Crab Tartlets

We love finger foods here. I am always on the hunt for new appetizers to serve at the various family functions. Puff pastry is always a good place to start. You can create strudels out of it, layer it with ingredients and fold it over, cut it into rounds and place them in muffin tins, it provides a near infinite variety of snacks and dishes.

The family also goes nutso over seafood, particularly crab, so any opportunity to fold together something crabby with something creamy is always welcome in this house.

Crab Tartlets

Makes 12 tartlets

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed and cut into rounds with a 3 inch biscuit cutter
• ½ cup lump crab meat, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons of mayo
• 2 tablespoons garlic and herb Boursin cheese
• ½ teaspoon sriracha more or less to taste 
• 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
• 1½ teaspoons minced shallot
• 1½ teaspoons minced celery
• ¼ cup shredded cheese - I used a mixture of extra-sharp cheddar, parm and romano
• Old Bay to taste
• ¼ cup soft, unseasoned bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Place the rounds of puff pastry into the bottom of a 12-well muffin pan.*
3. Mix together the crab, mayo, sriracha, mustard and Boursin in a bowl, then add the minced shallot and celery and the shredded cheese. Stir well to combine.
4. Taste and then season with salt, pepper and Old Bay to suit your taste.
5. Add the bread crumbs and toss to combine well.
6. Put a heaping teaspoon on top of each pastry round in the muffin pans and then bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the pastry starts to get golden brown. 
7. Carefully pry the tartlets from the muffin pan and let cool on a wire rack and then serve.

Notes:

• I put the pastry rounds into an ungreased muffin pan and then stuck like hell, but for some reason, with this particular muffin pan, that is always the case. Next time I might try greasing it liberally with Crisco or even resorting to muffin liner papers or using my new silicone muffin cups.
• Any leftover crab mixture makes a wonderful crab cake mixture with the addition of a bit more soft bread crumbs. The resulting texture is soft and somewhat bready, like what you get with baked stuffed clams. It was an unexpected delight.

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Pumpkin Bread

Look! More pumpkin!

Yes, we've been hot-and-heavy with the winter squashes lately, but that's ok, because they are equally delicious in sweet and savory dishes alike. Some people think that pumpkin's only reason for existence is to be carved into some gruesome jack o'lantern for Hallowe'en or magically whipped up into a pie for Thanksgiving, but it is so much more versatile than that.

Truth be told, pumpkin pie isn't even my favorite pumpkin dessert. No, that would be spiced pumpkin cheesecake. Coming in after that, and still before the pie, are pumpkin gingerbread and pumpkin bread, and those are still in the realm of desserts. Dishes such as pumpkin lasagna, pumpkin ravioli in sage brown butter and curried pumpkin soup do a fantastic job of showcasing pumpkin's savory side.

If you want something pumpkiny and immediate, a quick bread like this one really delivers. It took me longer to assemble my ingredients than it did to get the batter in the oven, and the scent that filled the house while it was baking was just indescribably wonderful. Those fall baking smells are one of the reasons I look forward to fall so intensely.

This loaf is richly scented and moist, with the bits of pecan studded here and there providing nice texture.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh pumpkin puree, or about ½ of a 15 oz. can
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup pumpkin-apple butter*
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon** 
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F
2. Grease and flour a large loaf pan.
3. Ina  large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, eggs, pumpkin-apple butter and water until thoroughly combined. I did this in the food processor when I realized that the pumpkin puree I had processed the other day still had some chunks of pumpkin in it.
4. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix well.
6. Stir in the pecans.
7. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
8. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool.

Notes:

• I replaced the oil that is usually found in these recipes with pumpkin-apple butter, but if you don't have any, you can substitute with the same amount of applesauce or a mild oil, like canola.
  
  If you do use the same pumpkin-apple butter, you can cut down on the spices provided in the recipe, because the pumpkin-apple butter is very generously spiced already. In fact, I added no extra spices at all. If you decide to use oil or applesauce, however, you will need to add the spices listed in the recipe.

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Pumpkin-Apple Butter

It was a pretty good year for sugar pumpkins in my neck of the woods, so I got 3. They've been hanging around the house for a while, and although I know that these beauties do hold well in a cool spot, I wanted to work on getting some of them processed and frozen, so yesterday I grabbed two of them and set to work.

How adorable, right? They have no idea what's in store for them.

Using your largest, sharpest knife, I used an 8 in. chef's knife, just cut them in half:

And then scrape out all the seeds and the fibers - save the seeds for roasting, though!

See? They should be fairly clean. I used a toothed scraper, which is why you see marks. A large spoon works well, too.

Now, set them cut-side up in a large roasting pan, add about an inch of water to the bottom of the pan and roast them in a preheated, 400°F oven for 45 minutes.

Scrape out chunks of the flesh once it's cooled a bit and not too hot to handle, and you're ready to puree it. I find that it purees better when it is warm than when it has cooled off, so I  try to puree it all as soon as I can handle it without giving myself 3rd-degree burns, then I use it or pack it away in 2-cup portions in freezer bags and freeze or refrigerate it.

Ready to go!

I packed away 4 cups of the puree in the freezer, set aside another 2 cups in the fridge for this week, and used 2 cups for this delectable pumpkin-apple butter, which makes a nice spread on buttered toast. I am also thinking of possibly making baked stuffed French toast and mixing some of this with softened cream cheese as the filling.

Just a thought.

This is also incredible eaten right off a spoon.

Pumpkin-Apple Butter

Makes approximately 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup apple cider, enough to almost cover the raisins. I used 1/2 cup, but had the remaining 1/4 cup ready to dilute the butter if needed.
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 allspice berries

Directions:

1. Soak 1/2 cup golden raisins in 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup cider for an hour.
   
2. Blend together 2 cups fresh pumpkin with the raisins and cider and 1/2 cup applesauce in a food processor until nicely pureed.
   
3. Place the puree in a sauce pan and add 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and your favorite pie spices - I crushed up 3 cloves and 2 allspice berries, shaved in about 1/4 t of nutmeg, 1/2 t ground ginger and 2 t cinnamon - and heat over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn't stick and burn.
   
4. Serve :)

Notes:

• This has the consistency of a thick applesauce; if you like your apple butter thicker, I'd say cook it down for another hour, but take care to stir it so that it doesn't burn on the bottom.

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Pumpkin Gingerbread

As you'll see from the blog, I've been on a pumpkin kick lately. One pie and a pumpkin gingerbread later, I still have some purée left over from the large sugar pumpkin I processed last weekend. I also have 2 sugar pumpkins chilling out in the basement waiting to be transformed into something fabulous so no doubt I'm set for purée for the next 6 months.

I searched around for pumpkin gingerbread recipes and settled on the King Arthur Flour's gingerbread recipe as a starting point. I made a few changes based on what I had on hand and spiced according to my taste preferences. The results were fantastic: Somewhat shamefacedly, I'll cop to scarfing down two pieces of it, still warm and topped with homemade vanilla ice cream, this morning. The edges were beautifully crisp and molasses-sweet, and the hint of black pepper paired with the ginger lent a zing to each bite. The pumpkin purée kept it moist without being too heavy.

Really, this might be the best thing I've ever made. :)

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Ingredients:

• 1 T cider vinegar
• 1 cup milk
• 1¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 ¼ t baking powder
• ½ t baking soda
• ½ t salt
• 2 t ginger
• 1 t cinnamon
• 6 cloves, crushed
• ¼ t allspice
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• dash of black pepper
• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
  
• ½ cup dark molasses
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup pumpkin purée
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
   


2. Grease and flour an 8 x 8 inch baking dish.
   


3. Mix together the apple cider vinegar and milk and set aside to let the milk curdle - otherwise you can substitute 1 cup of buttermilk if you have it.
   


4. Put the flours, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, salt and spices in a large bowl and whisk well.
   


5. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and add to the molasses.
   


6. Pour the butter and molasses mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing well.
   


7. Add the curdled milk/buttermilk and stir well.
   


8. Add the egg and mix until totally combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
   


9. Fold in the pumpkin puree and mix well.
   


10. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake 45-50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
    


11. Let cool or serve immediately with whipped cream or ice cream.
    

Just look at that crumb, would you? Mmm-mmm.

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Pumpkin Pie

I never had pumpkin pie when I was growing up because my dad is not a big fan of squash. I'd heard people over the years talk longingly about pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving time, but never really cared that I might be missing out on something fabulous because we always had pecan pies and apple pies for the holidays.

Then I met my future in-laws and pumpkin pie and my whole world changed.

Not only did they introduce me to the wonders of pumpkin pie, but they opened the doors to the other squashes, butternut, acorn, pattypan, all wonderfully delicious and endlessly inspiring.

But still, I always come back to the pie. :)

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

For the Pastry:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup ice water
  

For the Pumpkin Filling:

• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree*
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 6 cloves, ground
• 6 allspice berries, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  

Directions:

1. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and process until combined. Add the butter and process about 15 seconds, or until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.


2. Pour 1/8 cup ice water water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together. Add more water as necessary. Do not process more than 30 seconds.


3. Turn the dough onto your floured work surface and shape it into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.


4. After the dough has chilled sufficiently, place on a lightly floured surface, and roll into circle about 1/4 inch thick.
   


5. Roll the dough over your rolling pine and gently transfer to a deep dish pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and tuck the overhanging pastry under itself. Refrigerate the pastry, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes before pouring in the filling.


6. In a large bowl whisk the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
   


7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell and place on a large baking pan to catch any spills.
   


8. Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 and bake for 40 minutes, or until the filling is set and the crust has browned, though the center will still look wet and jiggly.
   


9. Turn off the oven, leave it open a crack while it cools and take it out, to minimize cracking.


10. Place the baked pie on a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
    

Notes:

• I like using fresh pumpkin instead of canned puree:
  • Buy a small sugar pumpkin, also sometimes called pie pumpkin.
    
  
  
  • Cut it in half and scrape out the seeds and stringy fibers.
    
  
  
  • Place cut side up in a roasting pan. Pour in water until it's about 1 1/2 inches high. Then roast in a 400-degree preheated oven for about 45 minutes to an hour.
    
  
  
  • Take out and let cool, then scoop out the flesh.
    
  
  
  • I often like to puree the pumpkin in a food processor and then add the spices sugar and cream, and process it together. Then I scoop it into a large bowl with the beaten eggs, stir well and then pour int the crust.
  
  

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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Last weekend, in preparation for Hallowe'en, my girls and I carved pumpkins basically all day long on Saturday. We each picked out a fairly elaborate pattern to carve out, and my ambitious plans to bake pumpkin bread, a pumpkin pie, a loaf of multigrain bread and roast the seeds came to naught.

We got the pumpkins done, but were all pretty sick of anything pumpkin-related, especially by the time I had finished picking out the seeds from the gigantic bowl of pumpkin guts. I washed them and let them sit in a colander, oh, all week until today when I finally said, "Hmm, I really ought to roast those suckers."

I did, and despite the 5-day wait, they were just as delicious as they always have been.

I will be making a pie at some point this weekend. ;-)

Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

• pumpkin seeds, unshelled
  
• olive oil
• salt
• Old Bay
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.


2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.


3. Put the pumpkin seeds in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.


4. Add salt liberally and toss with some Old Bay.


5. Spread out into an even layer on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.


6. Take them out and stir them around, flipping them over, then put them back in for another 5 minutes.
   


7. Check to see how they're doing, you don't want them burned, but if they're not roasted enough, they won't have the right amount of crunch to them.


8. When they're done, put them in a bowl and snack away.
   

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Pumpkin Cheesecake

Well, yet again, despite my best intentions, the vegan experiment did not last. I may settle for being mostly-vegetarian.

*big sigh*

Anyway, in honor of my birthday yesterday (huzzah) I decided to go whole-hog and bake myself a cheesecake. If you can't have a full-fat, sugar-laden cheesecake on your birthday, then life might not be worth living. I asked my kids what flavor cheesecake they wanted me to make, and the vote was unanimous: Pumpkin.

I've been making this highly-spiced pumpkin cheesecake for years now, and it always comes out thick, rich and creamy. I like my pumpkin pies and pumpkin cheesecakes to have a strong hint of spices, so I love the addition of cloves and allspice to the spice mixture. Of course, if you like your pumpkin pie spice blend, then go for it and use that instead.

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust

• 4 cups gingersnaps
  
• 3/4 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  

Filling

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree - canned or fresh*
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
  
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 8 whole cloves, ground to a powder ( 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves)
  
• 6 allspice berries, ground to a powder (1/4 teaspoon allspice power)
• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
  

Directions:

1. Line a 9 inch springform pan with buttered parchment paper. Put an oven rack in the middle position in the oven and preheat to 350°F.


2. Place gingersnaps and pecans in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is pulverized nicely.
   


3. Place the crumb mixture and the brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and mix together until combined well. It will be dark and moist and stick together nicely. If it is too crumbly and does not stick together, add more melted butter.
   


4. Press the crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up the side of pan. You may have extra crumb mixture which you can sprinkle over the top of the cheesecake when serving. Or, you could eat it in great heaping handfuls while the cheesecake bakes. It's up to you.
   


5. Whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, cream, vanilla and bourbon in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Add the spices to the mixture and taste to adjust seasoning.


6. Add the eggs and mix well.
   


7. Stir together the sugar, cornstarch in large mixing bowl. I use the mixing bowl of my stand mixer.
   


8. Add the softened cream cheese and beat with the flat beater of an electric mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth, about 5 minutes.
   


9. Reduce speed to medium, then add pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth, another 3 minutes.


10. Pour filling into crust, smoothing the top, then put the springform pan on a shallow baking sheet in case the pan leaks.
    


11. Bake until center is just set, 50 to 60 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle in the center when you take it out. Don't worry, it will firm up and set as it cools. Transfer to rack and cool 5 minutes.


12. Cool the cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 2 hours. Then, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
    

Notes:

• I like to make my own pumpkin puree from sugar pumpkins. It is very easy to do:
  
• Cut a baking pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds and stringy fibers. Then place, cut side down in a baking dish and roast for 45-50 minutes at 400°F. Let the pumpkin cool, and then scrape out the flesh into a food processor, puree and then use as you would canned pumpkin. If the pumpkin is especially watery, I'd strain out the excess water with a cheesecloth.
  

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