Spicy pumpkin soup / Soupe de courge aux �pices

For six / pour six personnes

2 onions, sliced / oignons, coup�s en tranches

1.5 kilo pumpkin, chopped in large pieces / courge, coup�e en gros morceaux

3 cloves garlic, chopped / gousses d�ail, h�ch�es

2 teaspoon ground coriander / c�c de coriandre moulu

1 teaspoon ground cumin / c�c de cumin moulu

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg / c�c de muscade moulue

olive oil, salt, pepper / huile d�olive, sel, poivre

About 75 cl water or stock to cover / vers 75 cl d�eau ou bouillon � couvrir

To garnish: cream, parsley and garlic / Pour garnir: cr�me fraiche et persillade

Saut� the onion in a little olive oil until soft and transparent. / Faire revenir l�oignon dans l�huile d�olive jusqu�� ce qu�ils soient doux et transparents.

Add the garlic and spices and saut� for a minute. / Ajouter l�ail et les �pices et sauter pour une minute.

Add the pieces of pumpkin, stir and cover with water or stock. Add salt and pepper. / Ajouter les morceaux de courge, m�langer avec les �pices et couvrir de l�eau ou du bouillon.

Simmer for half an hour and liquidise. Mijoter pour une demie heure et m�langer dans un mixeur.

Serve with a swirl of cream and chopped parsley (and chopped garlic if you wish). / Servir garnie de cr�me fraiche et de persillade.

Pumpkin / courge au gratin

 

A simple first course or light lunch.

2 servings as a main dish, 4 as a first course / pour 2 personnes, ou une entr�e pour 2

750 gm pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks / courge, �pluch� et coup� en morceaux

4 cloves garlic / gousses d�ail

100 gm blue cheese / fromage bleu

olive oil, salt, pepper / huile d�olive, sel, poivre

Roast the pieces of pumpkin, sprinkled with salt, with the olive oil and garlic cloves, in an oven dish in the oven for an hour at 180 degrees C.  Pur�e them in a liquidiser or food processer.  /  Faire cuire les morceaux de courge, saupoudr� de sel, avec les gousses d�ail et l�huile d�olive, dans un plat � four au four pour une heure � 180 C.  Faire une pur�e des morceaux dans un mixeur.

Put the pumpkin pur�e in greased individual dishes or an oven-proof serving dish, and cover with pieces of cheese.  Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.  Return to the oven until the cheese has melted.  /  Mettre la pur�e de courge dans des plats individuels ou un plat � four et mettre des morceaux de fromage audessus.  Saupoudrer du poivre noir moulu.  Mettre au four jusqu�� les morceaux de fromage soient fondus.

Serve with bread.  /  Servir accompagn� du pain.

Show - {Pumpkin Cupcakes}

I'm not particularly creative when it comes to Halloween costumes. To be completely honest, I am so bad at it that I don't even deserve the privilege of using the word "particularly" in that last sentence.True fact.I hardly remember any of my past costumes, which is probably due to the fact that the eve of October 31st is often bitterly cold and rainy in Michigan. Let me tell you something:

Pumpkin Black Bottoms

Ingredients:
for the filling:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
6 oz miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg, at room temperature

for the batter:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
for the filling:
Cream together the pumpkin, cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg until well mixed. Fold in chocolate chips. Set aside.

for the batter:
Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda in a large bowl. Add water, oil, vanilla and vinegar. Beat VERY thoroughly. Line mini muffin pans. Fill pans less then 2/3 full with chocolate batter. Do not overfill. Drop approximately 1/2 teaspoon of the filling on top. Bake on the center rack for 20 minutes or until toothpick stuck in the center of a center cupcake comes out clean. Cool briefly in the pans on a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Yield: 6 dozen

My thoughts:

Black bottoms are a major holiday tradition in my family. My mom has been making pretty much the same recipe since I was born. She even makes a double or triple batch (216 black bottoms!) and freezes and gives them away. I generally stick to the six dozen which is still a lot. They do freeze so I just stash whatever we don't eat in the freezer. Having a pan that makes two dozen at a time helps too. Anyway, I realized I hadn't made a treat for Halloween yet so I thought I'd try making a fall version of our usual black bottom. It turned out so well! Sort of a cross between the pumpkin cheesecake brownie I created a few years ago and our traditional black bottom. Delicious and seasonal.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:
6 oz semisweet chips
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, at room temperature


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Add the pumpkin, vanilla and sugar into a large bowl. Stir together. Add the egg, beat until fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and oatmeal. Mix until well combined. Fold in the chips. Place tablespoon sized blobs of dough on the lined cookie sheet about 1/2 inch apart and bake for 12 minutes or until they look "set" and the bottoms are just golden. Carefully pull the cookies-still on the parchment paper- onto a wire rack to cool for five minutes. Remove the cookies from the parchment paper to the wire rack and cool completely.

Yield: about 2 dozen cookies

My thoughts:

It is that time of year again; when I explore making things with pumpkin without pumpkin pie spice. Long time readers should know the deal, I like pumpkin (and other winter squash) but pumpkin pie is on my do not eat list (along with cantaloupe and ketchup, yuck). So I try to use pumpkin in other ways. These cookies are especially fun because they are both pumpkin-y and really low in fat because I didn't use butter, just pumpkin. The result? A moist, chewy cookie with a great pumpkin flavor.

Autumnal Turkey Chili

Ingredients:
3 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
30 oz canned kidney beans, drained
15 oz canned cubed tomatoes
6 ounces tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 (jarred) fire roasted red pepper
1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo, minced
1 Bosc pear, diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground chipotle
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground jalapeno
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
Place all ingredients in 1 4 quart slow cooker, stir to evenly distribute all ingredients. Cook on low 6 hours.

My thoughts:

I've made a lot of chili over the years. I love making it in the slow cooker most of all because it is just so easy. The flavors meld wonderfully, it is impossible to overcook and frees up my time. If I use leftover cooked meat and cut the vegetables up the night before it takes virtually no effort the day I make it. I even put the spices in the (cold) slow cooker the night before so I just dump everything else in and stir. For this chili I decided to add the decidedly nontraditional ingredients of pumpkin and pear. I had this teeny amount of pumpkin puree in my refrigerator that was taking up entirely too much room so I tossed that in, then I spotted a pear starting to turn and on impulse peeled and cubed it and added that to the mix. It was a gamble that paid off. I used spices vaguely inspired by Cincinnati chili and the pumpkin/pear combo added to the subtle sweetness. When my unsuspecting husband tried the chili he couldn't discern what the the secret ingredients were but he raved over the flavor. It is just a really rich, robust and very autumnal flavored chili.

Whipped - {Salted Caramel and Pumpkin Macarons}

A number of weeks ago, I completely lost my "macaron mojo." I turned out batch after batch of failed macs, finding myself more disappointed and discouraged as I scraped the cracked, bubbly and caramelized discs from their sheets. Truthfully, ragged, split and misshapen shells are no different from those that assume the proper rise and form, but these were no ordinary mistakes. What I'd been

Pumpkin & Cinnamon Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar, divided use
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
4 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks cinnamon

Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, milk and cream until the sugar dissolves and the mixture almost boils, about 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, salt and the egg yolks until it forms a ribbon and is yellow and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add about a 1/2 cup of the cream mixture into the eggs and whisk to combine. Pour the egg/cream mixture into the cream mixture on the stove. Add the cinnamon sticks and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.



Allow to cool on the counter then cover and place in the refrigerator to cool completely or overnight. Then remove the cinnamon sticks, stir in the pumpkin. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into an ice cream maker (I use this one) and churn until cold and set. Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze until solid.

My thoughts:

I love making ice cream because I can make it exactly as I'd like it. Not too sweet and unless it is chocolate, more subtle tasting than most commercial ice creams. This ice cream fits the bill perfectly. While the ice cream itself is rich and custard-y, the pumpkin flavor is light and fruity. Using cinnamon sticks infuses the ice cream with just the right amount of spice and none of the gritty texture ground spices can give ice cream. I loved it. A great alternative to serving vanilla ice cream with pie or making pumpkin pie.

It is worth it take a second to whisk it through a sieve before adding it to the ice cream maker just in case any bits of the cinnamon stick or chunks of pumpkin are present.

Pumpkin and mussel soup / Soupe de courge et de moules

 

Serves 2 / pour 2 personnes

750 gm pumpkin, peeled and chopped / courge, �pluch�s et coup� en morceaux

1 onion, chopped / oignon, hach�

3 cloves garlic, chopped / gousses d�ail, hach�es

1 Spanish sweet red chorizo pepper, chopped, or some paprika / piment doux espagnol, hach�, ou de piment doux moulu

a sprig of thyme / un brin de thym

salt, olive oil / sel, huile d�olive

500 gms mussels / moules

1 glass of white wine / verre de vin blanc

Saut� the onion and pumpkin in the olive oil until lightly browned.  Cover with water, add the garlic, thyme, salt and red pepper.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove the thyme and liquidise the soup.

Faire dorer l�oignon et le courge dans un peu d�huile d�olive.  Couvrir de l�eau, ajouter l�ail, le thym, le sel et le piment doux.  Mijoter pour 30 minutes.  Enlever le thym et melanger la soupe dans un mixer.

Cook the mussels in the wine.  Drain and add them to the soup.

Faire cuire les moules au le vin.  Egoutter les moules et les ajouter � la soupe.

Serve hot with crusty bread.  /  Servir chaude accompagn�e du pain.

Pot-roasted guinea fowl / Cuisses de pintade r�ties � la cocotte

 

Serves 2 / pour 2 personnes

2 guinea fowl legs / cuisses de pintade

4 cloves garlic, peeled, whole /  gousses d�ail, �pluch�es, enti�res

50 gm raisins / raisins sultan�s

3 bay leaves / feuilles de laurier sauce

1 sprig of thyme / brin de thym

1 glass of white wine, dry or moelleux (slightly sweet) / verre de vin blanc, sec ou moelleux

12 juniper berries / baies de geni�vre

salt, pepper / sel, poivre

olive oil / huile d�olive

Brown the guinea fowl legs in a little olive oil in a cast iron cocotte.  /  Faire dorer les cuisses de pintade dans un peu d�huile d�olive dans une cocotte.

Add the raisins, garlic, herbs and juniper berries and then the wine, salt and pepper.  Bring to the boil and then simmer gently with the lid on for about 45 minutes.  / Ajouter les raisin sultan�s, l�ail, les herbes et les baies de geni�vre, et puis le vin, le sel et le poivre.  Faire bouiller et puis faire cuire, couvert, � feu doux pour 45 minutes.

Remove the guinea fowl legs and keep hot.   Reduce the sauce a little.  The garlic cloves will be soft by now and can be mixed into the sauce. /  Enlever les cuisses de pintade et les garder chauds.  Reduire la sauce un peu.  Les gousses d�ail seront douces et on peut les m�langer dans la sauce.

Serve the guinea fowl with the sauce and roast pumpkin and potatoes.  /  Servir les cuisses de pintade accompagn�es de la sauce, du courge r�ti et des pommes de terres r�ties.

Pumpkin Five Spice Sweet Rolls

Ingredients:

for the rolls:
4 cups flour
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1/3 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 oz dry yeast
2 eggs, at room temperature

for the filling:
4 to 5 tablespoons butter, creamed
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons Chinese 5 spice powder*

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the water. Using an electric mixer with a dough hook combine the yeast, butter, sugar, egg and pumpkin. Add the flour and mix on low until smooth. The mixture should become a sticky dough at this time but it shouldn't feel damp or look wet. If it does, mix in a small amount of flour. Knead on a floured surface or in a stand mixer until smooth (but still slightly sticky).

Place the ball of dough in a buttered bowl. Cover with a tea towel or loose plastic wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes or until it doubles in size. It is okay if it rises longer or higher than that.

Preheat oven to 350. Remove dough from bowl and place on a clean, floured surface.



Roll the dough out in a large, 1/3 inch thick rectangle.



Spread the creamed butter over dough in a thin layer reaching all of the edges.





In small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and 5 spice powder. Sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough.



Roll dough into a tight log. Cut into 1 inch thick slices.




Discard the end slices if they are very small. Gently reshape each roll so they are round again.



Place in three 9 inch round cake pans that have been lightly sprayed with nonstick baking spray, forming a circle with one roll in the middle.




Allow to rise about 1/2 hour until they are about level to the top of the cake pan.




Bake for 15 minutes, then check to see if they are done. Pay careful attention to the creases where the rolls touch each other, you don't want any pockets of raw dough! Return to oven to fully cook as needed. Remove to a wire rack to cool for a minute then invert and ice.

Excellent with cream cheese sweet roll icing.

*I bought my bottle at H Mart (a Korean grocery store with lots of pan-Asian ingredients) but even McCormick makes a version now, so it is easily found at most grocery stores.


Yield: about 14 rolls

My thoughts:

This recipe took sort of a circuitous route into existence. I try to only post seasonal recipes and this time of year my most popular and favorite recipes to make always involve pumpkin, so I wanted to come up with a new way of using pumpkin.

I had been thinking about making pumpkin 5 spice ice cream until I decided that the flavor (five spice powder is a mixture of cinnamon, star anise, cloves, ginger and Sichuan peppercorn) might be better suited to a twist on the traditional cinnamon roll.

I really liked the idea of the five spice-pumpkin ice cream but wasn't confident that it would be good enough to post. I know that ice cream made with a ground spice often ends up with an unappetizing grainy texture so I had planned to break down the powder into the specific ingredients and use whole cloves, star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, cinnamon sticks and ginger and strain them out. However, I was worried that the flavor of so many whole spices might overpower the pumpkin. Five spice ice cream still sounds great (and I can't wait to make it) but for this recipe I really wanted the pumpkin flavor to be present and distinct. So I decided against it but was still in love with the idea of the five spice-pumpkin combination; five spice is similar to the traditional pumpkin pie spices but a little fresher and more dynamic.

I think I couldn't have come up with a better recipe incorporating five spice powder and pumpkin than these rolls. The fresh, pumpkin flavor is distinct but contained in the dough and is a great contrast to the distinctive flavor provided by the five spice powder in the sugar mixture. They are wonderfully addictive. We couldn't even wait for the them to cool before we devoured several. Really, they are better than any cinnamon roll I've ever had.

The dough is very soft and easy to work with; it rolls out like a dream. And while, yes, this recipe isn't exactly healthy, unlike a lot of sweet roll recipes, it only calls for 4 tablespoons of butter in the dough (unlike the 1/2 to 1 cup I've seen in cinnamon bun recipes) and I was able to get by with only 4 tablespoons in the filling. Not bad for a sweet roll that tastes so decadent.

Pumpkin Coconut Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 egg, at room temperature
5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour or spray (with baking spray with flour) 1 loaf pan. In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the coconut milk, egg and pumpkin, mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with coconut if desired. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan about 5 minutes then invert to a wire rack.

My thoughts:

It has been an incredibly long time since I've made a quick bread. Looking back through the archives, I see that I made a lot of them back in 2007 but the last couple years have been filled mainly with muffins and yeast raised doughs. But! I have nothing against the quick bread so here I am with a new recipe. I personally abhor pumpkin pie (it is one of the three foods I refuse to eat under any circumstances) but I don't mind actual pumpkin so every year I try and find new non-pumpkin pie-y ways to use it. I've made pumpkin muffins, pumpkin corn bread, pumpkin pancakes and my favorite: pumpkin cheesecake brownies. This bread creeps a bit into the "dessert for breakfast" category but makes a great snack! Coconut and pumpkin go together suprisingly well and the bread is rich and very moist.

Autumn supper / d�ner d'automne

Griddled Chicory with blue cheese /

Endives � la plancha au fromage bleu

(for 2 / pour 2)

2 heads of chicory / endives

100 gm blue cheese / fromage bleu

olive oil / huile d'olive

salt, pepper / sel, poivre

balsamic vinegar / vinaigre balsamique

Cut the chicory heads in quarters lengthwise. Brush with olive oil and grill on a hot griddle for 3 or 4 minutes, turning once.

Coupez les endives en quatre. Enduisez-les de huile d'olive et grillez-les � la plaque chauffante pour 3 ou 4 minutes, en les retournant une fois.

Arrange on a plate and add cubes of blue cheese (we used Bleu d'Auvergne, but you can use any blue cheese). Season and add a dash of balsamic vinegar

Mettez les endives sur un plat et ajoutez les d�s de fromage blue. Assaisonez-les et ajoutez un fil de vinaigre balsamique.

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Pumpkin gratin / gratin de citrouille

(for 2 / pour 2)

500 gm pumpkin / citrouille

3 cloves garlic / gousses d'ail

olive oil / huile d'oliv

salt, pepper, ground cumin seeds /sel, poivre, graines de cumin

Peel the pumpkin and cut into large pieces. Put on a baking tray with the garlic, some olive oil and some sea salt. Roast at 200 C for about 40 minutes, turning occasionally.

�pluchez la citrouille et coupez-la en grands morceaux. Mettez-les sur une plaque de four avec l'ail, de l'huile d'olive et du sel de mer. Faites-les cuire au four � 200 C pour 40 minutes, en les retournant de temps en temps.

Pur�e the pumpkin with the garlic and a spoonful of ground cumin seeds. Put in an oven-proof dish and cover with breadcrumbs. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Faites une pur�e de la citrouille, l'ail et une cuiller�e de graines de cumin moulues. Mettez-la dans un plat allant au four et couvrez-la de chapelure. Faites-la cuire au four pour 15 minutes.

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Tarte Tatin de figues / Fig tart Tatin

(four 4 / pour 4)

12 figs / figues

4 large spoonfuls sugar / cuiller�es de sucre

puff pastry / p�te feuillet�e

Cut the figs in quarters. Put in greased individual dishes. Add a large spoonful of sugar to each and put in the oven at 200 C for about 25 minutes.

Coupez les figues en quatre. Ajoutez une grande cuiller�e de sucre pour chaque plat.Mettez-les dans les plats allan au four individuels graiss�s de beurre � 200 C pour 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cover with pastry. Return to the oven for about 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Serve with cr�me fra�che and a glass of dessert wine or Cartag�ne.

Sortez-les du four et couvrez-les de p�te. Faites-les cuire au four pour 20 minutes, jusqu'� ce que la p�te soit dor�e. .Servez-les avec de la cr�me fra�che et un verre de vin doux ou de Cartag�ne.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Homemade Cinnamon Butter

Ingredients:
for the pancakes:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

for the cinnamon butter:
4 tablespoons butter, very softened
2 teaspoons confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon



plus additional butter for griddle

Directions:
For the cinnamon butter: thoroughly combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until use.

Whisk together all pancake ingredients together in a large bowl until just mixed. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter on a hot, buttered griddle. Cook until the top is bubbling, then flip. Cook the pancakes until the underside is golden brown, then serve with cinnamon butter.

Yield: about 8-10 pancakes

My thoughts:

People are constantly asking me who I decide what I am going to make or what inspires my recipes. Truth be told, a lot of what I make is dictated by what is on sale at the supermarket or the sudden need to use up some ingredient or another. However, there are times when what I make is inspired by the world at large-novels, things I've had in restaurants, or even movies and television.

In this instance, I was watching an episode of Gilmore Girls and in it Luke, the diner owner, announces that the breakfast special is pumpkin pancakes with homemade cinnamon butter. Now if you have been reading the blog for a while now, you'll know I am not a fan of pumpkin pie* and thus don't make too many pumpkin recipes (just in case they end up tasting like pumpkin pie) but they sounded strangely good. I do like the flavor of actual pumpkin and thought the cinnamon butter would be enough to spice it up without having to add a bunch of spices to the actual pancake. Since I got the idea from a show that is decidedly not cooking oriented, I had to come up with an entirely new recipe. Luckily I got it right on the first try and ended up with moist but fluffy pancakes with a true pumpkin flavor. The not too sweet cinnamon butter was the perfect accompaniment.

*I think it is the combination of pumpkin pie spices + pumpkin that turns my stomach, ick.


Check out these other nonpumpkin-pie-tasting pumpkin recipes:
Pumpkin Power Muffins
Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Pumpkin Cornbread


Or these tasty pancake recipes:
Gingerbread Pancakes
Coconut Pancakes with Cardamom Syrup
Rhubarb Orange Pancakes
Cranberry Pancakes

Pumpkin Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pepitas (unroasted, shelled pumpkin seeds)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray one 8x8 baking pan or an 8 inch pie tin. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and soda, sugar and salt. Beat in the pumpkin until well combined. Fold in pepitas Pour into pan and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

My thoughts:

I made this cornbread to go with the chili I made yesterday. It is really moist and fluffy and very pumpkiny. The pumpkin seeds provide a pleasant texture contrast but aren't really necessary. Don't forget to vote for best food blog in the 2007 Weblog Awards.

Pumpkin Power Muffins

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup pepitas (shelled, unsalted raw pumpkin seeds)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
additional pepitas for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 1 12 well muffin tins In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, pepitas, flax seed meal, oats baking soda and nutmeg. In a large bowl, beat together oil, buttermilk and brown sugar. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Stir in pumpkin. Add the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Divide evenly amoung the 12 wells and top with additional pepitas. Bake 15-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center muffin or bread should come out clean.

My thoughts:

Two muffin posts in a row? Normally I wouldn't make two batches of muffins back to back much less post the recipes, but after I made my oatmeal craisin muffins, Matt said that maybe next time I could make pumpkin muffins. Who knew he even liked pumpkin muffins? Anyway, despite the fact that I have zero time to be baking, I took half an hour and made these muffins while I washed some dishes. I'm not going to be able to cook at all over the next three days or so, so I thought they'd be good for breakfast over the next couple days. They are really moist and light despite being loaded up with goodies and I love the pepitas on top!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Ingredients:
2 eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3 oz unsweetened chocolate

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour or spray with baking spray one 8x8 inch baking dish. In a small pan, melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of butter together, stirring occasionally. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs and sugars until fluffy. Add the vanilla and melted butter, mix thoroughly. Add in the baking powder and flour. Beat to combine. Divide the batter into two bowls. Add the melted chocolate to one bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the cream cheese, nutmeg and pumpkin to the second bowl of batter and mix thoroughly. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared pan. Drop large spoonfuls of the chocolate batter on top and swirl throughly with a knife for a marbled look. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Slice and serve.

My thoughts:

I've had luck with cheesecake brownies in the past but wanted to make something a little more seasonal. These are really moist and flavorful brownies. Keep in mind when you make this recipe that it is pumpkin cheesecake flavored and not pumpkin pie flavored. Pumpkin has a subtle squash flavor that the tang of cheesecake compliments, but if you've only ever eaten pumpkin in pie form, it might not taste quite the way you expect. I hadn't thought of making that distinction, but that's the reaction that I've been getting from people who tried them, the brownies were great, but tasted nothing like pumpkin pie! Which, of course, they weren't supposed to-it's the spices that give pumpkin pie that distinctive taste and aroma, not the pumpkin.