Mediterranean Pumpkin Tart

Pumpkin and puff pastry make a beautiful combination rich and creamy. This dessert is a different way to serve pumpkin. You can also purchase a butter puff pastry which is as good as home made which saves the hassle of rolling out the puff pastry three times.

Ingredients
1 package puff pastry, thawed
300 grams fresh butternut pumpkin, grated
100 grams golden raisins
50 grams of dried figs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 250 C

Method

Grease a large, rimmed baking sheet with butter and roll out the puff pastry and cut in half, and place one rectangle on the baking sheet. Dot with butter, then add the sugar, spices, figs and raisins. Mix the grated pumpkin and flour together and sprinkle over the base. Cover with the remaining pastry and paint a layer of milk on the top of the pastry so that it will go an appealing brown when cooked.

Bake in the preheated hot oven for about twenty five minutes or until the dough is flaky and lightly browned. Serve with lashing of fresh cream flavoured with the zest of an orange.

Pumpkin and Ginger Ice Cream

Food & Wine Festival
Originally uploaded by Anonymous New York

This icecream is a creamy custardy icecream and it is perfectly complemented by the fresh ginger.

Ingredients

500ml/18fl oz double cream
2 tablespoon finely chopped, fresh ginger
4 free range egg yolks
125g/4½oz caster sugar
125g/4½oz cooked butternut squash, puréed
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method
Fill a large bowl with ice and a little water.Place the cream and ginger into a saucepan and bring to the boil.Remove the saucepan from the heat and cover, leaving the cream to infuse for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes return the pan to the heat and bring back to the boil.
Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk together.Pour in some of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks and whisk continuously to combine.

Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan containing the rest of the cream and continue cooking gently for 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Add the butternut squash to the cream mixture and, stir in throughly.Place the saucepan into the iced water bath, stirring occasionally, until chilled. Add the lemon juice to the cream and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until smooth. Keep frozen until ready to use.

Pumpkin Laksa

Pumpkin Laksa
Originally uploaded by Girl Interrupted Eating

This Asian style soup is a quick and easy nourishing Winter soup
Ingredients
50g of Dried Noodles
100g of roasted pumpkin ( or steam some fresh until soft) chopped into chunks
1 Fresh Red Chilli
Handful of fresh coriander
Handful of fresh mint
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
a cup of coconut milk
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
Fresh lime juice

Pour sufficient boiling water over dried egg noodles, to cover top wioth a plate and leave for ten minutes to soften.

Make a paste from the chilli, ginger, coriander, garlic, oil in the food processor.Fry the pumpkin in the paste add the coconut milk and pour in the noodles including the water , and dash of fish sauce .

To serve add extra coriander leaves and a squirt of lime

Pumpkin Spice Bread With Perry Cider Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Bread & Apple Cider Cream Cheese Frosting Sandwiches (w/ Recipe)
Originally uploaded by jen_m_stewart

This is a moist rich pumpkin bread with a pear cider cream cheese frosting which is a wonderful moist Christmas icing.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup mashed pumpkin
1/2 cup pear butter
1/2 cup pear cider
2 large organic eggs.
1 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Method
Combine first five ingredients in a small bowl and beat well. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Gradually add second bowl to pumpkin mixture and beat well.

Pour mixture into 9"x5" loaf pan -- either non-stick, or lightly oiled. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 65 - 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool.

Apple Cider Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups pear cider or perry
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into bits and softened
1/2 cup plus one tablespoon sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 stick of butter, softened

Boil the cider in a saucepan until it is reduced to about 1/4 cup and let it cool. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together the cream cheese, the butter, the confectioners' sugar, and the reduced cider until the icing is smooth.

To assemble the cakes slice the bread into slices and sandwich together with the icing and quarter.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaves

steaming hot gingerbread pumpkin loafs.. soo good.
Originally uploaded by mymostofme

I am not especially fond of traditional Christmas food, as a vegetarian the traditional Christmas diner is out, I am more likely to eat a vegetable curry than anything else at Christmas. I do not like Christmas cake, or Christmas pudding but love Gingerbread and of course the eponymous name of this blog indicates that I love pumpkin. This gingerbread recipe is rich and for me a perfect accompaniment to morning coffee. I love them for Christmas morning with breakfast I cut thick slices and dip them in eggs mixed with more ground ginger and then fry them in butter.


Pumpkin Gingerbread

2 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large organic eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup treacle
16 ounces pureed pumpkin
2 teaspoons ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Method


Grease two large loaf tins. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs. Beat until smooth. Add the milk, treacle and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Fold in the pumpkin and spices. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are incorporated. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for about an hour or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
Originally uploaded by p.tam

One of my favourite foods is pumpkins and my favourite chef is Emeril Lagasse, so this recipe which combines both is pretty memorable.

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar, plus 4 teaspoons
8 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Arrange 8 (1/2-cup) ramekins or custard cups in a large metal baking pan.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until frothy and lemon-colored. Slowly add 3/4 cup of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture to the remaining hot cream, and whisk. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin, and whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Divide among the prepared custard cups.

Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake until the custards are just set in the center but not stiff, 45 minutes to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Sprinkle each custard with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining sugar. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar. (Alternately, preheat the broiler, and broil until the sugar melts and caramelizes, watching closely to avoid burning and rotating the cups, about 1 to 2 minutes.) Place on small dessert plates and serve.

Pumpkin Gnocchi With Sage Butter

pumpkin gnocchi
Originally uploaded by houkouonchi

These pumpkin gnocchi have a mild flavour made nutter with the nutmeg a spice combination made in heaven for pumpkin. The Sage butter is a perfect accompaniment with a hint of chilli.



Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin, cooked and mashed
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch garlic powder
pinch cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon red chili pepper
12 sage leaves
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste


Method

Cut the pumpkin, if it is organic you can leave the skin on, if not, cut away the outer parts, de-seed and cut into medium size chunks.
Place them in a pot with very little water and steam them until soft about five or six minutes.

Remove from the heat and puree or mash with a potato masher.
Add the pinch of garlic powder, the pinch of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon. of nutmeg, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the allspice and mix well.

Slowly mix in flour and knead until it forms a smooth dough. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour until it is a smooth ball of dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into bite sized pieces. Mark them with the tines of the fork.Cook them in boiling water until they float

In a smaller sauce pan, saute garlic with olive oil and butter add the red chili pepper and the sage leaves. When ready to serve, pour the sauce over the gnocchi and mix well. Dust with cinnamon and grate fresh parmesan over the top.