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September 12, 2007

The Great Pumpkin

Recipe from GillianIvy



It's pumpkin time! Randy has a ton of pumpkins this year. We've given many away, but there's still plenty to carve up and plenty more for eating! So, I've listed here a few of my favorite pumpkin recipes. I've just made another variation of Amish Friendship Bread, this time using pumpkin, of course. Just cooked it up today, and it was superb. I'll upload a picture later. My pumpkin favorites are: Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Donuts, Pumpkin Bread, and Pumpkin Pie.

Savory Pumpkin Soup


  • 4 Medium Cloves Garlic, unpeeled
  • 6 cu. peeled, deseeded Pumpkin
  • 3 tsp. Oil
  • 1 lg. Onion, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp Ground Cumin
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • 4 cu. Vegetable or Chicken Stock
  • Cream, for serving
  • Ground Nutmeg, for serving

    1. Preheat oven to 375°.
    2. Chop pumpkin into even-sized pieces (larger pieces will require a longer roasting time). Place pumpkin and unpeeled garlic cloves in a baking tray/dish, drizzle with two teaspoons of the oil and toss to coat with oil.
    3. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the garlic so that it doesn't overcook. Continue baking pumpkin until tender and cooked through.
    4. Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, nutmeg, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for one minute.
    5. Add pumpkin and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until onion is soft and stock has reduced, about 20 minutes. The more the stock reduces, the thicker the soup will be.
    6. Peel roasted garlic and add to saucepan. We allow the soup to cool for about half an hour before pureeing in batches in a blender. Be careful if pureeing the soup while it is still very hot.
    7. Serve the soup hot. Top with a drizzle of cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired.


    Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

    I've just made this soup tonight. I made only one serving to try it out. Using the leftover pumpkin from my "Cat & Moon" jack-o-lantern, I just tossed in the oven with some pumpkin seeds and garlic cloves. Sprinkled on the olive oil, then after I was done feeding Chase, I took out the garlic and the seeds and put the pumpkin back in for another 30 or so minutes while I fed Chase again. Then I went to check on the pumpkin, and it was tender enough to cut with a spatula, so I took it out. I then put a can of chicken stock on the stove and threw in the skinned pumpkin while Chase played in the exersaucer. After it came to a light boil, I tossed in the roasted garlic and let it boil for a few minutes before turning off the heat to let it cool. About this time, Chase was done in the exersaucer, he wanted to play. So I watched the season premiere of "Heroes" on NBC. When the show was over, Chase was ready to eat and take his nap. So I laid him down and went back to the kitchen with the baby monitor on. A quick whirr in the food processor and then reheating for a minute in the microwave and my soup was done. I seasoned it a little differently, added some Cajun seasoning, and omitted the onion (didn't feel like cutting and peeling and all that). Mmmmm, was this soup ever yummy. And with a batch of toasted and lightly salted pumpkin seeds to set it off. Definitely a very good low maintenance meal to make for breastfeeding moms who can't cook in the kitchen for more than 15 minutes at a time. The roasted garlic is superb. I want to eat it on everything. Tomorrow I plan to make the pumpkin pie. We'll see.

    Not-Mom's Pumpkin Donuts



    Spiced sugar:
  • 1 cu. sugar
  • 4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. ground nutmeg

    1. Mix all ingredients in medium bowl to blend.


    Dounuts:
  • 3 ½ cu. All Purpose Flour
  • 4 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. Ground Ginger
  • ½ tsp. Baking Soda
  • ¼ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp. Ground Cloves
  • 1 cu. Sugar
  • 3 tbsp. unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 1 large Egg
  • 2 large Egg Yolks
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
  • 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
  • Canola oil (for deep-frying)

    1. Whisk first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended (mixture will be grainy). Beat in egg, then yolks and vanilla. Gradually beat in buttermilk; beat in pumpkin in 4 additions. Using rubber spatula, fold in dry ingredients in 4 additions, blending gently after each addition. Cover with plastic; chill 3 hours.
    2. Sprinkle 2 rimmed baking sheets lightly with flour. Press out 1/3 of dough on floured surface to 1/2- to 2/3-inch thickness. Using 2 1/2-inch-diameter round cutter, cut out dough rounds. Arrange on sheets. Repeat with remaining dough in 2 more batches. Gather dough scraps. Press out dough and cut out more dough rounds until all dough is used.
    3. Using 1-inch-diameter round cutter, cut out center of each dough round to make donuts and donut holes.
    4. Line 2 baking sheets with several layers of paper towels. Pour oil into large deep skillet to depth of 1 1/2 inches. Attach deep-fry thermometer and heat oil to 365°F to 370°F. Fry donut holes in 2 batches until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Fry donuts, 3 or 4 at a time, until golden brown, adjusting heat to maintain temperature, about 1 minute per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer donuts to paper towels to drain. Cool completely.


    Powdered Sugar Glaze:
  • 2 cu. powdered sugar
  • Whipping cream

    For powdered sugar glaze:
    Whisk powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons whipping cream to blend. Whisk in additional cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, to form medium thick glaze. Can be made up to 3 hours ahead. Add donut holes to bowl of spiced sugar and toss to coat. Spread donuts on 1 side with Powdered Sugar Glaze. Arrange donuts, glazed side up, on racks. Let stand until glaze sets, at least 30 minutes.

    Makes about 24 donuts and 24 donut holes.

    Amish Pumpkin Bread


    Using the Amish Friendship Bread recipe, I added pureed Pumpkin, used Pumpkin Pie Spice instead of cinnamon, and used ½ cu. Brown Sugar & ½ cu. Sugar instead of 1 cu. Sugar.

    The Best Pumpkin Pie


  • Unbaked Pie Crust
  • ¾ cu. granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cu. Pureed Pumpkin (or 1 can 15 oz.)
  • 1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
  • Whipped cream (optional)

    1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves (or use 1 ¾ tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice) in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
    2. Pour mixture into pie shell.
    3. Bake in preheated 425° oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

    Don't freeze as this will cause the pie filling to separate from crust.

    ~Edit 10/09/2007~

    As a note... Make sure to drain your pureed pumpkin. My pie ended up kinda squishy. Still tasty.

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    September 10, 2007

    Variations on Friendship Bread

    Recipe from GillianIvy



    I've been trying to experiment on different bread recipes for the Amish Bread Starter. If you've made it, then you've got a nice little yeast farm going on and need to do a lot of baking. Remember that you can freeze it and restart the process. So, here's what I've been cooking up. Banana Bread, Lemon Bread, Lemon/Raspberry Swirl Bread, and Sourdough Pizza.

    Banana Apple


    Add to Basic Recipe:


  • Mashed Banana
  • use ½ cu. oil and ½ cu. Apple Sauce
  • additional ½ cu. Apple Sauce

    Follow same cooking directions.



    Again using the Basic Recipe, make the following changes and additions. Follow same cooking directions. Except grease two pans and coat with confectioner's sugar. While bread is still warm, spread icing on top.


    Lemon & Cranberry



  • subtract Cinnamon & Vanilla Extract
  • juice from ½ a Lemon
  • substitute Lemon Pudding instead of Vanilla
  • 1 cu. Dried Cranberries (optional)

    Icing:
  • additional ½ Lemon Juice
  • Confectioners Sugar (enough to thicken it, I didn't measure)



    Lemon & Raspberry Swirl



    Same as above, however, no cranberries. Instead, take 1 cup of the batter and mix in a box of Raspberry Pudding in a separate bowl. Then put the main batter into two greased and coated pans. Then drop ½ the raspberry batter on top of each by the spoonful. Gently swirl the raspberry into the lemon batter with a knife. For the Icing, use melted White Chocolate Chips mixed with the fresh squeezed lemon juice. Spread Icing over bread while it's still warm so it glazes over.



    Sweet Sourdough Pizza


    (not yet tried)

  • 1 cu. Starter
  • 3 cu. Flour (keep in mind that measurements are approximate... this recipe has not yet been tried)
  • 1 tsp. Salt

    Sift flour and salt into a large bowl; pour in yeast mixture and beat until a stiff dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Add extra flour as necessary to keep from sticking to hands and board.

    Place in a large bowl greased with shortening; turn dough over to coat the other side with shortening. Cover with towel; let rise in a warm place, away from drafts, for about 30 minutes. Dough will be double in bulk. Punch dough down and divide in half. Grease two 14-inch pizza pans and grease hands lightly. Place half the dough in each pan and stretch to fit bottom and up sides of pan. Keep dough slightly thick around the edges. Fill with favorite filling and toppings and bake according to pizza recipe directions, or about 15 to 20 minutes at 425°.

    Okay, I've now tried this dough. And I didn't do it quite right. I had the starter in the fridge for a couple of days, and then didn't let it warm up to room temperature on it's own. I gave it a warm water bath. I think I must've killed it because my dough didn't rise. I think I should've used maybe 2 cups or a cup and a half of starter... Try, try, try again. I used my dough anyway to make a white pizza. It was delicious, though I think it needed more garlic and a bit of butter too. So, I'll adjust that recipe as well. The consistency of the dough came out right, so it probably was the right amount of starter. Maybe next time.

    White Spinach Pizza



  • 2 cloves minced Garlic
  • 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • ½ a stick of Butter, softened
  • 1 pkg. shredded Mozzarella
  • ½ pkg. shredded Parmesan
  • 1 pkg. chopped Spinach (thawed)
  • 2 tbsp. ground Basil

    Spread Olive Oil, Butter and Garlic over entire pizza shell. Mix cheeses and spinach and basil in bowl then spread over pizza. Season crust to your preferences.

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    August 28, 2007

    Amish Friendship Bread Starter

    Recipe from GillianIvy





    I'm helping GreatGrandma Pat make some Amish Friendship Bread. They didn't know how to make the starter. It's supposed to be an Amish secret. But I cheated, I looked it up online. I figured, either some Amish person told, or perhaps someone just figured it out. It's not rocket science after all. It's bread. This recipe takes 10 days to prepare. There are some variations to it as well. This is how it works, the yeast ferments and causes the batter to double. After the starter recipe is complete, you divide it into four 1 cup portions, keeping one for yourself to make again, and passing on the others to three friends, and the remainder in your bowl is enough to make two loafs.


    Amish Friendship Bread Starter



    Do NOT use metal bowls or utensils!!
    Do NOT refrigerate
    (if using a ziploc, burp the bag by allowing air to escape)

  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
  • ¼ cup warm water (110° F/45° C)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 3 cups white sugar, divided
  • 3 cups milk

    Directions:

    1. Day 1; (for starter)In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly (or put in 1-gallon plastic bag and leave on counter). Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature. (for premade starter)Put bag/container on a countertop. Do Not refrigerate.

    2. Days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon. (or squeeze the bag)

    3. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.

    4. Days 6 thru 9; stir only. (or squeeze the bag)

    5. Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Separate batters of 1 cup each into four containers (1-gallon plastic bags)to give to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe, keep one for yourself to start the recipe over again. Store your 1 cup starter in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2). Use the remaining batter to make your first bread. (I have a Bread recipe to continue this, but you can use a different one)



    Once you have made the starter, you will consider it Day One, and thus ignore step 1 in this recipe and proceed with step 2. You can also freeze this starter in 1 cup measures for later use. Frozen starter will take at least 3 hours at room temperature to thaw before using.



    Cinnamon Amish Friendship Bread



    Preheat oven to 325° and add the following ingredients to your remaining batter:

  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 cu. Oil (lowfat: ½ cu oil, ½ cu applesauce)
  • ½ cu. Milk
  • 1 cu. Sugar
  • 2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. Vanilla
  • ½ tsp. Baking Soda
  • ½ tsp. Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp. Salt
  • 2 cu. All Purpose Flour
  • 1 box Large Vanilla Pudding Mix

    1. Smooth batter with mixer.
    2. Grease 2 medium loaf pans and coat sides with a mixture on 1½ tsp Ground Cinnamon and ½ cu. Sugar.
    3. Pour batter evenly in both pans.
    4. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture on top and Bake for 1 hour at 325°.


    If you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking every 10 days and giving out more starters each time. Give your friends a copy of the recipe starting them at Day one (if given same day). They won't need the start portion. The recipe should just keep going so long as everyone keeps making more.

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    August 25, 2007

    Great Grandma Pat's Zucchini Bread

    Recipe from GillianIvy



    This recipe belongs to Chase's Great Grandmother, Pat Clinton. Also known as Grandma "Grape". As I have become a part of her family, she has shared this recipe with me to pass on to my family. Chase has just started eating this for breakfast (little tiny pieces at a time). He absolutely loves it. He uses his little pincer grasp to feed himself little chunks of this sweet bread.

    Preheat oven to 325° and grease 2 loaf pans. Use cooking spray for low fat.
    In a large bowl mix together the following:

  • 3 cu. Flour (wheat or white)
  • 1 tsp. Baking Soda
  • ¼ tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon

    Set bowl aside. In another bowl, mix the following ingredients:

  • 3 Eggs (beaten)
  • 2 cu. Sugar
  • 1 cu. Vegetable Oil
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla
  • 2 cu. Finely Grated Zucchini (or any squash family)
  • 1 cu. Chopped Nuts, Raisins, or Cranberries (optional)

    Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, beat for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into two greased loaf pans. Cook at 325° for 50 to 55 minutes. Inserted toothpick or knofe should come out clean.

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