Mini Pumpkin Pies

I'm a believer that everything is better in its miniature form.  That may or may not hold true for everything, but it does for animals and, in this case, food.  And by miniature really means individual and I know that "sharing is caring" but when it comes to pumpkin and dessert, it was it ALL to myself.  Thankyouverymuch.  Plus, it's about time I made something with pumpkin because it is fall after-all.  These pies are de-lic-ous!  They taste just as great as their larger counter part, but are even better (according to my taste-testing boyfriend) because their crust to pie ratio has improved.  More crust, but still all that pumpkin-y goodness!

I tried out this recipe on a rainy Friday night.  There's something about cool, rainy fall weather that really gets me in the mood for baking...probably because I don't start sweating the minute my oven comes on.  I guess that's the price you pay to live in sunny southern California.  Given that the weather has finally cooperated, I was more than in the mood to get my bake on.

This recipe is made from real pumpkin and that's the only way to do it, in my opinion.  I got the recipe from a sticker on my pie pumpkin and only had to alter the baking time and temperature in order to adapt to the smaller pie sizes. 

Miniature Pumpkin Pies
(makes ~12 mini pies)

1 pie pumpkin
1 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup hot water
2 9-inch pie crusts, store bought, refrigerated

Directions:

• Cut pumpkin in half, removing stem area. 

• Scoop out seeds and strings
• Place pumpkin halves face-down on foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 F for ~1 1/2 hours, until tender.

• While pumpkin is baking, prepare dough for baking.  Use a 4-inch cookie cutter, a bowl, or cup rim to cut out 12 circles from the two doughs.  Press individual pie circles into prepared, pre-greased muffin pan, letting the edges crimp and fold. 

• When pumpkin is done, scoop out flesh and stir/mash/food-process until smooth

• In a bowl, add mashed pumpkin, condensed milk, egg, water, and seasonings and mix together.

•  Pour filling into each individual pie crust to the top.

 

• Bake at 425 F for first 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 F and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.
• Let cool, and let the filling set
• Top with whipped cream if desired, and dig in!

The hardest part is letting the pies cool when all you want to do is eat away!  But trust me, it's worth the wait! YUM!

Halloween Happenings!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I can't believe it's here already!  This month has definitely flown by.  In the past week, I've got myself sufficiently pumped for the holiday by doing some of my favorite "halloween-ish" activities!

The Pumpkin Patch

I don't care how old I am, I am a sucker for pumpkin patches.  There's something about the environment and seeing families, friends, and little kids so happy and excited that makes me want to walk around there forever. We picked out our perfect pumpkins and some Indian corn and contemplated what we should carve.

Carving Pumpkins

I love carving pumpkins, even though it takes forever. I love everything from picking out the design to taking out the guts (I'm gross) to the actual carving.  It made for the perfect night, watching Monster's Inc. and Casper as we got to work.

Can you tell which one is mine?

Shaun's Reddit alien and my Trick or Treat pumpkin

Decorating

I already showed you our Halloween table-scape in my last post, but we also put some "spider webs" and an owl door decoration.  Nothing better than looking around our apartment complex and seeing people who are in the Halloween spirit as well.

WhoOoOo goes there?

The Haunted Trail @ Balboa Park

This was my first time going, but the Haunted Trail is San Diego's only outdoor haunted attraction.  The trail is ~1 mile long and takes about 15 minutes to go through (unless you run away really fast!).  The trail is divided up into different theme areas, think school bus, slaughter house, graveyard, etc.  The character actors jump out and interact with patrons to give you a scare.  Let's just say, it worked!  Even while waiting in line, they have people trying to scare you.  The price is pretty steep at $15 per person, but it makes for a great night out with some friends and looking to get a little spooked...just be prepared to wait in a long line to get in!

http://www.hauntedtrail.net/pages/trail

 

Costumes & Going Out with Friends

This past weekend brought two of my former roommates down to San Diego...that means 4/5ths of the roommate crew were reunited!  (Katie, Shannon, Jessie, and I...just missing our Tori!) We started our Friday night at Katie's sisters' house for a Halloween house party before heading down to Gaslamp where we get to The Tipsy Crow for some drinks and shenanigans!  The great thing about The Tipsy Crow is that there are 3 floors of fun, each offering a different environment dancing, lounging, and games!  The best part though is seeing people dressed up and what crazy costumes they come up with.  Some of my favorites included Tobias a la Arrested Development, many a Deadmau5, and the guys of LMFAO. 

The Tipsy Crow

770 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, Ca 92101

Friday Night: Me(Detective), Katie (Viking), Shannon (Beer Garden Girl) Jessie (Zebra), Kristen (Sailor), and Shaun (Waldo)

On Saturday, after a late brunch and a scenic tour of some of San Diego, Shannan and Jessie left to go back home.  Shaun and I recuperated and got ready for night 2!  We joined up with Katie + crew and headed to downtown for an event called Monster Bash.  A few blocks are blocked off and there are different stages/club areas for music and dancing and, of course, drinks!  (A special thanks to our friend Lauren who got Shaun and I special VIP passes to the Malibu VIP club at Monster Bash, where we got free drinks, tacos, and cupcakes!) Needless to say, we indulged a little bit and met up with our friends to dance and have some fun!  I even found a fellow detective, except her magnifying glass was bigger :(  Such a great night, which ended with delicious Mexican food...gotta love the drunchies!

Saturday Night Monster Bash

Sunday was a recovery day; spent from the comfort of my couch with football on the TV.  And tonight, Shaun and I are spending it inside.  We made homemade pizza (gotta love Trader Joes for making it so easy!) and are drinking some wine.  We've been getting really excited for knocks at our door and have already had some adorable trick-or-treaters!

Hope you enjoyed your Halloween as well.  Do you have any MUST-DO Halloween traditions?

Thanksgiving Wrap-up

Brussels spouts, squash and pumpkin cheesecake bars, oh my!

and that was just my contribution...

I hope everybody is recovering from their Thanksgiving gluttony and enjoyed time spent with family and loved ones!  I realize it has indeed been 1 week since Thanksgiving and I have yet to post, but rest assured, it wasn't out of sheer laziness...I was simply still digesting.  I had a fabulous Thanksgiving spent with my mom's side of the family at my aunt and uncles house.  We did a potluck style where everyone is assigned (or chooses) certain dishes to contribute to the meal.  I love this because it lets you be creative with your food choice.  I was able to experiment and be creative with my dishes because I've never made the brussel sprouts or squash in this manner and I think they added something new and fun to the meal.  P.S. I also looooved the potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and multitude of desserts (including the my cousin's vegan chocolate mousse) contributed by other family members.  The dressing had sausage in it this year, so it was a no-go for me...but I'll still applaud my uncle for that concoction, along with the turkey he cooked on the Weber grill; I'm sure it was great :)

Now onto the recipes and pictures!  Why not  start with dessert first?  My cousin Brian and I were browsing Better Home and Garden's 100 Best Cookies issue when we came across the Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chocolate Bars.  See, I told you there would be more pumpkin.  But really, what is Thanksgiving without it?  Plus, they sounded delicious and it would be a great twist on the usual pumpkin cheesecake.  We also prepared them two days before the big feast to minimize the cooking madness and because they hold up well when made before hand.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Frosting
17.5 ounce package oatmeal cookie mix
1/2 cup butter
Two 8 ounce packages cream cheese
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
15 ounce can pumpkin

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
Chocolate Glaze: 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1/4 cup butter
Pecan halves

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Line baking pan with foil, extending over the edges of pan
• In a bowl, place package of cookie mix, cutting in the butter until the mix looks like coarse crumbs.  Press mixture evenly (I stress, evenly; don't want burning) into the bottom of the baking pan and bake for about 10 minutes.
• In another bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar, beating until mixed.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating in between each addition until combined.  
• Stir in pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.  Combine and pour pumpkin mixture over the hot crust.

• Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until top is slightly puffed, then let cool.
• Chocolate glaze: In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and butter, microwaving for about 1 minute, until softened and smooth after stirring.
• Spread chocolate glaze over the top of the bars.  Top with pecan halves and enjoy!

 

The final product, Pumpkin dish not included

The result: so so so so good!  So easy to make and the perfect consistency.  Even better having leftovers :)

Now, let's talk veggies... Brussels Sprout!  If you're like me at all you may have wondered where these cute, mini cabbage-like vegetables got there name.  Even if you're not like me, I'll still tell you.  If you were thinking they obviously got their name because they originated in Brussels, Belgium than you are correct!  Yay, for fun culinary history lessons! 

(As mentioned in my last post both the Brussels sprouts dish and the acorn squash recipes can be found via the Well's Vegetarian Thanksgiving page)

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(serves 6)

1 1/2 lbs. brussels sprouts

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

2 tbsp. maple syrup

1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts (optional)*

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Prepare brussels sprouts by removing any discolored outer leaves, cutting off the stems, and cutting in half.
• In a bowl, toss the brussels sprouts, oil, salt, and pepper.
• Once coated, spread them onto a baking sheet (cover in foil to prevent sticky-ness)
• Stir brussels sprouts after 15 minutes in oven
• After 30 minutes, stir in maple syrup
• Continue to roast until tender, about 15 more minutes
• Optional: toss with hazelnuts

*didn't include hazelnuts because I couldn't find them anywhere!

Everyone that tried them, seemed to really enjoy them.  I thought they had the perfect amount of maple flavor, although some people wished there was more.  I think I'll be making these again, I've even had a request to do so!  Also, they come on the cutest little stalks...seriously, check out a place like Trader Joes and stop buying your brussels sprouts in bags!

Honey Roasted Acorn Squash
for every 2 acorn squash:
2 tbsp. honey
4 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375F
• Cut ~1/4 inch from stem end and bottom of squash.  Cut squash in half crosswise.
• Remove pump and seeds from each half.
• Cut each half into two ~1 inch segments.  Should look like rings and 1 whole acorn squash should yield 4 rings total.
• In a bowl, combine honey, olive oil, pepper, and salt.  Toss and coat squash.
• Place squash on a coated pan or dish and roast for 30 minutes or until tender.
• Serve warm and enjoy!

 

Nom nom nom.  I really enjoyed the squash, not just they taste either.  They just look like such a festival fall food.  They did taste great too.  Eat with skin on or off whichever you prefer.  Prepare yourself for a little sweet and a little savory ;)

annnnnd DONE.  If you read through that whole thing, I applaud you.  Now you can see why it took me so long to actually get it done.  Hoping to do some baking this weekend; onto the winter and Christmas treats!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

And the pumpkin overload continues...

Seriously though, I'll abstain from posting more for a while (unless you're dying for more, in which case I may be able to work something out). 

This baking experience was a lesson learned about baking at my boyfriend and his roommates house who don't own a whisk, let alone an electric mixer (still love you guys despite this :)  ).  Just a girl, a bowl, and a spoon?  Not quite the ideal baking scenario, but it worked.  I was actually pleasantly surprised that they had most of the ingredients already.  I baked these on a lazy, halloween day, as a little baseball game snack.

I got this recipe from the Food Network website.  This recipe yields about 60 cookies, so I, personally, halved it.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves*
2 cups milk chocolate chips

*I skipped on the cloves because we didn't have any there and I didn't feel like buying them, I don't really think it affected the cookie too much, to be honest.

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350F
• Beat butter until smooth
• Beat in white and brown sugar 
• Beat in eggs
• Add vanilla and pumpkin puree
• In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and the rest of the spices
• Add flour mixture to the batter in portions and mix
• Stir in chocolate chips

Bowl + spoon+ ingredients = cookie batter the 'old-fashioned' way

• Place tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto prepared cookie sheet
• Bake for 15-20 minutes
• Remove from sheet and let cool

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Great success!  The cookies turned out really moist and chewy, just the way I like them! Try them for yourself and then tell me what you think.

Roasted Pumpkin with Shallots and Sage

Sorry for the extreme lack of posting.  I was out of town for the Halloween holiday season in my most favorite town of San Luis Obispo!  It was exactly what I needed, but I shall leave it at that for now because I know you're just dying for a recipe, a savory, non-dessert recipe!

If you're like me, you love your warm comfort food in the fall/winter season.  Also, if you live in southern California you are wondering if it is November or if you were secretly transported back to the month of July because the temperature is in the 90s! Gah! Good thing I made this about a week ago when the weather was cooler, so you may want to wait until the weather makes up its mind and remembers that it's November.

The recipe is based off of Martha Stewart's Roasted Pumpkin with Shallots and Sage.  I confess that I'm slightly in love with that woman.  I trust Martha with everything: food, decorating, crafts, you name it.  That woman is the whole package.  I wanna be her...


Roasted Pumpkin with Shallots and Sage
1 medium sugar pumpkin*
2-4 shallots
3 tbsp. olive oil
fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper, to season
a few cloves of garlic, chopped*
cumin and/or cayanne, to season*
* my own additions; the recipe also says to peel and quarter your shallots, but I chopped mine more finely, left my garlic in bigger pieces and I also only used one half of my pumpkin for this recipe.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450F
• Peel, seed, and cut pumpkin into 2 inch chucks  

Seeded, Peeled, and Chopped

• Line baking sheet with foil
• Throw on pumpkin, shallots, garlic and oil- toss onto sheet
• Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and cayanne

Garlic and Shallots

Pre-roasted and ready to go!

• Roast between 30-35minutes, tossing once during baking

Delish! Serve warm and works as a side or an entree.  This recipe definitely turned me on to working with real pumpkin.  I loved the recipe because it's so versatile.  You really could season with so many different spices or leave out or add in others.  Thanks Martha, I'll be making this again, that's for certain.

P.S. Next time I make it I'll try not to cut myself with the vegetable peeler. True Story. 

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

You know what I love most about this season?
Actually, that's not a very fair question because I love far too many things...cold weather, warm clothes, up-ing my coffee/tea intake, halloween...

I could go on, but I'll stop there.  I do love pumpkins though.  I love that at this time of year you can find pumpkin incorporated into so many different foods, not just pumpkin pies, people!  I'm talking pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin curry soup, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin beer, and so much more!  Funny thing is, I truly don't grow tired of pumpkin either; it's just too good.

Enjoying the season at the pumpkin patch

 My first pumpkin baking endeavor of the season was pumpkin cupcakes (of course) with maple frosting.  The recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa as a feature in House Beautiful.  I had some help from my lovely friends Nichole and Andi on this one :)

Doubled the original recipe, the more cupcakes the better (~20 cupcakes)

Pumpkin Cupcakes
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp group nutmeg
4 eggs, at room temp.
16 ounces canned pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
Maple Frosting (below)
1 cup chopped toffee candy (Heath bar)

Maple Frosting (This is doubled too, but had frosting left over)
12 ounces cream cheese, room temp.
6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 tsp Boyajian Natural Maple Flavor **
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners sugar

**I didn't have this maple extract so I used all natural, pure maple syrup.  I used a little over 2 tablespoons until it tasted right.  Frosting wasn't overly maple-y either.  Use as much or as little as you feel necessary. 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• In a bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
• In a larger bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil.
• Add flour mixture to egg mixture and combine.
• Divide batter into tins containing cupcake liners
• Bake for 20-25 min.
• Frosting:
• Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth
• Stir in maple flavoring (or syrup) and vanilla extract
• Add confectioners sugar and mix until smooth
•  Frost cupcakes
• Sprinkle tops with chopped toffee pieces

Ina Garten definitely did something right with these cupcakes because they are absolutely delicious!  It's funny because I actually completely forgot that I purchased a pumpkin cupcake with maple frosting from Crushcakes when I was in Santa Barbara.  Now, I'm not saying that cupcake was bad, but these were definitely better.

So when you're ready to get into the season with a little pumpkin treat, do yourself a favor and make these cupcakes :)

And don't worry, more pumpkin-inspired recipes and treats coming soon!

So tell me, what's your favorite seasonal eat?