Sugar Pie Pumpkins

sugar pie pumpkinsSugar pie pumpkins can be roasted in the oven, and the cooked flesh used in cookies, muffins, pies or biscuits.  One easy winter squash or pumpkin roasting technique is to just wash the squash thoroughly, knock off the stem (or not!), and stick the whole thing in the oven.  Putting it on a roasting dish or pan is a good idea too, as juices can escape while it’s cooking.  Depending on its size, the entire pumpkin  will cook in about an hour; you’ll know it’s done when its easily pierced with a fork.

Remove the cooked squash, halve it, and when cooled, remove the seeds and mash by hand or transfer to a blender or food processor to make a puree.  The skins are edible, so be sure to blend those up too!  Pumpkin puree also freezes well.

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Pumpkin Cornmeal Biscuits

1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups Nash’s white flour
1/2 cup Nash’s cornmeal (either coarse or medium grind)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider or apple juice

Preheat the oven to 425 and oil a baking sheet. Cut the butter into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Sift in the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the brown sugar and mix until lump-free.

In a blender or food processor, combine the pumpkin puree and the cider or juice. Pour into the flour mixture and stir briefly, just until well blended. Drop the biscuits by 1/4 cups onto the baking sheet 1-2 inches apart.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until puffed and very slightly brown around the edges and a toothpick tests clean. Serve immediately.

This seasonal recipe comes from the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics cookbook.

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Pumpkin Pie Using a Fresh Pumpkin

sugar pie pumpkins

Pumpkin pie from real organic pumpkins is easier than you think!

Best served barely warm, with freshly whipped cream kissed with maple syrup and vanilla.

1 medium sugar pumpkin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie (see below)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup honey, warmed slightly for easy pouring and mixing
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

To Roast/Prepare the Pumpkin:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds. Lightly oil the cut surface. Place cut-side down on a glass baking dish or baking sheet with four rimmed sides. Bake until the flesh is tender when poked with a fork (usually about one-half hour to 45 minutes). Cool until just warm. Scoop out the cooked flesh from the skin and puree.

For the Pie:
Increase oven preheat temperature to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). In large bowl, blend together 2 cups pumpkin puree, spices, and salt. Beat in eggs, honey, milk, and cream. Pour filling into pie shell. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes at the new temperature, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge of pie comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Options:
Reducing the amount of honey to 3/4 allows the pumpkin flavor to come out more in this recipe, and also makes it less sweet.

Instead of baking in a pie crust, bake it in greased custard cups or pie dish. The result will be gluten-free pumpkin custard!

If you want to make the pie or custard extravagant, mince up candied ginger and spread a layer on the bottom of the crust, or bottom of the dish, before filling.

Exclude milk as desired, and substitute soy, rice or almond milk.

Pie Crust
2/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into half-inch pieces
2 cups of flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
6-7 tablespoons cold water

In the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor, pulse the butter, flour, salt, and sugar until the butter is the size of peas. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, while mixing on low. When the dough just barely starts to come together, turn off the mixer and stop adding water. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly until the dough is cohesive. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes.

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Pumpkin Curry with Field Peas and Tuna

Nash’s green field peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced onion
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 pumpkin, cut, roasted & pureed
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cauliflower, roasted & diced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons tamari sauce
1 can Cape Cleare tuna
Cilantro
Lime zest

Prepare field peas according to instructions on container.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in plum tomato and pumpkin puree. Cook, stirring frequently, until pumpkin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry powder, and cayenne pepper; simmer for 20 minutes. Add cauliflower, lime juice, and tamari. Add 1 can drained tuna, simmer until cooked, 10 minutes, and serve with field peas. Top with cilantro and lime zest.

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Pumpkin Butter

Carving pumpkins

‘Tis the season for pumpkin everything — including pumpkin butter on your morning toast!

4 1/2 cups pumpkin or winter squash puree
1 1/4 cups honey
1/2 cup apple cider
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook 45 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Let cool and store in the fridge. Great on toast, in oatmeal, on sandwiches, and anything else that tickles your fancy!

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Pumpkin-Apple Soup with Camp Fire Cheese

Cheese from Mt Townsend Creamery

Smoked cheese plus an autumnal soup makes for warm fuzzies on a cool day.

4 pounds pie pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 large sweet-tart apples, such as empire, cameo or braeburn, unpeeled, cored and cut into eighths
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh sage
6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss pumpkin (or squash), apples, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread evenly on a large-rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once, for 30 minutes. Stir in sage and continue roasting until very tender and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Transfer about one-third of the pumpkin (or squash) and apples to a blender along with 2 cups broth. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a Dutch oven and repeat for two more batches. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and heat through over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to prevent splattering, for about 6 minutes. Serve each
portion topped with hazelnuts and a generous amount of shredded Camp Fire cheese
from Mount Townsend Creamery.

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Pumpkin Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup hazelnuts, chopped and toasted

Preheat the oven to 350.

Grease a loaf pan with melted butter.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs.

Add the water, sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, and vanilla, mixing after each addition.

Now mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Add the hazelnuts and stir to combine.

Pour the batter into the pan and tap the sides to settle the batter.

Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan.

Slice and serve.

We thank The Art and Soul of Baking in the Sur La Table series for this recipe.

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Pumpkin Ginger Nut Muffins

What I love about these quick bread pumpkin muffins is that they are so easy to throw together, and so hard to mess up. You can mix everything by hand with a wooden spoon, don’t need an electric mixer. Baking soda and eggs are the leavening agents, so you don’t have to worry about old baking powder that refuses to rise. The one cup of pumpkin purée can come from a can, or from leftover baked squash, any winter squash will do – butternut squash, acorn, pumpkin – they’ll all work. If you don’t like nuts, keep them out. If you like raisins, add them in. The ginger gives the pumpkin a nice spicy kick, but if you don’t like ginger, skip it. This pumpkin muffin recipe is very flexible. Serve freshly baked, warm, and if you really want to be indulgent, with a little butter, once you’ve broken them open.

1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
2 tablespoons well chopped candied ginger

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda.

Mix the pumpkin, melted butter, eggs, 1/4 cup water and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Fold in the candied ginger and chopped nuts.

Spoon mixture into a prepared muffin tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Cool on a rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

We thank Elise from SimplyRecipes.com for this recipe.

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Sweet Pumpkin Cookies

Organic pumpkin

Cookies?!? You never told me I could make cookies out of pumpkin! I gotta try this!

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups Nash’s white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt, and add to the mixing bowl. Stir well to form a soft batter. Stir in the chopped nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a large, baking sheet (or two smaller ones), allowing space for the cookies to spread as they bake. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and the cookies begin to brown slightly on the bottom. Transfer to a cooling rack or plate. Enjoy!

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Whole Grain Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkins in the field

These pumpkins are now ripe, cured, and ready to entertain your tastebuds!

Makes two pies.

Step 1: Select pumpkin or winter squash and wash, cut in half and remove seeds. Bake in oven at 350 for 45-90 minutes until soft. Let cool.

Step 2: Scoop out the cooked pumpkin, and drain if too watery.

Step 3: Make the pie crusts. You’ll need:

  • 2 cups Nash’s soft white wheat flour
  • 2 sticks butter, sliced and frozen
  • Pinch of salt (optional)
  • 3-5 tablespoons ice-cold water

In food processor add flour, salt and butter and pulse until mixed. Add 1 tablespoon ice-cold water at a time until a ball forms. Take care not to let the dough get too wet or to overwork it. Separate dough into 2 balls and cover and refrigerate until ready to roll out crust. If you don’t own a food processor, no worries. You can do the crust by hand with a pastry cutter or fork.

Roll dough ball out on a floured surface to fit your pan, about a 12″ circle for a 9″ pie pan. Place rolled dough over a buttered pie dish and press in, crimp or flute edge.

Step 6: Make the filling. You’ll need:

  • 1 cup sugar (1 1/4 cup honey may be substituted)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • (or 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice instead of above spices)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 cups cooked pumpkin or winter squash
  • 12 ounces liquid, such as local Dungeness Valley Creamery milk, canned evaporated milk, or milk substitutes such as coconut milk or almond milk

Mix all filling ingredients well in hand mixer or blender.

Step 7: Fill the crust. You may choose to parbake the crusts for 3 minutes before filling. Pour filling into crust from 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the top. Bake at 425 F for the first 15 minutes then turn down to 350 F and bake another 45 to 60 minutes, until a blunt knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 8: Let cool and enjoy! Ideas for excess filling: make french toast, muffins, or bake without a crust. You may choose to save the pumpkin seeds for planting next year or to roast in the oven for a snack.

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