cherries over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and bake until puffed and golden, about 45 minutes. Serve warm.

Cranberry Crostata

Here’s a fairly simple cranberry dessert for you to enjoy this fall.

Cranberry Crostata

Filling

2 C. fresh or frozen cranberries

2/3 C. granulated sugar

1/2 C. fresh orange juice

1/2 C. orange marmalade

Pastry

2 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 C. granulated sugar

1/4 t. salt

2/3 C. cold butter, cubed

1  egg

1 t. vanilla

1  egg yolk

1 t. water

powdered sugar

Filling: Stir together cranberries, sugar and orange juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring often, until thick and jam-like. Stir in marmalade, then remove saucepan from heat and let cool completely.

Pastry: Stir together flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl, and then cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork, until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Beat together whole egg and vanilla in a small bowl, then stir into the dry ingredients. Gather dough into a ball, then, on a lightly floured surface, knead gently three or four times until smooth. Form dough into two discs, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger disc of pastry to a 12-inch circle, then fit dough into a buttered 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges of pastry, leaving a 1/2 -inch overhang. Fold overhang into pan and press into pastry sides to reinforce sides of tart. Prick dough in several places with a fork. Spoon cranberry filling into tart shell.

Roll our remaining pastry to a 10-inch circle, then cut crosswise into twelve 3/4-inch strips. Arrange strips at right angles to each other to form a lattice on top of tart. Trim edges, then press ends of strips against sides of tart to seal them and prevent shrinkage.

Whisk together egg yolk and water in a small bowl, then brush mixture evenly over pastry strips and edges of tart. Bake 40 to 45 minutes in preheated oven, until pastry is golden. Let tart cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove rim of pan and let tart cool completely on wire rack.

Just before serving, sift powdered sugar over top of tart.

Makes 8 servings.

Changing the Face of Summer Desserts: Homemade Ice Cream

Well, folks, I did it. I bought an ice cream maker. Like most Americans, I love ice cream. I especially love eating it in the summer when it’s hot. I also know how pricy good ice cream can be. And it should be pricy–there are eggs, cream and fancy flavorings in it.

But we recently joined a new dairy share program and we’re getting a gallon and one-half of milk a week. This is a lot of milk for 2 adults and a baby who’s still getting most of her milk from me.

So about a month ago, I ordered an ice cream maker. They’ve come a long way from the machine that required special ice and salt and was so noisy like the one my family had when I was a child. My new one is quiet-quiet like a Bosch dishwasher. The ingenious design is a bowl that goes into the freezer. (I keep mine in the freezer when not in use, in fact.) Then, when the ice cream urge strikes, you just pull it out, pop the ice cream mixture in the bowl, turn it on, and wait 12-25 minutes. It’s the consistency of soft-serve then, but after a few hours in the freezer it hardens.

I have been trying loads of new ice cream recipes. Here are a few we’re especially fond of.

Chocolate Gelato has 5 ingredients: milk, sugar, cornstarch, bittersweet chocolate and a pinch of salt. That’s it. It’s delicious. (Click on the title for the link to the recipe.)

Creamy Chocolate Gelato should actually be called “Coconut Chocolate Gelato” because it uses coconut milk instead of cow milk. I added 1/2 cup of coconut to the mixture and it was delicious. This is a vegan recipe since it is dairy and egg-free.

Last week, I made Honey Almond Ice Cream. I have a book called Kitchen Appliance Recipes which, despite its name, is quite a gem. In the “Ice Cream Maker” section, a lot of the recipes call for Egg Beaters instead of actual eggs. Now, even though I usually don’t go in for any un-real foods like eggs with the cholesterol taken out, I do buy these for ice cream because they’re so easy to use and I don’t have to make a custard on the stove top. This is one of my favorite ice cream recipes I’ve tried.

Honey Almond Ice Cream

2 C. half-and-half

1 C. milk

1/3 C. nonfat dry milk

4 oz. Egg Beaters or egg substitute

1/2 C. honey

1 t. vanilla extract

1/8 t. almond extract

dash salt

1/2 C. toasted slivered almonds

Combine ingredients except almonds in a blender or in a big bowl with a whisk until smooth. Chill until ready to freeze or freeze immediately in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer instructions. Fold nuts into ice cream about one minute before the ice cream is done.

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Yesterday, using Michigan blueberries, I made Blueberry Sherbert from the same book. This recipe calls for corn syrup, which (Please don’t fall over dead; I am not a purist) I actually had in my kitchen–well, a little bit. I had to substitute some honey in it, so this recipe is a little guess-y because of my substitutions.

Blueberry Sherbert

1 pint fresh blueberries

1 1/2 C. milk

3/4 C. light corn syrup (scant) OR 1/2 C. honey

3 T. lime juice

2 T. Triple Sec or orange-flavored liqueur OR (because I didn’t have that) 1/2 t. orange flavoring

In the blender, combine the first four ingredients and blend until smooth. If you’re offended by the blueberry skins, pour the mixture through a strainer, pressing out all the juice. (I don’t do that, though.) Add the orange flavoring and freeze immediately in your ice cream maker OR refrigerate until ready to freeze.

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Maybe you’re reading this and feeling very sad because you don’t have an ice cream maker and, on your student budget, can’t afford to get one. Never fear. You can pinch-hit by making ice cream the way Margaret Visser (famed non-fiction author) told me. (Meeting Margaret Visser and talking about food with her is one of my few claims to fame.) You mix the ingredients up and pour them in a rigid covered container. Place it in the freezer. Every few hours, get it out and stir. Now, it’s not as nice as ice cream from a machine, but it works pretty well and is easy to do, if you’re around to babysit.

Do you have a favorite ice cream recipe you think I should try? I’m willing–especially if it’s easy! Post them below!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

I am going to both raise and lower your expectations at the same time. I am going to say that, no, these brownies are not marbled with cream cheese like you may imagine as I did when I read the title. They are, in fact, very plain-looking. Just like normal brownies, in fact.

However, let me say that these brownies are delicious. They are not the most chocolate-y, but they are perfectly textured and flavored.

Plus, they’re really easy to make and easier to eat. Get some friends and invite them over so that you can share these. When you see the ingredient list, you’ll want to. (Or maybe not.)

I got this recipe from my sister. Once she gave me a brownie gift basket with different brownie recipes in it. This was the first time I tried these.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

1 C. unsalted butter, softened

3 oz. cream cheese, softened (Not the kind in the plastic bin.)

2 C. sugar (See why I said the thing about the friends?)

3 eggs, room temperature

1 t. vanilla

1 C. all-purpose flour

3/4 C. cocoa powder

1/4 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3/4 C. chopped nuts (I used a combination of walnuts and pecans, which was delicious.)

Heat oven to 325. Grease the bottom of a rectangular pan (13 by 9 by 2). In a mixer bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed  mixture until blended. Stir in nuts. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or just until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. (This is really the best way to tell if brownies are cooked enough.) Cool completely; frost if desired. Cut into squares of desired size.

My sister also included a joke with this recipe. It has nothing to do with brownies.

Q: How do you tell a chili pepper from a bell pepper?

A: The chili pepper always wears a jacket!

Easter Cakes in Black and White

Justin & I shared Easter dinner with my family on Sunday. Mom made the ham; I made the cakes.

I had a lot of fun choosing two contrasting recipes. Within our family, we have a high cholesterol, a lactose intolerance and a severe walnut allergy. I knew I needed to stay away from walnuts and that at least one cake needed to have little or no dairy and one needed to be fairly low cholesterol. It was obvious to make these the same cakes.

So, I made a (mostly) vegan Devil’s Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Mousse  (click the title to go to the link) from the October 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. This is a great and interesting cake. Most interestingly, the peanut butter mousse is a combination of peanut butter, tofu, sugar, and vanilla extract. It is delicious. But I cheated. I did not make the icing vegan. I substituted 1/2 C. butter for the vegetable shortening it called for. Thus, the icing was a little runny. I think next time, I won’t substitute!

That was the black cake.

The white cake was Coconut-Mint Cream Cake  from the October 2008 edition of Bon Appetit. (Click the title of the recipe to go to the link.) For family members who opted for “a little bit of both,” it was the winner, but the deck was stacked. A can of coconut cream blended with a can of sweetened condensed milk is poured over the layers before they’re frosted with a mint-infused whipped cream. How could anything beat this? Especially a vegan cake. No offense, but cakes are better with eggs. However the vegan cake is STILL good, so don’t let me talk you out of trying it–especially if you’re vegan or lactose intolerant or just want to try a lower-calorie cake.

Sure, Easter day is over, but the Easter celebration can continue! Bake a cake today!

Peach and Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

Last week I made a dessert for a dinner party I attended and this is what I made. Everyone liked it.

You’ll have to imagine what it looked like: think a round upside-down cake with peaches instead of pineapple.

It is one of the more delicious cakes I’ve ever had and I didn’t even use fresh peaches like it called for. I used home-canned ones from last summer, but you could substitute regular canned peaches if it’s all you have.

I also used some lavender my aunt grew and gave to me. The combination of peaches, cornmeal, salt, and lavender in a dessert is just wonderful. Try it.

The original recipe, here with a picture, is from Martha Stewart. You can also read about it here, on the Dinner with Julie blog and here on the thekitchn.com.  They also write about some variations with apple instead of peaches. Then, there’s www.whatsonmyplate.net that also wrote about it here and the A Little Leaven blog that wrote about it here.

Everyone has blogged about this already. I am behind the times. I should be rolling my jeans and wearing flannel. (Actually, I think flannel is back in and all the cool college kids I know are wearing glasses that eerily remind me of 6th grade.) But now you know about this cake and you can blog about it to–or at least forward this link to your friends and tell them that all the cool cooks are making it.