Tag Archives: pumpkin

Pumpkin Biscotti with Cranberries and Pecans

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Back home in Minnesota I baked, at the very least, twice a week. I was always in the kitchen experimenting. My pantry was always stocked with baking essentials. Fall has always been my favorite season for baking. Now that I’m in Houston I don’t have the time or resources to bake as often. It makes me sad because I have so many recipes saved that I want to try. My goal for this coming weekend is bake one of those recipes. The difficult part will be choosing just one or two recipes.

Around this time last October I made pumpkin biscotti. My original post can be found here, but I am posting again because I think it deserves another chance in the spotlight.

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Pumpkin Biscotti with Cranberries and Pecans

Pumpkin Biscotti with Cranberries and Pecans

Biscotti are popular crisp Italian cookies that are traditionally made with just flour, sugar and eggs. In this version, pumpkin puree, warm spices, pecans and cranberries are mixed into the dough for maximum fall flavor. A coat of melted dark chocolate bring the cookies to an even more addicting level. The best way to enjoy these cookies is dipping them into a strong cup of coffee.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups of flour
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin spice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of pumpkin purée
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
    • Optional for Decorating:
  • 12 oz dark or white chocolate chips
  • sprinkles or colored sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and spices into a large bowl.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract.
  4. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Give it a stir to generally incorporate the ingredients, the dough will be crumbly.
  5. Flour your hands and a clean kitchen surface and lightly knead the dough.
  6. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
  7. Form the dough into a large log, roughly about 15-20 inches by 6-7 inches. The loaves should be relatively flat, only about 1/2 inch high.
  8. Bake for 22-30 minutes at 350 F, until the center is firm to the touch. {Feel free to also form two smaller logs for cute two-bite biscotti; just cut the baking time to 18-24 minutes.}
  9. Let biscotti cool for 15 minutes and then using a serrated knife cut into 1 inch wide pieces.
  10. Turn the oven to 300 F and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
  11. Cool completely. {Biscotti may be still a tad moist and chewy, so if you prefer it crisp let it sit uncovered overnight in a dry space.}
  12. If decorating cookies, carefully melt chocolate chips in the microwave in a deep bowl.
  13. Dip biscotti halfway into the chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with colored sugar.
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Hopefully I’ll have some new recipes to share this weekend :-)

DIY: Pumpkin Spice Lattes

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As soon as September hits I, like many people, starting thinking about cooler temps, the changing leaves and pumpkin. One of the most popular uses for pumpkin at this time of the year is in coffee drinks. Starbucks rolled out their beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte on September 6th.  This year I’m on a tight budget so I can’t afford to buy lattes at Starbucks on a frequent basis. I came up with this homemade version of a pumpkin spice latte to satisfy my craving. I stumbled upon a cool technique to make frothy milk without a milk steamer. Adding hot milk to a blender makes it frothy so when you pour it into the mug it creates a foam layer.

I’m pleased with the way the latte turned out. I think the key is to use very strong coffee. Also, I don’t like my drinks to be too sweet so if you try this recipe, you might want to add extra sugar if it’s not sweet enough for you. Another option is to use a liquid vanilla coffee creamer in place of the evaporated milk. The latte will be richer and sweeter.

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Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 8 oz cup

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Pumpkin and fall go together like peanut butter and jelly. For many people September and the arrival of pumpkin spice lattes marks the unofficial start of the season. There's no need to run to the closest coffee shop- try making your own version at home with this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup pure pumpkin, canned
  • 1/3 cup evaporated milk, fat free
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 cups milk of choice
  • 2 cups very strong coffee

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, whisk together pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin spice.
  2. Add milk, whisking together and bring to a simmer.
  3. Simmer for a 5 minutes. Do not let the milk boil!
  4. Remove the pan from the heat.
  5. Add 1/3 of the hot milk mixture to a blender. Blend for about a minute until the milk becomes frothy. (BE VERY CAREFUL. Hot liquid expands so you want to make sure there is room in the blender. Fill to no more than halfway. If you fill it too full you will have a mess of hot pumpkin milk all over your kitchen ceiling.)
  6. Pour half a cup of coffee into each mug.
  7. Top the coffee with the frothy milk.
  8. Finish it off with a sprinkle of pumpkin spice.
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{From the Archives} Cranberry Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

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Yesterday I was browsing my old recipe archives and came across so many recipes I had forgotten about. I decided to start posting them on here so that I could share them with everyone. It works out well since I may not have a lot of time to experiment in the kitchen these next couple of months.  At least I can still share recipes this way.

The first recipe is fitting for this time of year because it involves one of my favorite fall ingredients-pumpkin. I love pumpkin everything, but I think pumpkin muffins may be my favorite treat. I baked these muffins a few years ago. I remember them being delicious- I can’t believe I forgot about them! I even found a picture I took at that time (sorry for the poor quality).

The original recipe was inspired by Ellie Krieger’s Pumpkin muffins.  I followed her recipe almost exactly but made a few modifications and mixed in dried cranberries and chocolate chips. The resulting muffin is delicious. They are light and airy, yet have a satisfying crunch.

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 cup whole grain pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp pumpkin spice

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp molasses

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup skim milk

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt, and spice.

In a large bowl, mix together sugar, molasses, oil, eggs, and maple extract.

Mix in the flour in 2 batches, alternating with the milk.

Fold in dried cranberries and chocolate chips.

Distribute batter evenly into 12-cup muffin tin (make sure to fill to the top!).

Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over each muffin.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Let cool for 15 minutes.

Each muffin has about 225 calories.

Bonus: Pumpkin is considered a “super food”.

  • Extremely high in fiber
  • Low in calories
  • Contains lots of disease-fighting nutrients, including potassium, pantothenic acid, magnesium, carotenoids, and vitamins C and E.
  • Don’t throw away the green seeds! Pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas) are one of the most nutritious seeds. They are a great source of minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron and copper. In addition, pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein and vitamin K. And they add a delicious crunch to baked goods, salads, and granola.
  • A 1/4 cup serving of pumpkin seeds contains 8.5 grams of protein and 5 mg of iron.