Pumpkin Power
PUMPKIN TIPS from The Food Lover's Tiptionary:
Choose pumpkins that are brightly colored and heavy
for their size; their rinds should be free from blemishes.
The darker orange the color, the riper
the pumpkin. In general, the flesh from smaller pumpkins will be
sweeter and more tender and succulent than that from the larger of the species.
If you plan to use pumpkin for cooking, choose a variety specifically
grown for its eating quality, such as the sugar pumpkin.Store whole pumpkins at room temperature for up to a month, refrigerate
for up to 3 months.
Pumpkin yields: 1 (5-pound)
pumpkin = about 4 1/2 cups mashed, cooked pumpkin.
One (16- to 17-ounce) can = about 2 cups mashed.
Pumpkin can be prepared in almost any way suitable for winter squash (as
a soup, vegetable, etc.). Likewise,
winter squash (such as acorn or hubbard) can be substituted for pumpkin in
recipes.
Use an electric mixer to beat cooked pumpkin--any strings will wind
around the beaters and can easily be rinsed right off.
Don't throw out those seeds you remove from raw pumpkin.
Clean them of all pulp and strings, then spread in a single layer on a
large baking sheet. Thoroughly air
dry (about 4 hours), then hull. Toss
the hulled seeds with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, spread in a single layer
on a baking sheet, and bake at 350oF for about 30 minutes, or until golden
brown. Stir seeds every 5 to 10
minutes during the roasting time. Salt
to taste and cool to room temperature before using.
Halloween pumpkins will keep longer if you spray them with antiseptic
inside and out.
Always store pumpkin pie in the refrigerator; leftovers should be stored
for no more than 3 days.
PUMPKIN
PRALINE BREAD PUDDING The
ultimate autumn dessert!
Serves
10 to 12
2 (15-ounce) cans pumpkin purée
5 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup bourbon or additional milk
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 (1-pound) loaf raisin-cinnamon bread (like “SunMaid Raisin bread with a
cinnamon swirl), untrimmed, cut or torn into
1-inch chunks
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup whipping cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 325oF. Lightly
oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan; set aside. In
a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, milk, bourbon, 1 cup of the sugar, pumpkin
pie spice and salt. Beat until well
blended. Add bread, stirring well
to moisten all pieces; let stand 5 minutes.
(If desired, pudding may be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days at
this point; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.)
Bake, uncovered, for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the
center comes out almost clean. While
pudding is baking, combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar with nuts.
Sprinkle over baked pudding; position pudding 3 inches from preheated
broiling unit and broil until top is bubbly and brown, about 1 minute.
Serve warm, with cream if desired. Refrigerate
leftovers. Single servings can be
reheated in the microwave oven on high
for 30 to 60 seconds (depending on the serving size).
PUMPKIN HALLOWEEN COOKIES Don't
think you have to reserve these soft, old-fashioned drop cookies for Halloween!
They're delicious any time at all, and mix quickly by hand without benefit of
electric mixer. It's fun to decorate the tops of these cookies to resemble
jack-o'-lantern faces—just make sure the surface of the dough is smooth before
you start. I use raisins for the eyes, a nut chunk for the nose and currants for
the mouth.
Makes about 6 dozen cookies
2½ cups all-purpose
2½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¾ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. salt
1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin (2 cups)
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup dark corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
grated zest of 1 large orange
1½ cups raisins
1½ cups chopped toasted walnuts
Orange glaze (optional)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
finely grated zest of 1 large orange
2 to 4 Tbsp. orange juice
dried currants and additional raisins and chopped nuts for decoration
Preheat oven to 375oF.
Grease 4 large baking sheets. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder,
spices and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, sugar, corn
syrup, vanilla and orange zest; stir until thoroughly blended. Stir in flour
mixture ½ cup at a time, blending well after each addition.
Stir in raisins and nuts. Drop
dough by heaping tablespoons, 1½ inches apart, on prepared baking sheets.
If desired, decorate tops of cookies to resemble jack-o'-lantern faces;
before decorating, make sure surface of dough is smooth, without nuts or raisins
poking through. If cookies are not decorated, they may be glazed after baking.
Bake 10 to 14 minutes, or
until the surface springs back when lightly pressed with your fingertip.
Cool on racks.
SPICY PUMPKIN CORNBREAD This
fragrant cornbread makes a wonderful, homey gift. Omit the sugar and use it for stuffing or
dressing—delicious!
Makes
16 (2-inch) squares
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground allspice
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped
walnuts
Grease an 8-inch
square baking pan. Sprinkle bottom
and sides with 1 tablespoon cornmeal; set aside.
Preheat oven to 375oF. In
a medium-size bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup cornmeal, flour, baking powder,
baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice; set aside.
In a medium-size bowl, lightly beat eggs.
Stir in pumpkin, milk, oil, brown sugar, molasses, and orange zest.
Add to flour mixture, stirring only until dry ingredients are moistened.
Stir in ½ cup nuts. Turn
into prepared pan. Smooth top and
sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon nuts.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes
out clean. Let stand in pan 10
minutes before cutting.
BON APPÉTIT!
Questions or comments? Email us RETURN TO TOP
