The 13 Days of Pumpkin--Day One

Here's a little insight to everyone's favourite Yankee Baker:

Autumn is my favourite season.

October is my favourite month.

Hallowe'en is my favourite holiday.

Pumpkins are my favourite gourds.

We're gonna bibbi-di-bobbi-di-boo this into something delish!

So needless to say, it's an exciting time of year in the Yankee Baker house.  And, as promised, today marks the official kickoff to THE 13 DAYS OF PUMPKIN!!  Yippee!!  Moving forward to the end of the month, I will offer thirteen different and (hopefully) easy things to do with those lovely orange fellows.  Today's post is chock full of hints and recipes to get you started.

First.  When I mention pumpkin in a recipe, I'm referring to pumpkin puree, which you can purchase in the stores (typically in the baking aisle, though this time of year stores sometimes have it out in more auspicious places) or, if you're feeling plucky, make yourself.  Use the small sugar pumpkins.  Slice them into chunks, clean out the innards, boil to separate the flesh from the skin, then run the flesh through a food processor.  I haven't done it myself, so I'm assuming this method works.  I find it WAY easier to just pick up a few cans of the stuff already done.  BUT--and this is Very Important--make sure you get PLAIN PUMPKIN PUREE.  Do not get pumpkin pie filling.  The can should say "100% Pumpkin" on it, meaning no spices or anything have been added.  Plain.  Simple.  Pumpkin goop.  Also, it can be good to note that one 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree is equal to about 1 1/2 cups.  If you're very accurate with your measurements, you may be able to eke out 1 3/4 cups, but I like to be generous with my pumpkin, so 1 1/2 cups for me.

100% pumpkin yes.  Pumpkin pie filling no.

Second.  Pumpkin pie spice.  It appears in several of these recipes (though not the ones I'm featuring in this post).  You can purchase pumpkin pie spice from the store, OR mix up your own batch, since the ingredients in pumpkin pie spice are probably already in your spice cupboard.  You need: 4 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 4 teaspoons ground ginger and 1 tablespoon ground allspice.  Mix 'em all together and store your magic in an old spice container until I post something that requires it.

Hokay.  RECIPE TIME!!!  Tonight we will feature TWO fabulous pumpkin recipes.  Number uno: Pumpkin Biscuitti.  Yankee Dog's birthday was last week, so I though we'd get The 13 Days of Pumpkin rolling with a little something for the four-legged critters we love.  Pumpkin is actually great for canine digestion (try mixing a couple tablespoons of pumpkin puree into your dog's food if he ever has an upset tummy), so this crunchy snacks are healthy and happy for your pooch!  The recipe is incredibly simple: in a bowl, mix together 2 1/2 cups flour (whatever kind of flour you want: oat, whole wheat, brown rice, whatever), 2 eggs, and 3/4-1 cup pumpkin.  The original recipe only called for 1/2 cup of pumpkin, but the dough is super duper dry and needed something more, so I added more pumpkin.  Stir the goods all together (do your best; as I said, the dough is dry but at least it's a good arm workout), then dump out onto a lined baking pan.  Shape into a log about 2" wide and 12" long; smooth the top out.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Slice into 1/4"-1/2" pieces and bake another 20 minutes.  Let them cool before feeding to Fido!  Store remaining biscuitti in an airtight container in the fridge.  Yankee Dog gives them two paws up!

Two paws!  That's a rave review!

And now, recipe deux: Pumpkin Poppers, aka "Pumpkin Donut Muffins Covered in Crack."  These things are mega awesome.  You need two mixing bowls.  In one, put 1 3/4 cup flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (I only had whole cloves to hand, so instead of buying ground cloves, I mushed some up in the mortar and pestle.  Yes, I'm too lazy to process my own pumpkin, but not to grind cloves.  Don't judge).  Blend your dry ingredients together with a whisk.  In bowl two, combine 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3/4 cup pumpkin and 1/2 cup low-fat milk.  Add your mixed dry ingredients to your mixed wet ingredients and stir till everything is just blended.  Don't overstir.  This will be a nice thick, wet and slightly lumpy batter.  Slap heaping teaspoons of the batter into the cups of a greased muffin tin.  This should be enought batter to fill all twelve cups of a standard sized muffin tin--these would be great (possibly better) to make in a mini muffin tin, because then they'd be more like donut holes (I'll have to experiment with Yankee Mama's mini tin next time I'm in Yankeeland).  Bake 12-15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.  While your poppers are baking, melt one stick butter in a microwave safe bowl.  In another bowl, blend together 2/3 cup white sugar and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon.  After the poppers are done, allow them to cool 5-10 minutes, then slather them in melted butter and roll them around in the cinnamon sugar.  And then try not to eat them all in one go.  OMMMMMMMMM NOMMMMMMMM.

Crayola needs to make a "cinnamon sugar sparkle" crayon.

Stay tuned, my darlings, for the next installment of The 13 Days of Pumpkin!