Day 5 Gourmet Pumpkin Waffles

I am now on day 5 of making a different pumpkin recipe until Thanksgiving. The funny thing is, I started this on a whim, without really thinking about what 46 days of pumpkin recipes would mean. And this week being the first week, well I am a little limited on ingredients and can't go to the store until tomorrow. So I have been picking recipes based on what I have the ingredients for. (This is the reason I have not yet made the much requested pumpkin chocolate chip cookies - I am out of chocolate chips!) I have plenty of pumpkin and that is all that really matters!

So last night I decided I would be making pumpkin waffles this morning. I went on a search for the best pumpkin waffle recipe I could find. One of the most fun parts of this for me is finding recipes and playing around with them to make them my own. For example, yesterday I used a plain scone recipe and modified it to become a delicious pumpkin scone recipe.

I did not find any fantastic looking pumpkin waffle recipes on any of my favorite cooking websites. (Allrecipes.com and cookinglight.com) So, I did a google search. At the top of the search was this website:
http://pumpkinwaffles.wordpress.com/ultimate-pumpkin-waffle-recipe-metric/

Yes, that is right, an entire blog devoted to this one recipe! When I first looked at the recipe I almost moved on in my search. It is very complicated - for waffles! I mean, you have to separate the yokes and egg whites, fluff up the egg whites, etc. Basically you need 3 to 4 bowls to make this recipe. And that would normally be just too many dishes for me. But then I started reading the comments. 373 comments raving about this recipe! Well now I just needed to see what the fuss was about and I was not going to be "playing around" with this recipe. The creator spent way to much time perfecting it. I did do a few things different but that was because of ingredients on hand, etc. I will note what I did differently at the bottom.

These waffles are delicious! They have fabulous spicy pumpkiny flavor. They are INCREDIBLY light and fluffy in the middle and crispy on the outside. I just wish I had a better waffle iron. I know they would have been AMAZING if I had a Belgian waffle iron. (I have the George Forman one, it is pretty good - but to get them crispy - it takes FOREVER!)

So here is the recipe and the link again that I got them from. The blog has much better pictures than I do so feel free to visit the site. They also have some yummy looking syrup recipes. I just stuck with butter and powdered sugar on mine, my husband had maple on his, and our 2 year old butchered hers with her request for purple (blueberry) syrup.

http://pumpkinwaffles.wordpress.com/ultimate-pumpkin-waffle-recipe-metric/

"Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg*
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and warm

*Grated and lightly packed into the spoon, use 1/2 tsp. Grated and loosely scooped, this is about 1 tsp. of nutmeg. If you have to use pre-grated, dried nutmeg, use 1/4 tsp.

DIRECTIONS


1. Lightly oil the waffle iron with vegetable oil, and set it to the desired temperature.

2. Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Whisk together to break apart the cornstarch. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and whisk to blend.


3. Separate eggs: yolks go in a medium sized bowl and whites get set aside in a smaller bowl.
4. Add pumpkin and milk to the egg yolks. Whisk to blend and set aside.

5. Whip egg whites with a hand mixer on high until stiff peaks form – about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Set aside.



6. Pour melted butter into the yolk/milk/pumpkin mixture. As you pour, whisk to combine.

7. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix them together until just combined. A little lumpiness is fine. That will smooth out when the egg whites are added.



8. Slide the whipped egg whites out of the bowl and onto the mixture you just prepared. Gently fold them in until no white bits are obvious.

9. Once the waffle iron is heated, you’re ready to pour the batter! In my Presto FlipSide waffle maker, cook time is exactly 2 minutes 30 seconds."

The only changes I made were: I use nonfat milk (all we had), I meant to use jarred nutmeg but then forgot to put it in, I also used margarine instead of butter since I am out of butter. Oh and lastly, I whipped my eggs up with a whisk because I couldn't stand to get one more bowl dirty and I would have had to put it in my kitchenaid mixing bowl. It was really quick and easy to do with a whisk.

Day 4 - Pumpkin Scones with Brown Sugar Maple Glaze

When I was in high school I worked at a local coffee shop. We had daily deliveries of DELICIOUS pumpkin muffins. The best part of the muffin was the AMAZING sauce/glaze/gooo that was poured on top. When all the muffins were gone, my co-workers and I would take the pan in back and clean it with a spoon. Needless to say I was very well caffeinated and sugared for the day when I worked those weekend morning shifts. I am feeling pretty similar today because I tried my hardest to recreate that gooo for the scones I made today. I would love to get my hands on that recipe but I did my best to recreate it. My recreating required a lot of taste testing. Good thing I am training for a half marathon and had to run 8 miles this morning! I also took a simple scone recipe and modified it into a pumpkin scone recipe.

I have to admit, this is the first time I have baked scones. I don't normally enjoy scones because they are usually quite dry. But I found out recently that scones are intended to be smothered with other things like lemon curd, jam, devonshire cream and in this case brown sugar maple glaze! Of course those other additions would also taste nice on these scones, especially the cream and lemon curd. (I love lemon curd on almost anything!)

Note: I do recommend using a food processor for this recipe. It makes it very easy and I am not sure how you would blend in the frozen butter without it.

Pumpkin Scones with Brown Sugar Maple Glaze

Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen and cut into pieces
1/2 cup your choice: golden raisins, dried cranberries, butterscotch or white chocolate chips
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.In a food processor, mix dry ingredients and butter. Process a few times until well blended.

3.Add wet ingredients and pulse until well blended.
4.Add raisins or any other fruits or chips you like, just pulse it a couple of times to mix. The batter will not be smooth. It will be crumbly and sticky.
5.Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into an 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place about 1 inch apart on a Pampered Chef Large Round Stone. If you do not have one, you can use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and pour glaze evenly over the top. Glaze recipe below.

Brown Sugar Maple Glaze
1 Cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons shortening
2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoons water

Combine all ingredients in microwave safe bowl. (I use the Pampered Chef small batter bowl.) Stir until smooth. Consistency should be a thick glaze. Microwave 45 seconds or until glaze is melted and bubbling. Stir. Glaze should not be gritty from sugar, if it is, return to microwave in 10 second increments. Cool 1-2 minutes before pouring over scones.

Day 3 Carrie's Healthy Harvest Pumpkin Bread

I love Pumpkin bread. It doesn't even really matter what recipe I use, even mixes taste great. Last fall I noticed the back of a box of pumpkin bread mix that said "To make pumpkin cake instead of bread, add a tablespoon of water and cook in a cake pan." Ha! No wonder everyone loves pumpkin bread, it is basically cake in the form of bread and without the frosting. So what sounds pretty healthy, in reality is not.

So I have created a pumpkin bread that is still delicious and moist but not as fattening and sugary as most pumpkin breads. It also has 4 different fruits/veggies in it! It makes a great snack for kids and adults. It does still use sugar and oil but I basically cut it in half and replaced it with applesauce.

This recipe is a double recipe so basically each loaf has 1/4 cup of oil and 1 cup of sugar. That might still seem like a lot of sugar but it has been cut down and I feel any less and it just wouldn't taste very good. I also use some whole eggs and some egg whites to lower the calories and cholesterol. Of course you are welcome to play around with it, taking out more sugar and adding more applesauce. But I feel the way it is keeps it tasting really good. (I like to enjoy my food, not have it taste like cardboard!) I was also thinking of adding shredded zucchini next time. The golden raisins add a great sweetness but you could also try dried cranberries or any other dried fruit.

Carrie's Healthy Harvest Pumpkin Bread

•3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•2 teaspoons baking soda
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice* (if you don't have this see substitute below)
•1 teaspoon salt
•2 cups white sugar
•1/2 cup vegetable oil
•1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
•1 cups grated carrot
•2 eggs
•4 egg whites
•1 15 ounce pumpkin puree
•1/2 cup water
•1 cup golden raisins
•1 cup pecans or walnut
•3 Tablespoons Pampered Chef Sweet Cinnamon Sprinkle* see sub below

Substitute for pumpkin pie spice: 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Substitute for sweet cinnamon sprinkle. 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon (this is not any where near as good as the sweet cinnamon sprinkle which is almost like a crumb topping but it will still add great flavor to your bread.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

I highly recommend baking your bread in Pampered Chef stone bread pans. You will not have to grease them and the bread will cook evenly and perfectly! BUT if you do not have these, grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.


Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, carrot and pumpkin.

By hand, stir in flour mixture alternately with water JUST UNTIL MOISTENED.



Add nuts and dried fruit. Do not overmix.

Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Sprinkle with Sweet Cinnamon Sprinkle

Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you are using mini loaf pans it will take about 45 minutes.

Day 2 - Easy and Delicious Pumpkin Seeds

I always loved the idea of making pumpkin seeds when making pumpkin puree or carving a jack o' lantern. For years I have tried many recipes but finally came across one that I LOVE on allrecipes.com by "Carolyn." I have adapted it a little. The use of the stone pan really insures that the pumpkin seeds will be cooked perfectly. If you do not have one you can use a cookie sheet. Stone will always work the best though and can be purchased on my website www.pamperedchef.biz/carriemiller




Place seeds in a colander in the sink. Wash them and remove as much gunk as you can with your fingers. You now have your raw pumpkin seeds.




1 tablespoon Pampered Chef Garlic Canola Oil OR see substitute below
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
dash pumpkin pie seasoning
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds

Substitute for garlic oil: 1 1/2tablespoon melted margarine plus 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
2.Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Mix thoroughly and place in large stone bar pan.
3.Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Day 1 - The Basics - Pumpkin Puree

For the past few weeks I have been dying to make pumpkin bread. I have my fall decorations out, the pumpkin candle is burning, I am trying to pretend it is not still hot outside in October and that it really is fall. I even bought a nice hot pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks and drove around with my air conditioning blasting so that I could drink it! So finally last week I was on a mission to make pumpkin bread.

We have one main grocery store here in Kingsburg (I will not tell you the name of the chain since I am about to slightly bash it.) They have had big boxes of pumpkins out front for a few weeks and of course Halloween decorations and candy in the front of the store for probably a month. I traveled up and down the canned food isle many, many times searching for my canned pumpkin. I looked in the front of the store with the seasonal items. Finally as my children were getting restless I gave up. The clerk as always asked, "Did you find everything you needed today?" I told her, "No, actually, I could not find the canned pumpkin." She let me know which isle it was on and I replied that I had already looked there. She asked the manager who said, "We don't have canned pumpkin, it is seasonal." The clerk and I looked from him to the huge box of pumpkins he was standing next to. We didn't have to say much more. Long story short, I decided to make my own pumpkin puree.

RECIPE: CROCK POT COOKED PUMPKIN AND PUMPKIN PUREE
-Purchase medium size pumpkins as free from blemishes as possible.
-Wash Pumpkins
-Cut Pumpkins in half and removes seeds (save them for yummy pumpkin seeds - recipe tomorrow)


- Cut into pieces that will fit in the crock pot (size does not matter and they do not have to be even)





- Jam as much pumpkin in the crock pot as will fit (no need to add water or anything else)
- Cook on low for 4 hours
- Pumpkin is done when it is easily pierced with a fork
- Allow Pumpkin to cool
- Scrape pumpkin from shell and discard shell
- Puree pumpkin in food processor DO NOT ADD WATER (see below for addition info on this step)

You can freeze your finish product in ziplock freezer bags. I would recommend pre-measuring each bag out to 15 ounces which is the same amount in one can of pumpkin. The Pampered Chef has an awesome product called the "measure all cup." It works kind of like a plunger or syringe (you really have to see it in action to understand.) It has measurements from 2 tablespoon - 2 cups all in the same cup (it adjusts).

The only step I had trouble with was puree. The recipe I followed said to use a blender. The pumpkin would not blend without water. I then tried my magic bullet. It also did not work. I am not a fan of the food processor because it is so bulky. But I finally pulled it out. It worked really well except I think next time I will only fill it half full and do a few batches at a time. I think this will give the best results.