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AMORTIZE HOLIDAYS-SAVE MONEY, TIME, STRESS=PRICELESS

Three posts ago I mentioned the main sales on holiday food supplies, especially baking ingredients, occur during the weeks before Thanksgiving. Taking advantage of the prices saves money and relieves stress with the knowledge that when it’s time to tackle a kitchen project, everything needed is at hand. Above all, it lessens the financial burden of the holidays by amortizing the food expenses.

Time can also be ‘amortized’ by preparing dishes as early as their recipes allow or making and preserving them, mainly by freezing. Nothing is a greater relief during the hectic holidays than realizing something is ready and waiting, without having to gorge a chunk out of your busy schedule to do it, except, perhaps, knowing the cost has been defrayed.

Personally, the idea of preparing ahead for the holidays appealed to me because as the nest emptied and family grew, the tasks didn’t increase in number, but they did in size. Fewer hands around to help meant a lot more work for me alone. Professionally, the idea intrigued me. The main function of a personal chef service is to provide meals for its clients to consume later. This combination of motives has given me the incentive for the past several years to explore how far I can push the envelope.

I always made my fruit breads and cheeses a month or more ahead, to give them time to age, using liquor as a preserving ingredient. Then I found rolled cookie batters could be prepared two weeks before baking. Next I learned that elements of stuffing could be made well in advance. Raw seasoning ingredients, celery, onion, herbs can all be chopped or blended as early as summer and frozen. Bread cubes can be toasted or fried and keep in tins for weeks as do decorated, unfrosted Christmas cookies.

All these discoveries brought welcome savings but nothing opened my eyes like a request from a fellow personal chef. She contracted to cater a wedding reception for 400 and asked for help from others in our U.S.P.C.A. chapter*. The job held some real challenges; the bride had downloaded the menu and recipes, most distinct variations on classics; the venue offered a wait staff and dining needs, linins etc., but only a ‘holding ‘ pantry, no real kitchen. All the food had to be delivered ready to serve. How the chef, an experienced caterer, solved the obvious problems doesn’t disguise the fact that most of the food had to be prepared days ahead. I learned this is normal for caterers dealing with large events and was amazed at the ways these experts in safe handling food, keep it unspoiled and fresh tasting.

Imagine being able to duplicate the catering methods for your personal holiday preparations! The first step is to review your normal seasonal routine. Do you host a major dinner; throw a party, entertain house guests, make food gifts or donate a culinary effort to a bazaar or other event? If you follow my

 

 

weekly shopping schedule you’ll know the next move is to plan your menus for each occasion and compile a detailed list of all the ingredients required. Then as you read the market flyers to plan each week’s shopping trip, if you see an item your holiday list, you make a note to get it at the sale price.

Remember though, supplies bought ahead should be kept in the original package and stored at the same temperatures as in the market. Produce, of course, needs refrigeration. If bought far in advance, or to be served out of season, consult my blog of Sept 22, 2016 on freezing fresh produce and there are more reference posts in the site archives. There are also great sales on frozen vegetables and other products now. I always bought a fresh turkey for Christmas, but having braved a blizzard five years ago, to pay three times more than the price a month earlier, I changed my ways. Now, I buy a frozen bird at Thanksgiving and store it. No one has noticed the difference and the forecast of a White Christmas doesn’t scare me.

Amortizing time with advance preparation is equally straightforward, with a few simple rules. One is never re-freeze anything without cooking it. If adding a thawed vegetable to a dish, cook it first, or cook the dish and plan to re-heat it. Be aware that most seafood, especially shellfish is frozen for transport. The only exceptions are fish your monger guarantees were caught within 24 hours and shellfish steamed in store daily. The second is that if exists in the markets’ glass cases, you can do it, but if it doesn’t there is usually a good reason, so don’t try to innovate. This is particularly true of imitation ‘diet’ and/or ‘no-cook’ cream sauces, which tend to separate when frozen,

The described process is the same for the branded cheap online viagra icks.org. Founded purchase levitra in 2005 and headquartered in Chennai, India. Why do not you take the help of the tool that does grammar check free? It corrects your piece of toilet stool! Surveys say that 80% people are suffering with cialis prescription check address constipation, digestive issues, acidity and other bothersome problems just because of wrong style of body waste through kidney, health of wounds, etc… It is the canadian viagra store simplest way to reduce incidence of urinary tract infections and will also improve overall metabolism.Enough fruits and vegetables. Tried and true menu choices are important in advance preparation and are the reason caterers offer printed lists of suggestions, but even a traditional holiday dinner comprised of family recipes usually affords some wiggle room. Updated twists aren’t always a bad thing. For example, roasted vegetables done a few days ahead can replace those cooked with the meat, saving prep time on the day of the event. Frozen vegetables can be cooked to near-doneness and kept chilled, with a little butter or flavored oil, even in their serving dishes, a few days ahead, as can current garnishes, and the two combined before or after quick re-heating. Salad ingredients can be cut and stored, chilled in water for several days and the dressings mixed weeks ahead.

Buffets are easier to prep ahead than seated dinners. Food served at table should be hot, but even roasts can be cooked ahead and served room temperature at a buffet. Casseroles and sauced meat dishes are the darlings of advance preparation. They can be cooked, frozen, thawed, reheated and still taste fresh. Of course, cold foods are a natural. They can be prepared and simply chilled until served or frozen and just thawed. No effort is needed at the last minute and minimizing the last-minute work load is one of the main reasons to do advance preparation.

Desserts are a good category to reference to illustrate the optional levels of advance food prep. Cookies, as noted, can be made 6-8 weeks ahead if stored in air-tight tins. All kinds of pastry freeze well rolled and stacked with paper dividers or lining pans, even whole unbaked fruit pies and turn-overs can

 

 

be made months ahead. However, baked pastry products only hold well for 24 hrs. After that they become soggy as the fillings lose their moisture and harden. To have these desserts table-ready, you must leave room in your schedule, as well as your oven’s, at the earliest the afternoon before, to bake the items and/or make the fillings. This can be a strain during a hectic holiday week.

So what dessert can be made ahead and produced the day of a major dinner ready to be served? Cake! Several years ago my Yule log survived Christmas dinner almost intact. I decided to freeze it to serve sliced with a bowl of whipped cream on New Year’s. I froze it uncovered for an hour to firm up the icing, then I wrapped it snugly in plastic wrap and put the whole cake, still on the platter, in a plastic bag in the freezer. I was pleased to see it looked fresh on New Year’s morning but surprised that it tasted fresh too. I served it on the original platter, without the cream, and had many compliments with no leftovers.

Now I bake my Yule logs three weeks ahead and limit my December holiday desserts to cookies and cakes. I’ve tested other cakes, layer cakes, bar cakes, even a multi-layer sponge Opera Cake, with the same great results. Planning this way allows me to take the time to be sure I do a good job creating the cakes, and it’s soooo relaxing to know the whole dessert portion of my dinner is ready and waiting. All I have to do is open the freezer.

In point of fact this feeling of freedom is a major part of the overall concept of amortizing holidays. Buying the food as it appears on sale during the preceding weeks and preparing things ahead, saves money, defrays costs and assures time for careful preparation. It provides the security of knowing what you need is on hand when you decide to start a project and the confidence of having been able to do it well, rather than rushing through slip-shod. Above all there is the comfortable assurance that everything’s y ready and you are free to enjoy the festivities.

So set yourself up right and enjoy!!

*United States Personal Chef Association

6 EASY TRICK-OR-TREAT SUPPERS

Dinner on Halloween can be a problem for those participating in Trick-or-Treat, especially parents. Trying to feed excited children, fussing over costumes and anxious to get going combined with a constantly ringing door bell is hectic. The kids don’t want to stop to eat, not even spend the time to chew much less sit down to a full plate and use utensils. They’ll only consider something they really like which is easily consumed and doesn’t drip, because one spot on a costume can cause a meltdown.

The choice of food also depends on when and how it’s served. Younger children go out early and can be fed when they return, but they want to be near the door, so it has to be something they can pick up. Older children go out later and need something filling or they’ll stave off hunger with candy. Parents either eat on the fly, or later after the porch light is off, so easy clean-up is desirable too.

In summary, the food requirements for a Trick-or-Treat friendly Halloween dinner are that the choice be; liked by the children, easily consumed with minimal mess, able to be held ready for several hours, swiftly, even self-servable, portable and with quick clean-up, but above all it needs to be satisfying and nutritious. It seems like a tall order, and it took a bit of trial-and-error for me to find my own solution. I tried casseroles based on rice and couscous, but they dried out, kept on warm, or tasted like leftovers when re-heated. Fast food is meant to be eaten fast, going soggy quickly and build-your-own buffets create a real mess. My final answer was simply soup. Thick, filling, tasty soup, served in mugs, with a platter of sandwiches on the side.

Following are 6 wonderful soup recipes perfect for the occasion; 2 based on potatoes, 2 based on vegetables and 2 based on legumes. All are easy to prepare, and can be made ahead because their taste improves with age. As for the sandwiches, picnic rules apply; no salads or ingredients that can drip or make the bread soggy; stick to slices of meat and/or cheese and chunks of fish and no lettuce that wilts and unappetizingly droops. Think avocados, hard boiled eggs, baby spinach and blanched kale, and microwaved ‘baked’ apple slices instead.* If the taste of tomatoes is essential, try mixing tomato paste in the spread or a sprinkle of chopped, oil-cured sun-dried tomatoes.

One tip on the bread too; Ciabatta, Portuguese, Telera and Kaiser rolls baked for 5 min.in a 400 deg. oven, form a crisp, almost waterproof crust that keeps the inside soft far longer than bread slices, which dry and curl. Also keeping the sandwiches covered with a dish towel retains freshness.

*Slice a peeled, cored apple in about 3 slices per quarter. Put in a small bowl with a light sprinkle of sugar and another of cinnamon. Add 1-2 Tbs. water or apple juice and microwave about 1min-1 min.30 sec. Store refrigerated in juice. This prevents the apple from browning and is a kid favorite with ham and/or cheese. These are wonderful with the chickpea soup below.

 

 

SOUPS: Using an immersion blender is the quickest, neatest way to get the proper texture

Baking Potato Soup: Serves 6
This was a favorite of mine as a child. My Mother made it ‘by feel’ and this recipe is the closest I’ve found a soup that tastes like hers.
2 lbs. baking potatoes peeled and diced
7 ½ cups chicken broth- beef, ham or vegetable are options
2 large onions – finely diced
¼ cup butter
¼ to½ cup milk or half and half – optional at end
½ bunch fresh parsley – finely chopped = 3 Tbs. dried
Chopped chives for garnish if available
Saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until very soft, but not browned. Add the potatoes, half the parsley and broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes fall apart. Mash gently, then whisk, leaving some texture to the mix. Add the rest of the parsley, a little milk if desired, and salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Potato and Corn Soup: Serves 6
1 Tbs. oil
1 onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves- crushed
7 ½ cups vegetable stock
Dash cayenne pepper or hot sauce
2 tsp. cumin
1 large sweet potato- peeled and diced
½ bell pepper finely diced
(1) 15oz. or 1 lb. can corn kernels-preferably yellow- drained
Salt and pepper
Saute the onion in the oil over medium heat until soft, about 5 min. then add the garlic and cook for 2 min. more, add the pepper or hot sauce with 1 ½ cups of the stock and simmer 10min. Dissolve the cumin in ½ cup stock and add to the pot with the potato; simmer 10 min. Stir well and add pepper, corn and remaining stock. Simmer for 10 min. allow to cool and process half the soup to a puree. Return the blended mix to the pot, stir well, season to taste with salt and pepper, reheat and serve.

Tomato and Lima Bean Soup: Serves 4
Substitute peas for the lima beans in this recipe and it becomes one the Pennsylvania Dutch call Mulligatawny, after a local river as opposed to the Indian soup of that name.

 

 

 
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(2) 15 oz. cans lima beans or green peas or 1 lb. frozen ford hooks or green peas
3 ½ cups vegetable stock
(2) 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
4 Tbs. pesto OR 1 Tbs. dried basil + pinch of garlic powder and ½ Tbs. oil
If using canned vegetables simply add them with the tomato sauce to the broth and heat. If using frozen, cook them in the broth until soft, then add the tomato sauce. Simmer for 10 min. then blend half the soup to a puree and return to the pot. Gently mash the other vegetables with a spoon to make a thick textured mix. Add the pesto, or optional ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat and serve.

Irish Yellow Broth: Serves 4
1 large –onion, carrot, celery stalk all finely chopped
2 Tbs. butter
1 pint chicken broth + ½ cup if needed
¼ cup flour
5 oz. chopped spinach = ½ a 10 oz. box
1/3 cup oatmeal-regular
2 Tbs. cream
Parsley for garnish
Saute the onion, carrot and celery until soft about 3 min. Add the flour and stir into a roux, about 1 min., then add the broth, bring to a simmer, stirring, cover and cook for 30 min. Uncover, add the spinach and oatmeal and cook for 15-20 min. stirring occasionally.( Instant can be used. In that case add the spinach and cook for 8 min. then add cereal and simmer 2-3 min. until it’s cooked.) Thin with extra broth if desired, add the cream, season with salt and pepper, stir well and serve garnished with parsley.

Chickpea and Parsley Soup: Serves 4
(2) 28 oz. cans of chickpeas drained or 1 ½ cups dried, soaked over-night and rinsed
5 cups chicken or beef stock
1medium onion – chopped
2 Tbs. oil
1 bunch fresh parsley – chopped
½ lemon juiced and rind grated
If using the dried chickpeas, cover with water and boil for 1-1 ½ hrs. until soft, drain. Process the onion and parsley into a rough paste, then sauté them in the oil for 4 min.; add the drained chickpeas and sauté for 2-3 min.; add the broth and simmer for 20 min. Mash the chickpeas with a fork until mixture is thick and chunky; add the lemon juice, stir well, reheat if needed and serve garnished with grated lemon rind.

 

 

 

 

 

French Lentil Soup: Serves 6
The beauty of lentils is that unlike other legumes they don’t have to be soaked before they’re cooked. 1 lb. bag of green lentils
1 large onion diced
3 Tbs. oil
1 large carrot thinly sliced
3 Tbs. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
½ cup red wine
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
Water to cover
Salt and pepper
Saute the onion in the oil until soft; add the carrot, tomato paste, bay leaves, lentils and water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered 1-1 ½ hr. stirring and adding more water as needed. When the lentils are cooked, add the wine, vinegar and oregano. Cook 5 min., remove bay leaves and blend a little over half the soup to a rough puree. Combine with soup in pot, stir and season with salt and pepper, reheat if necessary and serve.

GREAT SQUASH DINNER RECIPES

As I’ve mentioned in the past few weeks, pumpkin, zucchini, actually all squash are native to the Americas. The rather unique fact about them is that the seasonal varieties are interchangeable. Yellow squash and zucchini can be used in the same recipes as can the meat from the winter squash, or ‘Winter Melons’ as they’re sometimes called. The only difference is that the meat of small ones like Delicata is slightly finer textured and sweeter than that of large ones like calabasa or pumpkin. The single deciding factor in choosing them for specific dishes is the thickness of the rind. Those with harder skin, such as acorn or pumpkin, can be halved or hollowed and baked ‘in shell’ with or without content, and the cooked pulp scooped out. The ones with thin skin, like butternut or Hubbard, are easier peeled, cut in chunks and boiled then mashed, or roasted.*(See TIPS below)

Squash is an excellent food source, easily cultivated, full of nutrients, durable, and most presentations are adaptable to being served either as a side or main dish, vegetarian or with meat added. Since many varieties are now grown globally, recipes exist in every cuisine. Soups are especially popular. I have one book that lists 16 recipes. So it’s been hard to select just a few examples to illustrate the use of squash in dinner recipes. I hope the ones I have chosen will show how easy it is to create a dish using squash and how quickly the same dish can convert from side to entrée.

I’ve chosen two soups, one for hard shell squash and the other for thin skinned types. After the recipes, I’ve listed some additions to add body and suggested garnishes. The other dishes, risotto, pozole and ravioli can be sides or entrees, depending on quantity, and vegetarian or main stream with the addition of meat. In each recipe the change in purpose is a simple conversion. To see more squash recipes consult blogs for 10/8/12, 10/21/14, 10/22/15, 10/29/15 in the site archives. Click the table of contents on the Home Page header or select the month from the drop-down list in the Archives box on the right margin of each blog page.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup: Serves 6-8
3 ½ lb. pumpkin
2 Tbs. oil+ 4 Tbs.
2 onions—chopped
2 garlic cloves – chopped
3 in. piece of grated fresh ginger root
1 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. turmeric

 

 

 

Salt and pepper
1 qt. vegetable or chicken stock
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Prick pumpkin all over and rub with 2 Tbs. oil, or cut it in wedges and brush with oil. Roast in a 400 deg. oven for 45 min. until tender. Meanwhile, sauté onion, garlic and ginger 4-5 min. in the 4 Tbs. oil; add the other seasonings for 2 min. When pumpkin is cooked and cool, scoop out the flesh and add it and the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 min. Puree the soup, test seasoning and reheat to serve with cilantro and other garnishes below.

Butternut-Cider Soup: Serves 4-6*
3 lb. butternut squash- peeled, saving seeds and cut in 1 inch cubes
2 Tbs. oil
½ gal. apple cider
1 tsp. Chinese 5-Spice powder
Preheat oven to 350 deg. Toss rinsed seeds with the oil and roast on a cookie sheet for ½ hr. until golden. Over medium heat, cook the squash in the cider and seasonings until tender. Puree and add salt, pepper and more cider for a thinner soup. Reheat and serve with seeds as a garnish.
* From 500 3 INGREDIENT Recipes by Robert and Carol Hildebrand

The addition of precooked rice and/or meat to either recipe will fortify it into a full meal. Allow ¼-1/2 cup per portion.

Pumpkin Crisps are an elegant garnish for any squash dish. Using a potato peeler, slice off strips from a wedge of raw pumpkin. Fry in ½ cup oil until crisp, drain on paper towels and sprinkle over serving.
Chopped toasted Walnuts or Pecans are good garnishes, as are sour cream or yogurt when they complement the ingredients.
Orange rind, slivers or zest is a tasty seasoning garnish for most squash dishes.

Pozole: Serves 6*
4 c ups delicata squash -peeled, seeded cubed
2 large onions diced
1 Tbs. oil
2 cloves garlic- mashed
(1) 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 cups coarsely chopped bell peppers-any color
(1) 29 oz. can hominy- white or yellow
3 Tbs. minced chipotles in adobo sauce
2 tsp. lime juice

 

 

 

¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. dried oregano or sage
Saute the onions in the oil until soft and golden; add the garlic and ½ the salt and cook 2 min.. Add the tomatoes and squash and simmer 10 min. Add the bell peppers, cover and cook 15 min. until the squash is soft. Stir in the other ingredients and heat through, about 5 min. Garnish with choice of: Jack cheese, crushed tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, fresh herbs or lime wedges. Serve warm.
* Adapted from The Moosewood Restaurant New Classic Cookbook

Roasted, Curried Butternut Squash: Serves 6-8*
2 lb. butternut squash- peeled and cut in ½ inch cubes
2 Tbs. curry powder
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup toasted squash or sunflower seeds –see directions above for Butternut-Cider Soup
Toss the squash with the oil, curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 350 deg. oven until soft and brown, about 30 min. Serve hot with the seeds scattered over.
* From 500 3 INGREDIENT Recipes by Robert and Carol Hildebrand

Squash Risotto: Serves 4
2 cups cooked squash- cubed
1 small onion
2 tsp. oil
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 ¼ cups Arborio rice
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ tsp. black pepper
3 Tbs. grated Parmesan
Bring the broth to a simmer. In a separate pot, sauté the onion in the oil until soft; add the squash and mash then add the rice and 1 cup broth. Simmer until broth is absorbed and repeat until all the broth is used up and the rice is tender but still firm, about 20 min. Stir in the other ingredients and serve hot garnished with more parsley and cheese.

Squash Ravioli: Serves 4
1 lb. squash cooked and mashed until smooth
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. butter
24 wonton wrappers
Mix squash with the cinnamon. Lay out the wrappers on a flat surface and place 1 tsp. of the squash mix

 

 

 

In the center of each; top with another wrapper and dampen the edges with water and press to seal. Alternately, place ½ tsp. filling in the center and fold the wrapper over to form a triangle.
Bring 4 qts. salted water to a boil and cook the ravioli, a few at a time, until they float. Remove and drain on a plate. Melt the butter, pour over the ravioli and rewarm in a microwave before serving. Garnish with parsley and/or Parmesan.

Spinach Ravioli: Serves 4 This dish is especially good when served combined with the squash ravioli in equal amount. With or without meat the combination makes a full entrée.
(1) 10 oz. package of chopped spinach- thawed and drained
1 cup ricotta or cream cheese
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbs. butter
24 wonton wrappers
Repeat the process as directed above, substituting the spinach, mixed with the cheese and nutmeg for the ingredients in the squash recipe. Serve on the same plate with the squash ravioli using the full 4 Tb. butter as a sauce.

Stew in a Pumpkin: Serves
This is a favorite recipe of mine, and one I’ve even featured in a post on reasonably priced dinners. It’s great for a weekend or a dinner party at this season.
Original Recipe Stew in a Pumpkin; Serves 6
3 Tbs. butter
2 lbs. beef for stew cubed
3 Tbs. cornstarch
2 large onions diced
3 tomatoes chopped
2 Tbs. butter
¼ tsp. EACH salt and pepper
3 cups beef stock
½ lb. prunes
½ lb. dried apricots
3 sweet potatoes sliced
(2) 10 oz. packages corn –thawed and drained

1 pumpkin, top cut off and reserved, cleaned of pulp and seeds. Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a Dutch oven. Roll the meat in the cornstarch and brown. Set aside. Melt 2 Tbs. butter in a separate pan and sauté vegetables until tender. Add to meat with juices. Add all remaining ingredients except pumpkin cover and simmer 1 hr. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ladle stew into the pumpkin; set in a roasting pan with 1

 

 

 

inch of water, and bake for 1 hr. Carefully transfer pumpkin from the pan to a serving dish and replace its top as a lid for garnish. Serve at once scooping out some of the pumpkin meat as you ladle out the portions.
NOTE: I save clean-up by sautéing the vegetables in the Dutch oven first and then browning the meat. It’s one less pot. Also if you have it on hand, replace one cup of stock with beer. It deepens the flavor.

Squash Tips:

• To choose squash, pick the heaviest for its size and the one with the deepest color. It will have the most beta-carotene
• To peel thinner skinned squash, cut odd the ends, prick the skin several times and heat in a microwave 2 min. on high. Halve, lay flat and peel the skin off in strips with a knife or peeler. The harder skinned types sometimes require a heavy knife and hammer to halve.
• Kept in a cool, dry place, squash will hold for a few weeks, but once cut, should be covered, chilled and used within a day or so.
• To roast squash whole, pierce in several places to let the steam escape, otherwise cut it in half or wedges and cook, skin side up in ½ inch water at 400 deg. for 45-60 min. Beware of the steam when cutting into a whole roasted squash.
• To cook squash quickly, peel, seed and grate the raw meat, then sauté or boil. To microwave, halve, or cut in large chunks, slice off the ends, seed, season and cover with plastic wrap. Cook on high 7 min. per pound. To rescue over-cooked squash, puree it.
• Don’t over worry about removing the strings when cleaning raw squash. Once the squash is cooked they can be ‘raked’ out with a fork, or will simply stick to the beaters during blending.

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GREAT PUMPKIN DESSERTS OTHER THAN PIE

If pumpkin is the symbol of autumn, then pumpkin pie is its iconic dish. The tantalizing aroma and flavor and the light assertiveness of the combination of spices used to make it, help erase memories of lush summer produce by reminding us that every season has its special treats. This particular spice blend also conveys a feeling of warmth and comfort, perhaps because all the ingredients are so familiar to the American kitchen and make no mistake, pumpkin, in fact all squash, are uniquely New World plants.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix is so popular that it’s sold separately. In recent years it’s flavored everything from coffee to ice cream, not to mention candles and other household products. Although the individual spices in the mix are used in other squash dishes, because sugar is basic to the blend it’s generally featured in dessert recipes and there are lots of options to pie. It’s fun to take a look at some of them and maybe try a few over the next weeks while pumpkin is available or later in the winter substituting other squash.

First though, since pie is the primary use of pumpkin, I’ll offer some variations to the usual presentation. Fun fact here, the colonists cut the top off the pumpkin, removed the seeds and strings and filled the cavity with milk, spices and sugar. Replacing the top, they baked the pumpkin until the flesh was soft and spooned it into bowls with the liquid like mashed potatoes and gravy. As for today’s custard pie recipes, I don’t think one can go wrong with Libby’s printed on their pumpkin cans. My personal touch is to cover the top with meringue and brown it in the oven.

• Beat 2 egg whites until soft peaks form; add a drop of cider vinegar and continue beating gradually adding ¼ cup sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form. Casually spread the meringue over the top of the cooled pie and place in a 300 deg. oven for 20 min. until the top browns slightly.

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I just want to mention that pumpkin makes a wonderful cheese cake and there are a lot of pumpkin cheesecake recipes in books, magazines and on the web, especially at this time of year, too many to pick one for this article. My personal favorite is Kraft’s Philadelphia Cream Cheese Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake. Find it on their web site.

For reference the basic Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix is:
1 cup sugar-preferably bar or super-fine sugar
½ tsp. EACH salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice
Stir everything together in a glass jar. Screw on the lid and shake well and put in a cool dark place for several days to incorporate the flavors, shaking every day or so to keep them blended. This can be adjusted to suit personal preference.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie– This is a great pie for anyone who doesn’t like the more intense flavor of pumpkin custard or to serve in warm weather.
1 baked pie shell- this is especially good with cinnamon and sugar and/or ground nuts added into the dough
1Tbs. gelatin softened in ¼ cup cold water
1 ½ cups cooked pumpkin
½ cup sugar
¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
2 eggs-separated
1 cup milk
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts, pecans or Brazil nuts for garnish
Beat the egg yolks slightly; combine with the seasonings milk and pumpkin inch and cook over boiling water stirring constantly 5 min. Add the gelatin and stir until dissolved. Chill until slightly thickened. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks then add the sugar, beat to stiff peaks and fold into the pumpkin mixture. Pour into the baked shell, garnish with the nuts and chill until firm. Serve cold.

Pumpkin Crumble: Serves 18-20*
1 box plain yellow cake mix
1 stick butter or margarine at room temp. + 4 Tbs. chilled
4 eggs
(2) 15 oz. cans pumpkin
(1) 5 oz. can evaporated milk
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 Tbs. Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix –See blend recipe above
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Whipped cream for topping
Grease and flour a 13X9 inch baking pan. Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix and blend the rest on low speed, with 1 egg and the stick butter until combined. Press into the bottom and slightly up sides of the pan. Using same bowl and beaters, combine the pumpkin, 1 cup sugar, spices, milk and remaining eggs and beat until lighter in color and texture, about 2 min. Pour into prepared pan. With clean bowl and beaters, on low speed, beat the reserved cake mix, sugar and butter until crumbly; stir in the nuts and sprinkle it over the custard. Bake in a 350 deg. preheated oven 70-75 min. Center should still jiggle, but nuts should have browned. Cook 20 min. on a wire rack. Serve topped with whipped cream. Cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Roulade: Serves 16
Filling
8 oz. cream cheese
(1) 8 oz. tub Cool Whip
1 tsp. maple flavoring or vanilla
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

Cake
1 box plain spice cake mix
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup buttermilk (or 1 ½ tsp. vinegar in ½ cup milk, allow to stand 10 min.)
1/3 cup vegetable, seed or nut oil
4 eggs
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Parchment paper
Butter for preparing pan
Make the cake: Butter the bottom only of a 16 ½ X 11 ½ X 1 inch jelly roll pan. Line it with the parchment, leaving a couple inches overlap on the ends, and butter the paper. Put the cake ingredients in a bowl and beat, scraping the sides, until batter is thick and combined about3min. Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with a spatula. Bake on the center rack of a preheated 350 deg. oven for 15-17 min. until it springs back when pressed with a finger. Liberally dust a clean kitchen towel and starting with the long side, carefully roll the cake away from you in the towel. Place seam side down on a flat surface to cool for about 20 min.
Make the filling: Beat the first 3 ingredients until smooth. Stir in the nuts.
Assembly: Carefully unroll the cake enough to generously spread the inside with the filling; reroll, pulling the towel away as you go. Place the filled cake seam side down on a serving platter and chill. Just before serving, generously dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Optionally: If you think the cake seems split in places, and it will as it’s rolled, have a can of vanilla or cream cheese frosting ready. Garnish with sprinkled cinnamon or nuts.

*These two recipes are based on but modified from ones in The Cake Doctor by Ann Byrn

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Cake: Serves 8-10 This is James Beard’s recipe. Though ‘from scratch’ it’s as easy as a mix and can be made with any winter squash.
½ cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup cooked pumpkin
3 cups sifted cake flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. EACH salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice
½ cup buttermilk (or 1 ½ tsp. vinegar in 1/2cup milk and allow to stand 10 min.)
½ cup chopped toasted nuts
Sift the dry ingredients. Cream the butter well then cream in the sugar, beat until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and pumpkin; add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, mix until batter is smooth. Add the nuts and pour into a greased and floured sheet cake pan 11X 14X 2 or two layer pans. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 35 min. for a sheet cake, 25 min. for layers. Cook 5 min. on a rack then turn out and cool completely on a rack. Frost with caramel, cream cheese or vanilla icing. Decorate with additional toasted nuts if desired.

Pumpkin Cookies: Yield about 3 ½ doz. From the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics Cookbook
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg beaten
2 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chopped toasted peanuts
1 cup raisins
½ cup chocolate chips-optional
Sift dry ingredients. Cream together the butter and sugar; add the eggs and pumpkin and blend well. Add the dry ingredients and stir into a soft batter. Stir in the nuts, raisins and chips, if using. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an unoiled cookie sheet , leaving a little room to spread. Bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 10-15 min. until edges begin to brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight jar.