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Archive for the category “pumpkin”

Pumpkin Custard

pumpkincustardStill looking for a way to use up the last of the pumpkin from your holiday cooking? From my big jar of pumpkin I have so far made a pie, muffins and pumpkin spice syrup, then finished off the supply with this simple custard. It was a reeeaaalllly big jar!

Speaking of jarred pumpkin…no, I don’t make my own. I used to, but it was much more labor intensive than I wanted to deal with. By the time I bake it and smooth out all the stringiness I am tired of dealing with the stuff. I am hooked on using already smooth and prepared pumpkin (which often is not purely pumpkin, but includes other types of squash that are less stringy). I use very few prepared ingredients when I cook, but some I do rely on consistently. Besides pumpkin, I rely on prepared tomatoes and tomato sauces, as well as artichoke hearts. I will leave the time and effort needed to prepare them to other people. That way I can focus on making other stuff and doing funner things.

Although often for dessert, a custard like this is high in protein and goes great as breakfast too!

I was also feeling a bit nostalgic when making this. Four years ago today my dad died. He loved pumpkin pie. He had big slices whenever it was available. A few weeks before he died we brought family and friends together at his rehabilitation center for a pie party. He was stuck in the center for the holidays, so we brought a celebration to him! We filled up the dining room with people and pies he loved. It was probably the last time he had pumpkin pie. I think of him every time I make this, or pie in general. Bittersweet and comforting at the same time. I love and miss you dad!

Pumpkin Custard

1 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground clove
2 Tbsp Stevita
Whipping cream to serve (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs and whipping cream. Add pumpkin purée, cinnamon, ginger, salt, clove and Stevita, whisking well to incorporate all the ingredients. Divide the custard evenly between three 1-cup ramekins.

Place ramekins, evenly spaced, in a 9×13 baking dish. Fill dish with water so ramekins are submerged half way up. Place dish in preheated oven on the middle rack. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until center of all custards is firm. Serve, topped with whipped cream, immediately or chill and serve cold.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make more individual servings.

Pumpkin Pie No Sugar No Wheat No Problem

A pumpkin pie with a crispy crust and moist custard, full of spices and sweet pumpkin. A quintessential dessert around my house during the holidays. We like serving it chilled, and mine is usually topped with some freshly whipped cream. I like making it first thing in the morning so the house smells wonderful all day. Little B is becoming quite a pro at stirring, so the custard was a joint effort this year. Sometimes I use fresh pumpkin, other times I resort to canned stuff. I have discovered over the years that the fresh stuff needs a little more spicing to get that just right balance of flavors in the pie. Big D likes his pumpkin pie extra spicy and wheat free, while I want it sugar free with a flaky crust. This recipe met all four requirements! My next wheat free, sugar free pie will be pecan. Stay tuned!

Pumpkin Pie No Sugar No Wheat No Problem

Crust
1 1/2 cups almond flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp splenda
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Custard

15 ounces puréed pumpkin
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¾ cup splenda
2 large eggs
1¼ cups heavy cream

Heat oven to 375ºF. For the crust, mix together the almond flour, 1 tsp splenda and butter until combined. Press mixture into an 8” or 9” pie plate and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. In a medium bowl whisk pumpkin purée, splenda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt to combine. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Add heavy cream and mix well. Pour custard into pie crust. Cover crust edge with aluminum foil. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until filling is set but still a little jiggly in the middle. Cool on a wire rack.

 

Sugar Free Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Oh my! The taste of fall! For winter it is peppermint and eggnog. Spring reminds me of berries and fresh salads. Summer is the chill of popsicles and fresh produce everywhere. Now, fall. Fall is squash and cinnamon, nutmeg and clove – and this syrup is the quintessence of fall. I have mentioned this before, but will do so again – I don’t like hot drinks during hot weather. It heats up my insides and is just not relaxing to me. Now, hot drinks during cooler weather totally hits the spot. Just the right balance of warmth on the inside with cool weather on the outside. Dreamy! I am enjoying the chill in the air, along with hot teas and coffees. One of my favorites is the pumpkin spice lattes popping up in coffee shops everywhere. The problem is all the sugar in them and the expense, which are discouraging. I have made this sugar free syrup for the past few years and find it has just the right mix of sweet and spicy, without spiking my blood sugar. I keep a jar in the fridge at work and home so I am not tempted by the sugary versions. It also works in my cold brewed coffee, but the hot, steamy latte is perfect for this time of year. Drizzle it over ice cream, stir into hot tea or mix with hot chocolate as well. You won’t be able to get enough. Yum!

Sugar Free Pumpkin Spice Syrup

1 cup water
1 Tbsp Stevia (or use your preferred sweetener, equivalent to 1 cup pure cane sugar)
1/3 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ inch fresh ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground clove
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine pumpkin, water and sweetener in medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until everything is dissolved and begins to bubble. Add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove and vanilla. Simmer on low, stirring frequently, for about ten minutes until the syrup thickens and makes the house smell wonderful. Let cool to room temperature. At this point you can do one of two things: 1) store in glass jar in the fridge, or 2) strain through fine sieve into glass jar and store in fridge. If you don’t mind stirring your coffee while you drink it don’t worry about straining and do number one. If you want a more blended cup of coffee or aim to use the syrup in a latte, then do number two. Big D and I like number one, but both approaches have a delicious result. I use about one tablespoon for an 8 – 12 ounce cup of coffee. If used in a latte add about one tablespoon for every cup of milk. The syrup also goes well drizzled over warm muffins, cinnamon rolls or stirred in with pancake syrup for an autumn twist.

Wheat Free Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Oh the sweet smell of autumn! The smell of wood fires. The way the whole world looks like sunset all day long with the changing leaves. The rush to do things in the daylight of shorter days. It is so close I can feel it – especially with the windows open and tree tops outside my kitchen window. The smell I most often associate with autumn is spiced pumpkin, whether it is coming from a dish for breakfast, dessert or a hot beverage. The smell wafting through the air is heavenly. Every evening this week I have set a pot simmering low on the stove with water, vanilla, cinnamon sticks and ginger. The whole house smells like freshly baked pumpkin pie. Little B is currently ‘helping’ me clean up while the muffins bake. It may sound odd, but Little B has not often been interested in licking the bowl after batter has gone into baking dishes. Unlike what I recall as a little kid, I was always wanting to savor those little bits in the bowl, teasing me about how the final product would taste. As I type she is going on fifteen minutes trying to get every speck of the batter out of the mixing bowl. Regardless of how the muffins turn out, my house smells delicious and the batter is a success!

Wheat Free Pumpkin Spice Muffins

6 eggs
6 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
10 drops liquid stevia
5 ounces pureed pumpkin
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 cup powdered erythritol

Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare muffin pan with liners. In mixing bowl blend together wet ingredients. In separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Divide batter among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for about 15 minutes until tops begin to brown. Let cool for about ten minutes before serving.

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