Spice Pumpkin Vodka

Try making this pumpkin-infused vodka. Makes a beautiful Holiday present.

1½ C (750 ml) Stolichnaya cinnamon vodka
¾ C (175 ml) Stolichnaya vanilla vodka
¾ C (175 ml) Stolichnaya vodka
2 whole vanilla beans
2 C raw pumpkin meat, cut into ¼-inch slices

Combine vodkas in bottle or other glass container. Add pumpkin meat and vanilla beans and let sit for 1 week. If necessary, when mixing cocktails strain the vodka as you pour it into the shaker. Consider using toasted pumpkin seeds or some of the vodka-soaked pumpkin as garnish.

View full recipe on Epicurious

Pumpkin Pancakes

These pumpkin pancakes are what started it all…my love for Everything Pumpkin. I discovered that there was more to the pumpkin than pumpkin pie. I hope you enjoy these pumpkin pancakes as much as my family does.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 C flour
2 T sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 C milk
1 C organic canned pumpkin puree
4 eggs, separated
1/4 C melted butter

Preparation:

In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Combine milk, egg yolks, butter and organic pumpkin puree. Stir into dry ingredients until just blended. Beat egg whites until stiff. Stir 1/4 of beaten egg whites into batter to lighten it. Gently fold remaining egg whites into the batter. Heat skillet over medium heat. You can tell if your skillet or griddle is hot enough by flicking a drop or two of water on its surface. The water should skitter around and quickly evaporate if the pan is hot enough. Spoon batter into hot oiled skillet, allowing about 3 tablespoons per pancake. Cook pancakes for about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. You will know your pancakes are ready to be turned over when large bubbles form on the uncooked surface. Flip pancakes and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes on the other side. Serve immediately with warm maple syrup.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
½ cup / 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 package semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup walnuts or pecans

1. Set the oven to 350.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt if using.  Set aside.

3. In stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla,
and beat until just blended.

4. Mix in the dry ingredients.

5. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand.  Use a rubber spatula to stir in the chocolate chips and nuts if using.

6. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. (Note that these guys don’t change shape much while cooking, so if you want a smoother looking cookie, you’ll need to smooth it out before baking!)

7. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Rotate pans halfway through baking to ensure evenness.
Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe sent to me by Margaret Murphy

Savory Pumpkin Quiche

Makes 1 8-inch pie

Who says pumpkin pie has to be sweet? This simple recipe for a savory pumpkin quiche goes together in no time and makes a perfect brunch or supper served with whole-grain bread and a tossed salad. Enjoy!

Ingredient List

• 1/2 cup low-fat Gruyère cheese
• 1 frozen 9-inch prepared whole wheat piecrust
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin purée

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Sprinkle cheese over bottom of piecrust.
2. Whisk together milk, eggs, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Blend in pumpkin. Pour mixture over cheese in crust.
3. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F, and bake 45 to 50 minutes more, or until pie filling has set and tip of knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves 6 – Vegetarian Times

Pairing Wine with Pumpkin

A few years back I took a wine and food pairing class at the French Culinary Institute in NY with Andrea Immer. Andrea’s delightful approach made learning about wines fun and inspiring.

What wine do you pair with pumpkin? Since pumpkin can be bridged with sweet and savory dishes, from hearty meats, pastas and lighter cheeses, it can be paired with a variety of wines, which is a mixed blessing: there is no “go-to” wine for pumpkin as there is for other foods. How the pumpkin is used and how it relates to other items in the dish will determine what wine will bring out its own flavors.

For example, pumpkin risotto is a rich dish and needs a high acidity wine to clean and freshen the mouth between bites. Sparkling wines are a nice choice because they are typically high in acid already, and the bubbles reinforce that refreshing character. My personal go to white wine is a nice crisp California Sauvignon Blanc to compliment this delightful dish.

PUMPKIN and CORN RISOTTO

2 tbsp. clarified butter
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. toasted, seeded and minced chile arbol
3/4 cup peeled, roasted and diced pumpkin
3/4 cup peeled, diced and blanched russet potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated, dried monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup dried wild mushrooms
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1/4 cup finely bias-cut green onion
1/2 cup shaved, dried monterey jack cheese

Heat the clarified butter in a heavy pan over moderately high heat and saute the corn, yellow onion, garlic and chile arbol until tender. Add the pumpkin and potatoes and lightly brown them. Add the cream and grated cheese, and then simmer for 3 minutes. Add the wild dried mushrooms to the pumpkin-potato mixture and warm. Season to taste and finish the dish by stirring in the green onions. Spoon the “risotto” into four shallow, wide-rimmed soup bowls, top with the shaved cheese and serve.

This recipe is a wonderful fall dish from Executive Chef, Robert McGrath’s cookbook “American Western Cooking” (I am lucky to have a signed copy given to me on Valentine’s Day)

Great websites to guide you with wine pairing recommendations are www.matchmywine.com and  http://wineintro.com/food/menu/. You can also Ask Andrea at www.andreaimmer.com

Pumpkin French Toast

French Toastis often called eggy bread in England and referred to as pain perdu in France. The first thing I ever made when I was a kid was french toast. Who knew that would lead to a career in the culinary world, so I am a connoisseur of French Toast. I am also a big fan of Chef Bobby Flay and one of my internships was at the Mesa Grill in NYC. What fun that was!….and what I love about Bobby Flay is that he can take the everyday recipe and turn it into something fabulous, like his creation for Pumpkin French Toast.

Pumpkin French Toast with Fig-Maple Syrup and Allspice Butter

Allspice Butter

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon ground allspice
2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Scrape into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Fig Maple Syrup

6 fresh figs, quartered
1 1/4 cups pure maple syrup

Place figs and syrup in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until the figs are soft, about 10 minutes.

Pumpkin French Toast

1/ 2 cup canned solid packed pumpkin
6 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of cloves
1/4 freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 1-inch thick slices day-old brioche
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1.Whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, milk, cream and salt in a large bowl. Place the bread in baking dish and pour the pumpkin mixture over and turn the bread to coat evenly. Let sit for 5 minutes.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place 4 slices of the bread in the pan and cook until golden brown on 1 side, about 2-3 minutes. Turn the slices over and cook until golden brown, 2-3 minutes longer. Wipe the pan out with paper towels and repeat with the remaining butter, oil and bread. Serve 2 slices per serving with a few tablespoons of the butter and some of the fig-maple syrup.

Enter Everything Pumpkin Marketplace

Easy Pumpkin Pie Squares

These spicy pumpkin bars are really easy and quick. One of my son’s favorite fall treats.

Pumpkin Pie Squares

1 package 2-layer size yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine melted and cooked
3 eggs
1 16-ounce can pumpkin
1 5-ounce can evaporated milk (2/3 cup)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Whipped cream

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. In large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, melted butter or margarine and one of the eggs, beating till combined. Reserve 1 cup of mixture.

2. Spread remaining mixture in an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan, pressing to form an even crust.

3. For the filling, in a medium mixture bowl, beat together the remaining 2 eggs, the pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar and the spice. Pour pumpkin mixture over cake crust.

TOPPING:

1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. reserved cake mix

Combine all ingredients. Sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes until set. Let cool before cutting into squares. Top with whipped cream.

Ricotta filled Pumpkin Flowers

Fiori di zucca ripieni- “Fichi”
(Filled pumpkin flowers)

This was an Italian course typical of Marradi used as breakfast during the harvest.

* Open pumpkin flowers
* 1 1/2 cups of “ricotta”
* finely chopped garlic and parsley
* 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
* 2 egg yolks

Prepare a mixture with parsley, garlic, Parmesan cheese, “ricotta” and egg yolks, then fill the flowers after having taken away the yellow pistil. Close them very carefully, dip them in flour and then dip them in a batter made with egg, flour and water. Fry them in a pan with very hot oil. It is possible to cook them in tomato sauce, by adding some mashed tomatoes and chopped garlic and parsley.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

“Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor.” Paul Hawken

Ice cream makes me happy, pumpkin makes me joyous and putting them together makes me quite satisfied. This recipe takes just a little time to enjoy on a weekend.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

2 cups milk
2-inch piece cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 cups Pumpkin Puree
3 tbsps. finely chopped stem ginger (optional)

Place the milk, cinnamon stick and allspice in a saucepan, bring to just below boiling point, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 30 minutes to infuse, then discard the cinnamon stick.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until thick and creamy, and the whisk leaves a trail when lifted. Pour the infused milk into the egg mixture, stirring well. Pour into a clean saucepan and cook gently, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon: do not allow it to boil or it will separate. Remove the mixture from the heat and pour through a fine strainer into a clean bowl. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

When the mixture is cool, stir in the cream, pumpkin puree and chopped ginger (optional) and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight if time allows.

Place the bowl in the freezer for 1 hour until the mixture is firm (1-inch around the edge). Whisk well to break down the ice crystals, then return the bowl to the freezer until it is semi-frozen. Whisk again, then freeze until firm. Alternately, pour the chilled mixture into an ice-cream machine and churn until thick, then transfer to a rigid container and freeze until firm.

Serves 8
Preparation time: 10 minutes plus chilling and infusion time
Cooking time: 10 minutes

The Pumpkin Cookbook

Pumpkin Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches. They are a hit with both kids and adults. They are made with two rich and buttery Chocolate Cookies sandwiched together with pumpkin ice cream. Lovely to look at and even more lovely to eat. In the fall, you can find Pumpkin Ice Cream at most supermarkets or you can make your own. This dessert can be made ahead of time and then you can wrap each individual sandwich in wax paper, and store them in the freezer until needed.

Now, the chocolate cookies are homemade and they combine the subtle flavor of Dutch-processed cocoa powder with sweet white chocolate chips. Because this dough freezes beautifully you may want to make the dough ahead of time and then bake the cookies Thanksgiving Day. To do this, make the dough and then roll the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and then put them in the freezer until the balls of dough are frozen. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer, place the frozen cookie balls in a freezer bag, and return to the freezer. When you want these cookies, simply place the cookie balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, preheat the oven, and then bake as directed.

If you are not familiar with Dutch-Processed or Alkalized Unsweetened Cocoa Powder it is cocoa that has been treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Because it is neutral and does not react with baking soda, it must be used in recipes calling for baking powder, unless there are other acidic ingredients in sufficient quantities used.  It has a reddish-brown color, mild flavor, and is easy to dissolve in liquids.   Its delicate flavor makes it ideal in baked goods like European cakes and pastries where its subtle flavor complements other ingredients.  Droste, Lindt, Valrhona, Poulain and Pernigotti are some popular brands.

Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).  Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.  First sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and then add to the butter and egg mixture.  Mix just until incorporated.  Fold in the the white chocolate chips or chunks.

Drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, using either a 1 1/2 – 2 inch (4-5 cm) ice cream scoop or with a rounded tablespoon.  Flatten the rounded mounds of dough slightly with your hands.

Bake for approximately 8 – 10 minutes or until the the cookies are still soft in the center but are firm around the edges.  Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before removing the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 20  – 4 inch (10 cm) cookies.

For Ice Cream Sandwiches:  Take two chocolate cookies and place a scoop of pumpkin ice cream between the two cookies.  Gently press together.  You can serve these sandwiches right away or wrap each sandwich in wax paper and place in the freezer until serving time. They can be stored in the freezer for several days.

Makes 10 ice cream sandwiches..

Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe: (www.joyofbaking.com)

Chocolate Cookies: 

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (110 grams) light brown  sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (140 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 cup (30 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (250 grams) white chocolate chips or coarsely chopped white chocolate

Pumpkin Ice Cream

For fun – add sprinkles, nuts or toffee chips as seen in Country Living Magazine.