Pumpking Pasties

I have always been intrigued by the idea of these pumpkin pasties, which I always have to include the note next to that the word "pasty" that it rhymes with "nasty".  Having had a few pasties when I was in the UK--mostly in Scotland--I was curious how it would be that a pumpkin filling wouldn't just run everywhere.  I am sure that this could be accomplished with magic, but what about in the non-wizarding world?  So I decided to just jump in and try it.  Cornstarch seemed like my best bet, since it would probably take too much flour and then the filling would be peach, not orange.  From there, I basically just added bits and pieces of pumpkin pie filling that made sense.  I was amazed at how nice these looked and how great they tasted.  Now whether they are like the ones Harry Potter ate on the Hogwarts Express, well, that I think is debatable.  But I enjoyed them. Note about how I shaped these: I have a cut and seal tool, which really saved me time and gave me a very polished finished product.  You can buy a cut and seal tool like I have here: The Pampered Chef Cut N Seal #1195

Makes 12 pasties

1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (if using homemade puree, use 1 1/2 tablespoon)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Generous dash ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves
Dash ground ginger
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3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cinnamon
3/4 cup oil
6 tablespoons water
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1-2 teaspoons sugar, for sprinkling

1. In mixing bowl, stir pumpkin and cornstarch together until cornstarch is absorbed and no lumps remain.  Stir in 1/3 cup sugar--you will notice it get a little watery with this and that is fine--cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.  Set aside.
2. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. In medium mixing bowl, toss flour with salt and cinnamon.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.  In measuring cup, measure oil and water together.  Whisk oil and water together until the mixture looks milky.  Pour liquid, all at once, into well in the center of the flour.  Stir liquid into flour until all flour is absorbed.  Divide dough into thirds and shape each third into a ball.
4. Cut two squares of waxed paper.  Place dough ball between the two sheets of waxed paper and roll out until dough is the same size as the waxed paper.  Cut large circles with a cookie cutter or your cut-and-seal instrument, turning the cutter to make a clean cut.  With one third of the dough, you should have 8 dough circles.  Any scraps between circles can be lifted and incorporated into remaining 2 thirds of dough.   Using a small cookie cutter, press a shape into 4 dough circles but do not wiggle the small cutter to cut through the dough.  Place 2 tablespoons of pumpkin mixture on the 4 dough circles without the shape cut-out, then spread the pumpkin into a disc of equal thickness to within about 1/4 inch of dough circle edge.  Use a spatula to lift a dough circle with the shape cut-out, then use your hands to place the cut-out over the pumpkin.  The edges of the bottom (no cut-out) dough circle and the top (cut-out) dough circle should be about even.  Seal edges of dough with fork or with cut-and-seal.  Lift sealed pasty onto prepared cookie sheet.  Fill, layer, seal, and transfer remaining 3 pasties from this dough.  In the process or making the pasty, the cut-out in the dough will likely free itself from the dough circle.  As long as it is in place, leave it. The cutouts allow steam to escape, but exposed filling will get leathery so leave the cut-out in as cover against that.
5. Roll out the other thirds of dough as described in step 4.  Make 4 more pasties out of each remaining dough ball as described in step 4. 
6. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons sugar over tops of pasties on cookie sheet.  Bake pasties in 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until edges are dark gold and tops are lightly browned.  Allow pasties to cool on the cookie sheet, then store in an air-tight container.  They can be frozen for 1-2 weeks or kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Pumpkin Pancakes

I really like pancakes in pretty much any form and flavor.  When I still had a cup of pumpkin left from the puree I made, I immediately earmarked it for pancakes.  I served it with Cinnamon Pecan Sauce, but they are also excellent with maple syrup or just a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

Makes 16 pancakes

2 eggs
2 1/2 cups buttermilk, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch ground cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)
2 1/2 cups flour
Shortening, for skillet

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups buttermilk and eggs.  Add in baking soda and whisk well.  Baking soda will fizz as it reacts with buttermilk.  Add sugar and shortening, whisking until shortening breaks up into bits.  Add baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and pumpkin puree and whisk well.  Stir in flour and stir until it is evenly distributed.  Use remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk to thin batter as needed (the consistency will rely a great deal on the moisture in the pumpkin, so you might need all of the 1/2 cup and you might only need 1 tablespoon) to reach desired thickness.
2. Heat skillet or griddle to medium heat.  Grease with extra shortening.  Spoon 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle or skillet and cook on one side until bubbles appear consistently throughout cake.  Flip pancake over and cook until brown on the second side.  Remove to plate or serving platter and keep in a warm place or serve immediately.

Maple Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake

The part of me that disparages anything pre-made or from a mix (other than things like ice cream topping and such) cries a little bit admitting that this cheesecake is in a pre-made crust.  And no, it doesn't taste the same as one I would have made myself.  But it did have the major selling point of being 6-8 servings, rather than the 12+ servings that I would have had if I had made this in my springform pan.  If you want the 12+ servings of a springform pan, just 1 1/2 this recipe, combine it with your favorite homemade graham cracker crust recipe, and increase the baking time to 40 minutes before you put the topping on.

With that out of the way, I will say that this cheesecake is fantastic.  I made it and even I was impressed with how good it is.  It has a creamy filling that has a good pumpkin flavor and a crunchy topping that balances it nicely and gives an extra hit of flavor.  I will definitely consider making it for Thanksgiving this year.

Serves 6-8

Packaged 9-inch graham cracker crust, without cracks or holes
2 8-oz packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon
2 eggs
2/3 cup pumpkin puree ( homemade or canned)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash ground cloves
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1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Dash cinnamon
1/3 cup pecan pieces, toasted
Whipped cream or Cool Whip, for serving

1.  In mixing bowl of a electric mixer, beat cream cheese for about 10 seconds until it is creamy.  Add sour cream and beat well.  Add brown sugar, vanilla, and bourbon.  Beat well, scraping sides of bowl as needed to incorporate everything.  Add eggs and beat until eggs are full incorporated.  Stir pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves into cream cheese mixture.  Stir this only until incorporated and do not whip.
2. Pour cheesecake mixture into prepared crust.  Set filled crust on baking sheet so you can lift it in and out of the oven easier.  Bake cheesecake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Note that, at this point, the cheesecake will not be completely done.
3. While cheesecake is baking, prepare topping.  In the bottom of a small bowl, melt butter in microwave.  Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon until mixture is crumbly.  Stir in pecans.  Set aside until cheesecake has baked 30 minutes.
4. After cheesecake has baked 30 minutes, sprinkle pecan topping evenly over top.  Return cheesecake to oven and bake for 10 more minutes or until cheesecake seems set.  Move cheesecake to cooling rack to cool completely.  Once it is room temperature, cover the cheesecake and place it in the refrigerator.  Chill for at least 2 hours or up to three days.  Cut into wedges and top with whipped cream or Cool Whip for serving.

Cinnamon Pecan Sauce

When I decided to make pumpkin pancakes, I wanted to make some kind of flavored syrup to go with them.  In the past I have made fruit sauce and had good results, but this was different. It needed to have a lot of flavor, which is what the fruit usually provides.  I was surprised that a flavor like cinnamon could carry an entire sauce.  It was really good on pancakes, but it would also be good on french toast and baked apples.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce

2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1. In small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.  Mix until cornstarch is no longer clumped and evenly distributed.  Mix in cinnamon.  Slowly stir in water.  Place saucepan on medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Once sauce is simmering, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes or until it thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.  Add maple syrup and pecans.  Stir well and return to a simmer.  Serve hot.

Technique Post: Making Pumpkin Puree

I thought I would try branching out from the usual recipes into how it is that I do some things.  Also, the recipe for pumpkin puree would be ridiculously direction-heavy, so it might as well be a different sort of post.  Anyway, I got this pumpkin from the CSA so I decided to bite the bullet and do something with it.  Last year I made puree and just froze it, then promptly made nothing out of the frozen puree.  So this year I made the puree and made stuff out of it the same day.  Much more work on that one day, but also no freezer door full of pumpkin that makes me feel guilty for not using it.  I used a food processor to make this puree.  If you don't have one, a good one can be found here: KitchenAid KFP750OB 700-Watt 12-Cup Food Processor, Onyx Black.  You don't HAVE to have a food processor to accomplish this, but I have done it with a potato masher and found that the end product is still really stringy and that it is a lot more work.

1. Prepare the Pumpkin: Cut pumpkin in half.  This is a fantastic task to accomplish with your pumpkin-carving tools or any sturdy serrated knife with a comfortable handle. Once you have two halves, scoop out the seeds and the strings holding the seeds in.  If you are feeling really industrious, feel free to save and roast the seeds.  I didn't, but I could have.

2. Bake the Pumpkin: Once you have two halves that are clean of seeds and strings, place them cut-side down in a baking dish.  I used a large Pyrex pan, but it can be anything with tall sides and enough room to hold both pumpkin halves.  Pour enough water into the pan to come up about an inch on the pumpkins. If your cut line on your pumpkin is really straight, you should also make sure that water got into the pumpkin center (that the pumpkin isn't suctioned to the pan, basically).  Place dish with water and pumpkin in a 350 degree oven and roast until pumpkin is cooked through.  For my pumpkin, this took about an hour but my pumpkin was pretty big for a sugar pumpkin.  Check it after like 30 minutes and judge from there.  Pumpkin is done when a fork can pierce the skin and flesh with minimal pressure.
3. Cool the Pumpkin: Lift the pumpkin halves up so that the cut sides are exposed and prop it up in the pan.  I did this with forks.  This is less important to the whole process, but it does help the pumpkin cool faster so I recommend it.  Allow the pumpkin to cool until you can handle it with your bare hands.

4. Puree the Pumpkin: The pumpkin is now baked, soft, and cooled.  Use an ice cream scoop or soup spoon to scoop the meat from the skin of the pumpkin.  Try to not scrap hard enough to pull up pumpkin skin--it is hard and doesn't taste great--but if you do just take it off the scrapings.  Scoop the pumpkin meat into the bowl of a food processor.  Depending on your food processor and your pumpkin, you might need to make the actual puree in batches.  There is usually a "max fill" line on a food processor bowl and, for this project, I would really recommend using it.  You don't want lumpy puree.  Once your pumpkin meat is all in the processor or your bowl is full to the max fill line, affix lid and process pumpkin.  The actual puree will appear in seconds.  Scrap the sides of the processor down and give it a few more whirls, just to make sure it is smooth.
5. Use the Pumpkin: You now have puree.  If your pumpkin was anything like my pumpkin, you probably have a lot of puree (my pumpkin ended up being about 4 cups of puree).  Something you might notice is that homemade puree tends to be yellower and looser than the canned that you buy in the store.  This isn't wrong, it's just a different product.  The recipes that you will find for pumpkin on this site have generally been made with homemade puree not because I hate canned, but more because I tend to have pumpkins to deal with and create recipes to do just that.  Homemade and store-bought can usually be used interchangeably in things like pies, breads, and most cakes.  Just be aware that these recipes might turn out a little looser with homemade puree. I would not really recommend using homemade puree for cookies as it is, since the cookies will probably spread because of the extra moisture in the puree.  If you want to use homemade puree for such a recipe, I would recommend adding about 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch for every cup of homemade puree to help combat the loose-ness.  Another really important note here: you should not can homemade pumpkin puree.  Freeze it yes, can it no.  The USDA does not recommend home canning of pumpkin because the acid content of pumpkin is not high enough and the puree is dense enough to prevent the center from reaching the necessary temperature to kill bacteria and to prevent the growth of botulism.  If you make your puree and don't use it that day, it can be kept in a refrigerator for about a week and a freezer for about a year.  Or you can just use it right away, like I did, and have a whole bunch of delicious pumpkin products in your house.

Week 17 Box

This was the last box that we will get this year, the newsletter this week informs me.  It was a little strange in its proportions (for example, the box had one brussell sprout in it) and a lot of it was already of a somewhat-questionable freshness.  Many of the sweet potatoes have already been thrown away because they were already moldy.  What is listed below is what I saved.  It should also be mentioned that the herbs listed here are actually from my mom's garden, so they were in extremely plentiful quantities.

• Carrots
• Garlic bulb
• Sugar pumpkin
• Butternut squash
• Oregano
• Basil
• Thyme