Okay... this recipe was the inspiration (courtesy of JoePastry.com) for a variation I ran through my test kitchen last week as a part of my market testing for my someday bakery. While I have changed up the recipe and flavor profile quite a bit I wanted to share it with my readers in the spirit of the season and all things pumpkin.
Note: Don't let the sugar go too far, once that dark spot gets larger than a plum you're at risk of burning the sugar and if so, that stinks--literally. I burned the first batch and had to pour it into an old pizza box in the front yard just to evacuate the kitchen. The next morning I had a tar black candy slick seemingly untouched by nearby woodland creatures.
Also, this recipe makes enough custard for two 10-inch tart shells.
Ingredients
Caramel
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
Custard
2 cups cream
2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
Moisten the first cup of sugar with the 1/4 cup water in a sauce pan and swirl over high heat until it turns light amber, then dark amber. For a more pronounced caramel flavor, wait for a brown-black spot to appear in the center of the pan before you remove it from the heat and start adding your cream slowly in a steady stream, whisking all the while (watch out, it'll foam and sputter a bit).
Once all the cream is in, whisk in the rum, pumpkin, sugar, spices and vanilla. Keep the filling warm on a very low flame until the crust is nearly ready. It should NOT be bubbling/boiling.
Pour the warm filling into your favorite shortbread tart crust hot out of the oven to create a water-proof seal.
Put the pan into the oven and drop the heat to 350. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the pan, jiggling it to see how "sloshy" it still is in the middle.
Bake another 5-10 minutes or so, just until the center no longer "sloshes", but jiggles firmly. Cool for a minimum of one hour before slicing and serving. I prefer mine chilled.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
This Week in Pumpkin: Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes
Okay friends, it is that time of year again... my kitchen runneth over with pumpkin--shortage be damned! This week is a favorite I have made for years and my sister-in-law has been patiently waiting for its turn on the menu.
This was that weekend. We had these pancakes with turkey sausages, coffee and orange juice as a primer to our trip to the orchard. Sophie loved them, she ate three!
This recipe may look a little intimidating compared to standard pancakes but do not be thwarted by the whipping and folding egg whites... you're the boss and final pancake is worth it. Also, let the batter sit for 20-30 minutes before hitting the griddle.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups milk
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil
Maple syrup
Preparation
Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick). Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 2 additions.
Brush large nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil between batches. Serve with butter, maple syrup, honey or pumpkin butter. Makes 20-24 pancakes.
Bon Appétit November 2000 by way of epicurious.com
This was that weekend. We had these pancakes with turkey sausages, coffee and orange juice as a primer to our trip to the orchard. Sophie loved them, she ate three!
This recipe may look a little intimidating compared to standard pancakes but do not be thwarted by the whipping and folding egg whites... you're the boss and final pancake is worth it. Also, let the batter sit for 20-30 minutes before hitting the griddle.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups milk
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil
Maple syrup
Preparation
Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick). Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 2 additions.
Brush large nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil between batches. Serve with butter, maple syrup, honey or pumpkin butter. Makes 20-24 pancakes.
Bon Appétit November 2000 by way of epicurious.com
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Google knows.
I think it knows too much actually.
Here I sit, laptop in the couch nook listening to So You Think You Can Dance on the TV. I hear the TV cut to commercial and the voice of Michael Strahan and I perk up--part NFL pre-season hopes part crush. He's doing a commercial for Dr. Pepper and how he loves the delicious mix of the 23 flavors.
I think, "hmmm... 23?" So I tickety tickety tap tap tap it into the googler. I get as far as 2-3-_-f-l- and Google fills in the rest and with one click, here's the list.
The 23 flavors/ingredients of the famous Dr. Pepper soda secret...
- Amaretto
- Almond
- Blackberry
- Black Licorice
- Carrot
- Clove
- Cherry
- Caramel
- Cola
- Ginger
- Juniper
- Lemon
- Molasses
- Nutmeg
- Orange
- Prune
- Plum
- Pepper
- Root Beer
- Rum
- Raspberry
- Tomato
- Vanilla
Did Google know what I was watching? I'll have to plug that into the googler next.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Bubble Pizza
I owe this recipe to my dear friend Deena who I used to share a standing Wednesday night dinner with in the good ol' days of 90210.
There are many different variations to this comfort food gem. I'll start with the original and then highlight variations at the bottom.
Barbecue Chicken Bubble Pizza
3 tubes regular size refrigerated biscuits.
1 18.5 oz bottle of barbecue sauce (I like Ken Davis)
4 chicken breasts, roasted on the bone
1/2 red onion sliced thin
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Tear each biscuit into thirds and roll into a ball. Mix in a bowl with barbecue sauce. Pour into 9x13 cake pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Remove cooked chicken from bone and dice. Spread over biscuit/barbecue sauce mixture. Sprinkle onions and cheese over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.
Delicious variations:
There are many different variations to this comfort food gem. I'll start with the original and then highlight variations at the bottom.
Barbecue Chicken Bubble Pizza
3 tubes regular size refrigerated biscuits.
1 18.5 oz bottle of barbecue sauce (I like Ken Davis)
4 chicken breasts, roasted on the bone
1/2 red onion sliced thin
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Tear each biscuit into thirds and roll into a ball. Mix in a bowl with barbecue sauce. Pour into 9x13 cake pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Remove cooked chicken from bone and dice. Spread over biscuit/barbecue sauce mixture. Sprinkle onions and cheese over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.
Delicious variations:
- Taco pizza style: substitute 1 1/2 pounds cooked ground beef for chicken and Ortega taco sauce for barbecue sauce. Use cheddar instead of mozzarella. Service with fresh tomato, black olives, salsa and sour cream.
- Bacon Spaghetti style: substitute 1 1/2 pounds cooked ground beef for chicken and add half about diced cooked bacon, Hunts traditional spaghetti sauce for the barbecue sauce. Use white onion instead of red. Stick with mozzarella.
- Meatball Sub style: substitute 1 1/2 pounds cooked meatballs for chicken. Use marinara sauce instead of barbecue. Use provolone instead of mozzarella.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
This Week in Pumpkin: Caribbean Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
An easy soup I whipped on a chilly Sunday for a visit from my Madagascar travel buddy and favorite vegetarian Joanna. Super easy and uniquely tasty.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1 14-ounce can light unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup canned vegetable broth
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon grated lime peel
Preparation:
Stir cumin in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat 30 seconds. Add pumpkin, beans, coconut milk, broth and 3 tablespoons cilantro. Bring soup to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3 minutes to blend flavors. Mix in lime juice and lime peel. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1 14-ounce can light unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup canned vegetable broth
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon grated lime peel
Preparation:
Stir cumin in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat 30 seconds. Add pumpkin, beans, coconut milk, broth and 3 tablespoons cilantro. Bring soup to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3 minutes to blend flavors. Mix in lime juice and lime peel. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro.
Monday, October 13, 2008
This Week in Pumpkin: Pumpkin Bread Pudding
You know you really love to cook when you pop out of work during lunch to drive 35 blocks to a bakery to pick up and ingredient for a recipe. So when my Friday workday pinched my cooking timeline ahead of the dinner I was going to there was no way I was going to let $8 in brioche go to waste.
Enter this fantastic Sunday half-time snack. It followed roasted squash soup and roasted chicken breast and was enjoyed side by side with four of my favorite meal companions--Mom, Lance, Sarah and Sophie.*
I am including a link to the original recipe but posting the recipe with my superior modifications.
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
2 cups half and half
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (kw tweak)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange zest (kw tweak)
10 cups 1/2-inch cubes egg bread (about 10-ounces)
Vanilla Caramel sauce
1 1/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 small vanilla bean split lenghtwise (kw tweak)
1/2 cup whipping cream
Powdered sugar
For bread pudding: Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk half and half, pumpkin, dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. Fold in bread cubes. Stir in golden raisins. Transfer mixture to 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare caramel sauce: Whisk brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Scrape seeds from bean with a knife into cream and add to pan. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.
Sift powdered sugar over bread pudding. Serve warm with caramel sauce.
*Dad is out of town hunting.
Enter this fantastic Sunday half-time snack. It followed roasted squash soup and roasted chicken breast and was enjoyed side by side with four of my favorite meal companions--Mom, Lance, Sarah and Sophie.*
I am including a link to the original recipe but posting the recipe with my superior modifications.
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
2 cups half and half
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (kw tweak)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange zest (kw tweak)
10 cups 1/2-inch cubes egg bread (about 10-ounces)
Vanilla Caramel sauce
1 1/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 small vanilla bean split lenghtwise (kw tweak)
1/2 cup whipping cream
Powdered sugar
For bread pudding: Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk half and half, pumpkin, dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. Fold in bread cubes. Stir in golden raisins. Transfer mixture to 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare caramel sauce: Whisk brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Scrape seeds from bean with a knife into cream and add to pan. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.
Sift powdered sugar over bread pudding. Serve warm with caramel sauce.
*Dad is out of town hunting.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Cool Drink for Hot Daze
I think I'm in trouble. I have long been a mojito fan and just stumbled across this delicious bastardization while searching for a boozy slush recipe for the up coming Fourth of July weekend. I found this tasty marriage of the two, made a couple modification and voila...
Mojito Slushy*
2 limes, zested
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (coincidentally about two limes)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, firmly packed
3/4 to 1 cup light rum
6 cups ice
Mint sprigs and lime wedges, for garnish
Heat the honey in the microwave just for few seconds to liquefy and pour into the blender. Add lime zest, lime juice, mint leaves, and rum into a blender and blend until smooth. Add ice to fill blender and blend until slushy. Spoon into glasses; garnish with a sprig of mint and a lime slice.
*Adapted from Tyler Florence's recipe on foodnetwork.com where he calls for making a simple syrup and using 1 cup of it over my honey substitute... I'm all like, hey Tyler I wore dirty clothes to work last week... I need to get my drink on and don't have time to eff around with a simple syrup.
Mojito Slushy*
2 limes, zested
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (coincidentally about two limes)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, firmly packed
3/4 to 1 cup light rum
6 cups ice
Mint sprigs and lime wedges, for garnish
Heat the honey in the microwave just for few seconds to liquefy and pour into the blender. Add lime zest, lime juice, mint leaves, and rum into a blender and blend until smooth. Add ice to fill blender and blend until slushy. Spoon into glasses; garnish with a sprig of mint and a lime slice.
*Adapted from Tyler Florence's recipe on foodnetwork.com where he calls for making a simple syrup and using 1 cup of it over my honey substitute... I'm all like, hey Tyler I wore dirty clothes to work last week... I need to get my drink on and don't have time to eff around with a simple syrup.
Monday, March 24, 2008
And the winner is...
I mentioned in my Christmas letter my new obsession with recipe/food tasting judging contests and Easter Sunday was the perfect opportunity to get cooking. It was the Hollandaise showdown and classic Eggs Benedict was my canvas.
Lance and Sarah--my willing diners and seasoned judges--and I tasted four different Hollandaise sauces using three different methods. The winning recipe, featured below, was the most tasty and the easiest to pull off:
Blender Hollandaise Sauce
INGREDIENTS
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 dash hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1/2 cup butter
DIRECTIONS
In the container of a blender, combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce. Cover, and blend for about 5 seconds. Place the butter in a glass measuring cup. Heat butter in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until completely melted and hot. Set the blender on high speed, and pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream. It should thicken almost immediately. Keep the sauce warm until serving by placing the blender container in a pan of hot tap water.
The runners up were; 2nd place, Cub Foods sauce mix, 3rd place, Knorr (by Lipton) sauce mix and the 4th place, Good Housekeeping classic recipe proved too lemony for Benedict but I suspect it would brighten up the spring asparagus harvest.
Lance and Sarah--my willing diners and seasoned judges--and I tasted four different Hollandaise sauces using three different methods. The winning recipe, featured below, was the most tasty and the easiest to pull off:
Blender Hollandaise Sauce
INGREDIENTS
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 dash hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1/2 cup butter
DIRECTIONS
In the container of a blender, combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce. Cover, and blend for about 5 seconds. Place the butter in a glass measuring cup. Heat butter in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until completely melted and hot. Set the blender on high speed, and pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream. It should thicken almost immediately. Keep the sauce warm until serving by placing the blender container in a pan of hot tap water.
The runners up were; 2nd place, Cub Foods sauce mix, 3rd place, Knorr (by Lipton) sauce mix and the 4th place, Good Housekeeping classic recipe proved too lemony for Benedict but I suspect it would brighten up the spring asparagus harvest.
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