Pumpkin Soup

When I need a quick dinner, soup often fits the bill. This pumpkin soup comes together fast and pairs well with BLTs or a salad topped with cranberries, pecans and blue cheese. It's also perfect for fall and I've even served this as a first course to the Thanksgiving meal.

I like the flavor of puree made from roasted pumpkin. If you don't want to make your own, substitute commercially canned pumpkin. If you're looking for a lighter soup, feel free to omit the milk or half & half. The pumpkin flavor is so delicious, you'll never miss it. Top the soup with roasted pumpkin seeds, pecans, hickory nuts or chestnuts.   

Cook the onions in margarine. Add a can of chicken stock. Cook until onions are
tender. Puree, add pumpkin, remaining broth and seasonings and simmer 10 minutes.

Add milk or half & half, if desired. Warm but do not boil. Serve.

Top with roasted pumpkin seeds or nuts. Perfect
accompaniment to a sandwich or salad.

Pumpkin Soup

1 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp margarine

3 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned

15 ounces (scant 2 cups) pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
1 tsp salt
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄8 tsp ground ginger
1⁄8 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup milk or half and half, optional

Saute onion in margarine in a medium saucepan until tender. Add half of chicken broth; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Transfer broth mixture into the container of a blender or processor (or use an immersion blender). Process until smooth.

Add remaining broth, pumpkin, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground pepper and brown sugar; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk or half & half, if desired. Heat through but do not boil. Ladle into individual soup bowls. 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

If you're a follower of my blog, you know we grow and process our own pumpkins, which results in a lot of puree in the freezer. While I do like pumpkin pie, I've found other ways to incorporate the squash in both sweet and savory dishes. 

These whoopie pies are a fun change from a traditional pumpkin cake. They're portable and easy to eat. I especially like to serve them at a casual fall Supper Club where they can be enjoyed around the bonfire sans silverware. They also make a great addition to fall tailgates and school parties. Bonus: they can be made with whole grain flour.

The size of the cookies is up to you. I prefer a smaller size but you can make much larger. Just be sure to increase the bake time. 

Begin by combining butter, oil, sugar, molasses,
baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

 Add eggs and pumpkin. The mixture may appear curdled. Don't worry -
the batter will come together with the addition of the flour.

Stir in flour, mixing just until smooth.

I have several dashers I use to make cookies,
but this is my favorite: 1 1/2 inch scoop.

Scoop batter onto cookie sheets. Instead of
parchment paper, I like using a silpat.

Bake 8-9 minutes. Let cool on the baking
sheet for 5 minutes before removing.

Combine filling ingredients and fill cooled cookies.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

COOKIES
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
15-ounce can pumpkin purée (or a scant 2 cups if using fresh puree)
3 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour or White Whole Wheat Flour

FILLING
8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons soft butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Beat together the butter, oil, sugar, molasses, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, until fluffy. Stir in the pumpkin.

Add the flour in two additions, mixing well after each addition. Use a small dasher to deposit the thick batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies feel firm; a slight indentation will remain when you gently press them in the middle, about 8 -9 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely.

Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the sugar in two additions. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until very fluffy.

Assemble: Divide filling between half of cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

Yield: About 30 sandwich cookies.

Cider Doughnuts

The first time I had cider doughnuts I was traveling with the hub through Vermont in the fall. We stopped at Cold Hollow Cider Mill, where in addition to cider, they sell fresh, hot doughnuts just pulled from the fryer. It's impossible not to buy a doughnut (or six). This recipe is reminiscent of those treats.

Although baked, these cake doughnuts have all the flavor of the fried version. They're tender, sweet and since they don't require yeast, come together fast. You'll need a doughnut pan - both sizes (regular and mini) will work with this recipe. I like a coating of cinnamon sugar, but you can also roll in powdered sugar or dunk in a glaze.

They're great for breakfast but I've also used as a base for dessert: just top with a dollop of ice cream and drizzle with caramel sauce. These doughnuts don't hold well, so eat them the day their made.

Lightly coat a doughnut pan with non-stick spray. I like mini doughnuts.

Combine batter ingredients. The batter will be fluffy.

Fill the wells. I sometimes place the batter in a piping bag to make the job easier.

Bake doughnuts, cool five minutes and turn out of pan.

Roll in your choice of cinnamon-sugar, powdered sugar or glaze.

Mini doughnuts for breakfast! Pretty and delicious.

Cider Doughnuts
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Makes about 24 mini doughnuts

2 tablespoons soft butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed frozen apple juice concentrate
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a standard or mini doughnut pan. Beat together the butter, oil, sugar, salt, and spices. Beat in the boiled cider, then the egg. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, and flour. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Spoon the batter into the pan, smoothing the tops.

Bake the doughnuts for 10-12 minutes for a standard doughnut or 7-9 minutes for mini doughnuts, until a cake tester inserted into one comes out clean. Remove them from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool. Roll in powdered sugar or cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Processing Pumpkins: Step-by-Step Videos

Recently Bren Haas and I got together to talk fresh pumpkin processing. Together we hosted #CanningLive: Pumpkin Edition. Our previous #CanningLive event covered applesauce making & preserving, but this time we thought it would be fun to share the process via Periscope videos.

In case you missed it, the videos are below. Each shows a phase in the process from fresh pumpkin to puree to pie. You can also check out my previous blog on pumpkin processing, plus lots of pumpkin recipes including pumpkin cinnamon rolls and my favorite pumpkin pie.

One big Fairytale pumpkins will provide you with pies all year!

How to prepare and roast fresh pumpkin.

Pureeing roasted pumpkin.

Draining pumpkin, my compost bin and messy countertops.   

Packaging the pumpkin puree for the freezer. USDA does 

not recommend canning pumpkin puree. 

Bonus: Making homemade whipped cream for your pumpkin pie!

My Favorite Pumpkin Pie

We grow a few varieties of eating pumpkins. Each fall we pick and process the crop into puree that we freeze for use in baked goods throughout the year. The flavor of a Fairytale or Long Island Cheese pumpkin is richer and more complex that commercially canned pumpkin.

A freezer full of pumpkin inspires me to find new ways to use it. The puree can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. I like it in cakes, scones and muffins as well as soups. My latest favorites include pumpkin cinnamon rolls and pumpkin mousse. And of course, pie. We eat pumpkin pie September through March.

I've tried lots of recipes, but Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie is the best version of a traditional pie. It's easy, fast and has a good balance of spices that compliment, rather than overpower, the pumpkin flavor. It's delicious plain or with a dollop of whipped cream.

A Long Island Cheese pumpkin on the vine.

A few large pumpkins provide lots of puree.
This will hold in the freezer for a year.

Prepare a 9-inch crust. Here's my favorite crust recipe.

Combine sugar, spices and salt. I like to pass
my spices through a sieve to break up clumps.

Add eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees
and bake for 40 to 50 additional minutes. Cool 2 hours before cutting. 

If desired, top with homemade whipped cream.

Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
15 oz. fresh or canned pumpkin puree
1 can (12 fl. oz.)  evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.

Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Homemade Pie Crust

My love of pie started with my grandmother. When making a pie, she filled the leftover crust remnants with fruit filling (often apple) and twisted it up to form a dumpling. With more crust than a traditional piece of pie, we ate the dumpling in a bowl topped with milk.

While I don't often make those sweet dumplings today, I do make lots of pies. Fruit, cream, nut, even savory pies frequently appear on our table. I didn't start making pies until my late twenties when I realized good pies were hard to come by and if I wanted one, I'd have to make it.

The best crusts, both tender and flaky, are a combination of two fats. I typically use shortening, and since we process a hog each year, a bit of lard. If that doesn't sit well with you, consider using a combination of shortening and butter.

This recipe is a combination of several recipes. I've used it for years and find it nearly foolproof, easy and delicious. The pastry is easier to roll if it's refrigerated for 30 minutes before using, but depending on time, I often use it as soon as it's made.

This recipe makes one crust. For a double-crust pie, double the ingredients and roll half the dough for each crust. If your recipe calls for a pre-baked pastry, place crust in pie plate and line with a sheet of parchment paper. Fill crust with dried beans (or, omit paper and beans and thoroughly dock crust with the tines of a fork). Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Combine flour and salt. Cut in fat. Add water, shape into
a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll crust on a liberally floured surface. Roll from the center out to keep crust even thickness.

Place in pie plate: Make sure crust loosened from counter by
running a spatula under dough.  Flip half of dough over rolling pin.

Lift dough using pin. Place in pin in center of pie plate. Unroll pastry into plate.  

Gently push dough into corners of the plate. 

Trim dough and flute edges. Use in recipe.

Pie Pastry
Makes one crust for 9 inch pie
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening plus 1 Tbsp lard
3-4 Tbsp cold water

Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until you have a mix of large and small pieces of fat. Add water, 1 Tbsp at a time just until dough comes together. Do not overmix. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll dough, place in pie plate and use in recipe.

A note about using a food processor to make pastry: I prefer a pastry blender, rather than a food processor to cut in the fat. Pastry that's made in a food processor can be easily over processed, developing a texture of fine sand. An over processed crust will be mealy rather than flaky.

Game Day Snack: Caramelized Onion Dip

Fall is my favorite time of year. It means cooler weather, a respite from growing and preserving food, and more couch surfing on the weekend while watching football games (or Netflix). Admittedly, if my Buckeye's aren't playing, my focus is on the snacks rather than the game.

Whether or not we entertain on game day, I usually make snacks. In fact, I keep a list of appetizers and finger foods on a handwritten list near the stove (in a pile of papers that includes the grocery list, new recipes and other important notes). A variety of food that's utensil optional makes for easy noshing couchside. It's a favorite way to spend a chilly fall afternoon.

 With a sour cream and mayo base, this dip is rich. For a lighter version, replace all or part of the sour cream with Greek yogurt/light mayo and serve with vegetable dippers instead of chips. It's best made a day in advance as the the flavor intensifies as it sits in the refrigerator overnight.

Don't be put off by the large pile of onions - they'll cook down.

Occasionally stir to prevent burning. These need to cook longer.

The onions are finished when they've cooked down and deep golden brown.

The house smells great!! Let the mixture cool to room temp and coarsely chop.

Combine onions with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate overnight.

Serve with your favorite chips or vegetables.

Caramelized Onion Dip
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Vidalia onions, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
2 large shallots, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rings
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Potato chips, for serving

In a large saute pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and caramelized. Add the shallots and saute for 8 to 10 more minutes, until the onions and shallots are dark brown. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes, then chop the onion mixture into 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a bowl, mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Fold in the onion mixture. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve with potato chips.