Mini Pumpkin Pies

Tonight I hosted a Stella & Dot jewelry party at the house.  I decided to create a festive fall menu of heavy appetizers for the guests and my favorite item were the mini pumpkin pies! 

The mini pies can be as easy or difficult as you choose... store bought pie dough vs homemade.  Canned pumpkin pie filling or roast pumpkins and mix your own filling in your kitchen.

You'll need:
- Mini muffin tins

- Unbaked pie dough, enough for a two crust pie.
- Pumpkin pie filling, enough for two pies.
- A circle cookie cutter or even use a glass or small bowl as a cutter.  You may need to play around with the sizing depending on your muffin tin size.  You want cut dough to stick up a bit out of the tins, like below.

Cut as many circles as you can from the dough.  You should get anywhere between 22-30 discs of dough. Place dough inside ungreased muffin tins and prick bottom of each mini pie shell with a fork one time.  Bake the empty shells for about 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  They may puff up a bit so use your fingers or some foil to press the shells back down a bit.

Pour the prepared pumpkin mix in to the semi baked shells.  I fill mine just below the edge of the crust.  Bake anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on tin size.  You'll know the pies are done when they puff up a bit, may have a crack on the surface, and the filling isn't jiggly and is firm to the touch.  Let them cool in the pans for 15 minutes and carefully remove.

Pretty little pies!

And why not get festive with your bottles of wine?  I used a shipping label and printed "Witches Brew" on them with a skull graphic. 

Just a fraction of the beautiful jewelry that was on display tonight!

Making Machine

Blake likes to tell me that I'm a 'maker'.  I make, bake, cook, create all sort of things in all sorts of mediums.  So I guess he is right!  Today I put my 'maker' skills to action and made a batch of pumpkin butter (my kids are addicted - on toast and waffles it can't be beat), a huge batch of gingered carrot soup and a week's worth of muesli.  The latter two recipes are part of my 28 to Great challenge.   I wish the pumpkin butter was part of the healthy menu suggestions... I could eat a whole jar!  Click here for my pumpkin butter recipe.

I'll be honest, I wasn't very excited to try the muesli because it seems a little like 'horse food'.  But, when you add the suggested plain nonfat or lowfat yogurt, nonfat milk or almond milk with about a half cup of berries and a splash of honey, you have got a pretty tasty breakfast!

And the gingered carrot soup is fantastic.  The flavor is really kicked up a notch when you serve it with chopped cilantro!  Give these recipes a try - they are all perfect for the fall.

Both recipes are courtesy of barre3 and Julia Sarver of Glow Health Coaching.

Morning MÜESLI
4 servings
1/2 c. rolled oats
1-2 tablespoons raw walnuts
1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1/2 c. organic berries
Sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg for flavor (optional)
Top with a little milk (organic dairy or unsweetened coconut, almond or hemp milk)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
Top with coconut or almond milk and enjoy.

You can also pour 4 ounces of boiling water over the meal if you want to create a semi-oatmeal type breakfast.



Gingered Carrot SoupServes 8

This is a perfect light soup for lunchtime. Be sure to use the regular coconut milk, not the Lite version, to get the full benefits of the milk.

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced gingerroot
4 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine
3 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground ginger
sea salt to taste
1 can coconut milk (Native Forest, full-fat)

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek and gingerroot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to brown—about 5 minutes. Add the sherry and carrots and stir to cook for about 1 minute.

Add the broth, ground ginger, and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a moderate simmer, cover, and cook until the carrots are tender— about 30 minutes.

Puree soup in batches and bring back to pot. Add coconut milk and stir.

Return the soup to a clean pot and reheat briefly. Do not let soup boil. Add additional coconut milk if desired. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Pumpkin Butter

After roasting two big sugar pumpkins I was left with a pile of inner goodness.

A quick turn of the immersion blender and the innards were turned in to smooth puree.

Taking about 3 1/2 cups of puree and heating on the stove with sugars and spices, I simmered the mix for about 30 minutes and ended up with mouth watering pumpkin butter.  What is pumpkin butter?  It contains no butter, but could be called a sweet, pumpkin-flavored butter substitute.  You can spread it on toast, pancakes, waffles, apple slices....  If you're too lazy to make it yourself, you can always pay $11 for a small jar at Williams-Sonoma or $7 for an even smaller jar at Sur La Table.  Thus, I recommend you make it from scratch and save some cash. 

The occasional stirring on the stove and your house filling with the smell of warm, spicy pumpkin is worth it.  Both of my kids couldn't eat their afternoon snack of toast and pumpkin butter fast enough.  Both asked for more.

The best part of this recipe?  You'll have some extra for friends or neighbors.  I already have a list of recipients that will receive some pumpkin butter in the coming weeks.  Cross your fingers that you're on that list!

Jodi's Pumpkin Butter
30 oz fresh pumpkin puree (about 3 1/2c) or one large can of pumpkin puree.
3/4 c. apple juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
Juice from a large lemon wedge

Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugars in saucepan and mix well. Bring mixture to a boil and stir often to avoid burning.  Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the mixture has thickened a bit. Stir frequently and stir in lemon juice.

Once mixture has cooled, pumpkin butter should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Sugar Pumpkin

After reading a friend's blog post about roasting sugar pumpkins and making her own puree, I knew I had to give it a shot.  I have never used fresh pumpkin to make a pie.  I never even thought about it since you can buy pumpkin puree in a can.  There was only one sugar pumpkin in the grocery store so I figured I better buy it and try it.

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds.  Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet and add water about 1/4-1/2" deep.  Bake in the oven at 375 for 45minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

When you take the pumpkin out of the oven they'll look a little deflated.  Let them cool and then scoop out the flesh and store in an air tight container in the fridge.  Follow your favorite recipes calling for pumpkin puree.

The pie I made with fresh pumpkin puree was by far the best pumpkin pie I have ever tasted.  I hope to never use pumpkin out of a can again! 

Happy Halloween!

I love carving pumpkins!  Enough said.

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

Tonight I went to a fun dinner with a group of girlfriends from high school and college. Katie Chance was in town for the weekend and we all took this opportunity to get together. The evening was spent catching up and gossiping, oh and convincing some stragglers to join Facebook because we all agree its too much fun spying on others' daily lives!

Great wines, appetizers, a fantastic fall soup made by Joci, a spinach salad filled with avocado and strawberries, and my spiced pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. The cheesecake was an easy choice with the cooler weather and the fall upon us, and it was a hit. As promised, here is the recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake. I have made this every fall for quite some time and it never gets old; just a little rich!

The background of making this cheesecake was like a Chevy Chase National Lampoon's movie. I had already packed all of our kitchen utensils like measuring spoons, cups so I had to wing the measurements. Whats worse is that my springform pan had been packed and already moved to our temporary home in Bellevue! After a quick trip over the bridge the cheesecake was on it's way to the oven. Once it was baked I then realized all of my platters, cake plates, and serving pieces were also packed. Luckily transporting a cheesecake in a springform is probably the safest way for it to arrive in one piece!

Enjoy!

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

11/2003, Cooks Illustrated

Tips: Depending on the oven and the temperature of the ingredients, the cheesecake may bake about 15 minutes faster or slower than the instructions indicate; it is therefore best to check the cake 1 1/4 hours into baking. Although the cheesecake can be made up to three days in advance, the crust will begin to lose its crispness after only one day. To make slicing the cheesecake easy and neat, use a knife with a narrow blade, such as a carving knife; between cuts, dip the blade into a pitcher of hot water and wipe it clean with paper towels.

Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 12 to 16

Crust

5 oz graham crackers (9 whole crackers), broken into large pieces

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

6 Tbsp unsalted butter , melted

Filling

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar (10 1/3 ounces)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp table salt

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin

1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks and left to soften at room temperature, about 30 min.

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp lemon juice from 1 lemon (do not use bottled lemon juice!)

5 large eggs , left at room temperature, about 30 minutes

1 cup heavy cream

1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan evenly with nonstick cooking spray. Pulse crackers, sugar, and spices in food processor until evenly and finely ground, about fifteen 2-second pulses. Transfer crumbs to medium bowl, drizzle melted butter over, and mix with rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Turn crumbs into prepared springform pan and, using hand, spread crumbs into even layer. Using flat-bottomed ramekin or drinking glass, press crumbs evenly into pan bottom, then use a soup spoon to press and smooth crumbs into edges of pan. Bake until fragrant and browned about the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling.

2. FOR THE FILLING: Bring about 4 quarts water to simmer in stockpot. Whisk sugar, spices, and salt in small bowl; set aside. To dry pumpkin (see illustrations below): Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Spread pumpkin on paper towels in roughly even layer. Cover pumpkin with second triple layer of paper towels and press firmly until paper towels are saturated. Peel back top layer of towels and discard. Grasp bottom towels and fold pumpkin in half; peel back towels. Repeat and flip pumpkin onto baking sheet; discard towel.

3. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat cream cheese at medium speed to break up and soften slightly, about 1 minute. Scrape beater and bottom and sides of bowl well with rubber spatula. Add about one third of sugar mixture and beat at medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute; scrape bowl and add remaining sugar in two additions, scraping bowl after each addition. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat at medium speed until combined, about 45 seconds; scrape bowl. Add 3 eggs and beat at medium-low until incorporated, about 1 minute; scrape bowl. Add remaining 2 eggs and beat at medium-low until incorporated, about 45 seconds; scrape bowl. Add heavy cream and beat at low speed until combined, about 45 seconds. Using rubber spatula, scrape bottom and sides of bowl and give final stir by hand.

4. Set springform pan with cooled crust on 18-inch-square doubled layer heavy-duty foil and wrap bottom and sides with foil; set wrapped springform pan in roasting pan. Pour filling into springform pan and smooth surface; set roasting pan in oven and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan.

Bake until center of cake is slightly wobbly when pan is shaken, and center of cake registers 145 to 150 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 hours (see note). Set roasting pan on wire rack and use paring knife to loosen cake from sides of pan. Cool until water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath, discard foil, and set on wire rack; continue to cool until barely warm, about 3 hours. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

5. TO SERVE: Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide cake onto serving platter. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature about 30 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.