what to do with leftover pumpkin, and other dessert adventures

One of my favorite things about cooking with pumpkin (and buying a big can of pumpkin) is having leftovers to play with. As you'll come to see when the fall rolls around, I love pumpkin and squash, and I love cooking with them. I think pumpkin is such a delicious ingredient, as well as a great one to work with. Pumpkin adds a lot of moistness and flavor to baked goods, and is a great ingredient to add multiple other layers of flavor to. With half a can of pumpkin sitting in my fridge waiting for me, after making the pumpkin bread recipe below, I knew I had to get creative. My boyfriend and his best friend were cooking dinner for a bunch of our friends on Friday night. While the two of them are amazing cooks, they generally stick with the savory. I decided I would take on the sweet, and make dessert for everyone. Often if I bring a dessert to a dinner, I like to have two different desserts. People have different palates, and different likes, and plus- I like to bake, so why wouldn't I make two?

I decided to make a version of a cookie I had made before, and try my hand at a coffee cake as well. Both, I have to say, turned out deliciously. They were a big hit with everyone, and for me as well; I will definitely be making these again. Both I have to say, were made even better by my wonderful gf flour mix (mentioned in the post below). Neither baked any differently, or tasted any differently, than they would if they were made with regular flour- and that is certainly a success. A great website that I draw a lot of inspiration from is Smitten Kitchen, which is where I got the idea for this coffee cake as well (check it out for wonderful recipes, not gf, but easy to adapt)! Definitely try out these recipes, you will not be disappointed.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

so many delicious flavors, all rolled into one

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup softened, unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups gf rolled oats
1 1/2 cups gf flour mix (flour+xanthum gum)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt
Add in the butter and mix until the batter starts to crumble
Stir in the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin
Once combined, add the rolled oats, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips
Mix until just combined
Roll into large balls and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper- these cookies will not expand a bit, however the size and shape that they are when they go in the oven will remain relatively the same
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes and put on a cooling rack- you might want to snag one of these right out of the oven though!
enjoy!!

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

simply delicious.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, separated
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream (I used low-fat, but either will work)
3 cups gf flour mix (with xanthum gum)
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar
One at a time, beat in the egg yolks, followed by the vanilla
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
Once combined, alternately add the dry ingredients and sour cream into the butter mixture (starting and ending with dry ingredients)
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are still, and then fold into the batter
In a small blow, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon for the filling
In a parchment lined 9x9 dish, spread half of the cake batter evenly along the bottom
Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter, and sprinkle with half of the chocolate chips
Repeat these layers again
Once the chocolate chips are sprinkled on, press them lightly into the top of the cake
Bake the cake for 45 minutes
enjoy!

my new favorite flour, and a secret family recipe

A few weeks ago, one of my mom’s friends (who has been eating gluten free for years) told my mom about her favorite flour blend. For those of you who have tried your hand at gluten free baking, you know that the flour mix is very important. Whether you mix it yourself, or buy it pre-made, most gf flour blends are made of some sort of combo of rice flour, sweet rice flour, potato flour, potato starch, almond flour, xanthum gum, etc. Though many different companies make different flour blends, they can definitely be hit or miss. Some are better when baked into a cake, others when baking bread. Anyways, back to my mom’s weekly mahjong game, her friend told her about a blend that she’s been using for years. It’s called Meisters, and is made by a cute little family in the Midwest. If you live out in Illinois, you can find yourself privy to this wonderful blend at your local health foods store. For those of us though, who live a bit farther away, never fear. You can order off of their website! The 5lb pound of flour is not so expensive, and definitely goes a long way. And I have to say, I’ve now baked with it 4 times, and the results are awesome. The flour really does perfectly mimic regular wheat flour when baked. I’ve made it in brownies, bread, and even cake, and the results are delicious. I highly recommend ordering a bag of this stuff- it will be worth it. If you can’t make the commitment to the 5lb bag, start with something small. But I promise you, if you’re an avid baker like me, this 5lb will inspire you to roll up your sleeves and tie back your apron- you’re going to want the big mama size. Check out their website here- http://www.meistersgf.com/ !

With my new flour ready and waiting to be used in my kitchen, I decided to tackle one of my mom’s greatest recipes of all time. After testing the newbie out, and finding amazing results, I decided that I could take on the holy grail of my mom’s oven, her pumpkin bread. Now, I know what you’re thinking, pumpkin bread? What can be so great. I mean, sure it’s delicious and reminds you of falls as you bite into it, but its nothing so special. Those of you who are thinking this, haven’t been fortunate enough to try my mom’s pumpkin bread. My mom doesn’t bake as much as I do, but those things she make, she makes incredibly well. This pumpkin bread was a standard in the care packages I received at camp and in college, which always put a smile on my face. The bread became so popular, that my mom started baking my friends their own loaves. This bread is sweet without being overly sweet, perfectly cooked, incredibly moist, and full of pumpkin flavor. I’ve missed it so much, that I finally decided I was brave enough to take a gf stab at it. And let me tell you (thank you Meister’s), I was not disappointed. Whether you’re baking gf or not, you must try this recipe. It will seriously change your life. The recipe is easy, and the results delicious. Fortunately, the recipe makes 2 big, or 4 smaller loaves, so sharing won’t be an issue. It also freezes well, so it’s a great make ahead bread. Thanks to my mom for this one- seriously, one of the best of all time.

Pumpkin Bread

 3 ½ cups gf flour mix

2 tsp baking soda

3 cups granulated sugar

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup canola oil (or you can sub in 1 cup applesauce for a healthier option)

2/3 cup water

2 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling! Just pumpkin puree)

ready to bake

right from the oven

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, sugar, slat, cinnamon, and nutmeg

When the dry ingredients are well mixed, add the oil and eggs one at a time with the mixer on. Once incorporated, add the water and pumpkin, and mix well

Be sure that you use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, to ensure that everything has been mixed together

Once combined, pour the batter into 2 large (4 small) bread pans, that have been greased lightly with cooking spray

Bake for one hour, or until top starts to brown. Since this bread is thick, be sure to check the center of the cake with a toothpick before taking it out of the oven and letting it rest

You can let it cool inside the pan, and try to resist eating it after it has slightly cooled

Enjoy!!

its just so good.

enjoy!