TWD Rewind: Caramel Pumpkin Pie

So, I think I've only ever made pumpkin pie one other time.  I'm not entirely sure why I haven't made it more, but I really like making it, so it will be a regular item on our Thanksgiving menu (much to Aidan's delight! - he loves the stuff!).

That said, even though I like making it, I'm still not as much a fan of eating it.  Go figure.  Aidan and Dusty like it though, so, there you go.

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie we were given the option to do a rewind.  Since I had volunteered to help out with some pumpkin pies for an international student dinner for the holiday that my friend Becky over at The Vintage Mixer was helping organize, and since it was so close to Thanksgiving, I couldn't resist making the Caramel Pumpkin Pie (originally hosted by Janell) my rewind of choice.

I chose to use two different pie crust recipes I love that I found over on Epicurious.  One (the small tart) is a cream cheese pie crust (I've made it as written and it works great, but it was a little fussy for me, so I will hopefully get a chance to write down my 'easier' version soon for you - if you need it in the meantime, just email me - this crust is awesome and tastes SO good!).  The other is just a basic pie dough recipe (the large pie with leaf border), but it uses a combination of shortening and butter, which I think always gives the best results and is easy to work with.

For the leaves on both the pie and 'tart' I just used a large maple leaf cooking cutter I have and glazed the dough with an egg wash and a sprinkling of sugar before baking.  I love making the edge crust this way because I often really stink at making a great edge - this way I get to cover it up!  

The egg wash not only gives the crust a nice shine, but it acts as the glue that helps hold that outer crust together.  You just layer all the pieces, slightly overlapping (my cookie cutter is a good 2 1/2 inches and took 10 leaves to cover the entire edge as shown) and brush the egg wash on.  Sprinkle with a little sugar for a little sparkle and crunch.

I did bake the pies most of the way through before adding the decorative border though - otherwise I think the crust edges would probably have just sunk into the wet pie filling.  I waited until the outer part of the filling was fairly well set before doing the border.  It didn't hurt the pie to come out of the oven for a few minutes to add the pre-cut leaves (I cut them when I originally rolled the dough, then just kept them covered on a lined sheet in the refrigerator until I needed them).  It was about 15 to 20 minutes before the pie was going to be done and I just let the pies bake until the filling was set and the leaves were golden.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Self-Frosting Pumpkin Nutella Muffins

Sometimes, in the middle of the night, when I'm only half awake, I get these ideas for things that I want to bake.  Often, by morning, I can't remember what it was.  Sometimes it comes to me again, but other times it is imprinted in my brain to the point of obsession.

I openly blame Maria and Katie for my latest episode.

I've had pumpkin on the brain.  And Nutella.  And ways to use both.  That is Maria's fault with her Pumpkin Nutella Bread.

Then, add on the fact that Katie seems to be eerily reading my mind lately and making it so I don't have to figure out how to make a Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate to sub for that infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte that I won't be drinking (no coffee for this girl) and, well, then you can see easily why I have pumpkin on my mind.

I had thought I took care of at least the Nutella issue the other day with these little cakes (Visitandine) I made for Dorie's birthday party, but apparently not.

So, these muffins were born.  The self-frosting technique isn't a new one.  In fact, thanks to Nic at Baking Bites (who I believe was the first to post Donna Hay's Self-Frosting Cupcake recipe about five years ago) this idea took the food blogosphere by storm.  I felt like it deserved a definite revisit.

This recipe came about from some serious tweaking to my favorite Banana Muffin recipe (which, incidentally works with the Nutella on top as well if you aren't a pumpkin fan).  I love this recipe dearly and end up making them about once a week whenever our bananas have outlived their eating out of hand shelf life.  And, yes.  I usually buy enough bananas to make sure that happens!

Self-Frosting Pumpkin Nutella Muffins

1 - 15 oz can pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons natural (not Dutch) cocoa powder

12 heaping teaspoons Nutella for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line or spray a 12-cup muffin pan, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, vanilla and brown sugar.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups evenly (will be about 3/4 full).  Scoop a heaping teaspoon of Nutella onto the top of each muffin.  Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the Nutella slightly around the top of the batter.

Bake the cupcakes for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I have been wanting to come up with a recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for a while now - really ever since we made the pumpkin muffins for TWD and I discovered that I actually do like pumpkin in some things. I knew that I wanted a cookie that was very soft, but would still hold its shape and not just fall apart when you pick it up. I also knew I wanted to come up with a recipe that would make a lot of cookies at once because we made these to take to Aidan's school as a treat for all the teachers and staff.

I am in charge of the 'Hospitality Committee' for the PTO at Aidan's school and in addition to four meals we are feeding the teachers this year during Parent/Teacher Conferences we are also providing a treat of some kind for the entire faculty six times a year. Crazy, I know. Luckily, I have a great co-chair who is an incredible help and between the two of us (and the occasional volunteer) we seem to be able to keep it under control.

This recipe makes enough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies to feed a crowd - approximately 6 dozen in fact. They were each about 1/2-inch high or so and about 3 inches across - so fairly good sized I think.

I also wanted the recipe to have a decent amount of spice in the cookie itself - I didn't want it to be too mild or too spicy though. Just a good balance. You could easily add more chocolate chips (or sub whatever kind of chip you want - my next wish list is some of the cappuccino chips - I think that would be crazy good!) to this if you like your cookies with more than a scattering.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe by Holly Hanks

Makes approx 72 cookies (6 dozen)

6 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly ground/grated nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

6 large eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1 29-oz can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

3 cups (or more) chocolate chips (or another variety)

Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Use parchment lined baking sheets.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl with paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl with hand mixer) beat together the eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar till well combined and lighter (it will be thin and not fluffy) - approximately 2 minutes. On low speed mix in the oil, melted butter, vanilla and pumpkin till combined - approximately 1 minute more. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix on low until combined. Add 1/2 of the remaining mixture and mix until combined, then add the remaining flour and mix until just combined. Using a large rubber spatula, add the chocolate chips and fold in until well combined.

Use a 1-ounce scoop (or scoop by large rounded tablespoons) onto the parchment lined sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes until the tops are set and only slightly springy but not too moist or wet. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. (Optional: Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar just before serving). Store in an airtight container or freeze and enjoy later!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes - Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Here I give you something we are always grateful for around our house - pancakes! Not just any pancakes though - these are tender, gently spiced with just the right amount of pumpkin flavor and oh so delicious. I say, why wait til dessert to eat the pumpkin pie - start with breakfast.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful day filled with warm memories and great food!

My apologies to my CEiMB friends - I haven't had a chance to make my mac and cheese yet but hope to get to it soon and post it before the 30th!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes
Source: Dorie Greenspan via Serious Eats
- makes about sixteen 4 1/2 -inch pancakes -

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
Pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree

Maple syrup or ice cream for topping

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, rum and vanilla to blend thoroughly. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix with the whisk, stopping when everything is just combined. (Don't worry if the batter is a bit lumpy.) With a rubber spatula, gently but thoroughly fold in the pumpkin puree.

2. If necessary, lightly butter, oil or spray your griddle or skillet. Preheat over medium heat or, if you're using an electric griddle, set it to 350°F. If you want to hold the pancakes until serving time (or for up to 20 minutes), preheat your oven to 200°F.

3. Spoon 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake, allowing space for spreading. When the undersides of the pancakes are golden and the tops are lightly speckled with bubbles that pop and stay open, flip the pancakes over with a wide spatula and cook until the other sides are light brown. (These are soft and puffy, so turn carefully.) Serve immediately, or keep the finished pancakes in the preheated oven while you make the rest of the batch.

TWD: "Pumpcan" Pie - Thanksgiving Two-fer Pie

Host for this week: Vibi of La casserole carrée
Recipe for this week: Thanksgiving Twofer Pie
Tuesdays with Dorie Blogroll
Baking From My Home To Yours

So, what can I say about this pie other than that it was really delicious? I made this for a get together with my family Saturday night while my brother was visiting from the Oregon/Washington State area. I used a rather deep dish, so we decided to increase the amount of pecan filling by half to make sure the pie came all the way to the top. This resulted in a very, very golden crust because the pie had to bake twice as long before it set up.

This was a rather homely pie when cut, but, like I said, it sure tasted good - especially with a little vanilla bean ice cream. The only other change I made was to use maple syrup in place of the rum and also partly in place of the corn syrup in the pecan filling. This was mainly just out of necessity since it was imitation syrup (in other words, maple flavored corn syrup) when I started baking and didn't realize I was mostly out of corn syrup.

I am still running super behind, but I wanted to get this up in time for those that are making it later this week for their Thanksgiving table. I do recommend covering the edges of your crust with foil when the pie is back in the oven baking with the filling so that it doesn't overbrown. As I mentioned, since I had to back mine twice as long to get it to set up there wasn't a lot of hope. The crust was still delicious though - flaky and with a deep caramel color and flavor.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

TWD: Pumpkin Muffins

You know the really great thing about joining in with a group like Tuesdays with Dorie, where the choice of what to make is out of your hands? It forces you, if you are brave enough to just go for it, to try things you know you otherwise would not have tried to make. Today's recipe choice for the Pumpkin Muffins in Baking From My Home To Yours, as chosen by Kelly of Sounding My Barbaric Gulp, is a perfect example of this for me. Why? Well, I don't like pumpkin. Right? Right? {{crickets chirping}}

I wasn't excited to make this recipe. At all. Even as I was making these I wasn't excited, but I knew I was going to do it anyway and just put some faith in some others and go for it. Oh. Oh oh oh. I am SO glad that I did. I loved these.

Now, obviously there are no raisins in our muffins, but seriously, you didn't expect to see them here did you? I replaced the raisins with some mini chocolate chips. The only other changes I made were to replace the allspice in the recipe with some ground cloves, really just because I didn't have any allspice on hand and didn't want to make a run to the store. I also sprinkled raw sugar on top of the muffins because, let's just face it, it is pretty obvious I am just a sugar lovin' girl and can't resist that sugary crunch on basically any kind of muffin. These were no exception.

I want to try this recipe again sometime with sweet potato as well because I think they would be really good that way. I also want to try it with white chocolate and maybe some pumpkin seends on top.

So, another heartfelt thank you to TWD and to Kelly for helping me get out of my baking, and eating, comfort zone and find out there is something else I do love. Now, I'm not saying that I now love pumpkin everything, because I know I've had some really bad pumpkin stuff before, but as Dorie indicates in the book, these muffins should be the bar by which all other pumpkin muffins should be set by.

Make sure to grab your copy of BFMHTY and join in the fun before Oct. 31st if you are inclined to jump in - time is almost up! Check out the TWD blogroll to see all the other pumpkin-y goodness running around out there today!

Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons with White Chocolate Pumpkin Ganache

Ever since I started reading blogs I have read about and wondered over, and over and over, etc etc, all the macarons I've seen. I've never seen them in person and really didn't know what to expect. I just knew it was something, someday, I had to try.

Well, yesterday was finally that day. I've debated over flavor combinations for a while because I didn't want to just recreate something I've already seen. While I was at it I also wanted to create something to celebrate the start of the magical Autumn season which we love!

Until recently I never really enjoyed pumpkin - probably only the last year or two that I have found the flavor interesting. There is a local bagel place that makes chocolate chip bagels (my favorite) and every year around this time through December they make them into pumpkin chocolate chip bagels. It used to always bug me because that meant that every year for a couple of months I had to switch to a different flavor bagel. Now, I am starting to enjoy pumpkin flavors more and more - perhaps even pumpkin pie come Thanksgiving - who knows!?

Anyway, when I was trying to decide what to make for my first attempt at macarons I knew they would have to be chocolate and that I wanted to make some kind of flavored ganache to fill them with. There are so many versions out there to choose from!

For my first time I decided to use Aran's recipe she recently posted. She also had a recipe with that for a fruit flavored ganache which is what I decided to base my filling off of as well. Huge thanks to Aran at Cannelle et Vanille for a great recipe (linked below). I have modified the details slightly below to reflect the changes in ingredients I made.

I wanted to try a different nut than just almond in the macarons and since I still had some roasted hazelnuts left from that cake a little while ago I decided that was the way to go. I also used white chocolate for the pumpkin ganache so that the flavor and color could really shine through. The ganache was very pumpkin-y so it looks like more of a puree than a smooth ganache, but it really tasted amazing with a little hint of cinnamon in the pumpkin as well.

A perfect tribute to Autumn! So, don't forget to check out the Art You Eat Event and create your own seasonal dish - sweet or savory, main, side, dessert, whatever - and join in the fun!!

My first attempt at macarons went better than I expected it to, and though they weren't perfect, they sure tasted amazing and now I have at least tried, so I won't be so afraid to give it a shot next time - and there will be many more times. If you still haven't tried making these, I encourage you to give it a shot - what's the worst that can happen? They bomb and you learn something.

Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons
SOURCE: Adapted from Aran at Cannelle et Vanille

100 grams egg whites
25 grams sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
225 grams powdered sugar
75 grams almond flour
50 grams hazelnut flour
15 grams cocoa powder
Pinch of salt

Separate the egg whites at least 24 hours prior and even let them sit at room temperature for a few hours before starting to make the macarons. This will help them get rid of some moisture and become more acidic, which will help form a stable meringue.

Whip the egg whites and the lemon juice until they are almost fully whipped. Sprinkle in the sugar while still mixing. Continue to whip to a full meringue.

Sift the powdered sugar, salt, almond flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the meringue into the dry ingredients and fold until a shiny mass is formed. We want it to spread a bit but not too much.

Pipe the macarons onto a silicon mat and sprinkle with cocoa nibs. Let the macarons dry at room temperature for 20 minutes or so. Bake them in a 300F for about 8 minutes. Rotate the sheetpan and bake for another 8 minutes.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Ganache

100 grams white chocolate
40 grams pumpkin puree
20 grams heavy cream
15 grams butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Boil the pumpkin and heavy cream together and pour over chocolate. Stir until incorporated and the ganache forms. Wait a couple of minutes for the ganache to cool a bit and add the softened butter and cinnamon. Stir to create an emulsion. Let it harden a bit until it is pipeable and fill the macarons.