Cupcakes:

1 ½ cups pumpkin puree

1 ½ cups sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

¾ cup butter, melted

1/3 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp ground ginger

Frosting:

8oz                  cream cheese

½ cup              butter, softened

½ tsp               vanilla extract

½ tsp               ground cinnamon

4-5 cups          icing sugar

Method:

For Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350f. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners.  In a large bowl whisk together, pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. In a small bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and ginger. Add flour mixture to egg mixture gently stirring just until combined.  Fill prepared muffin tins; cups should be approximately ¾ full. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack before frosting.

For Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon and icing sugar on low speed until blended. Scrape down sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth and creamy.

Makes 20 Cupcakes

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Ingredients:

half of a Fairytale or Cinderella pumpkin—a 5 to 6 pound chunk when raw

2 cups water

organic or Demarra sugar

smoked Pimentón or Espelette paprika, or smoked red New Mexico chile powder

red pepper flakes, especially the mild but flavorful Turkish Marash or Aleppo chili flakes

salt

Method:

1  Scrape out the pumpkin’s seeds with the edge of a tablepoon, then cut the halved fruit into one-inch wide strips (following the natural vertical folds). Poel each strip with a quick turn of the vegetable peeler. Cube the flesh. Place in a kettle with 2 cups water and simmer for 20 minutes until very soft.

2  Run the cooked pulp through a food mill or chinois (you could also use a potato masher if you don’t mind a chunkier butter.) Measure the puree, note the quantity and put it in a preserving pan. For every 3 cups of pumpkin, add 1 cup of sugar. (Or less to taste, or add a tablespoon of molasses for a stronger flavor, or replace some of the sugar with half as much honey.) Stir well to dissolve the sugar, and reduce the mixture over high heat until sufficiently thickened, at which point a dollop of the butter put a cold plate for 60 seconds will no longer leak liquid at the edges.

3  At the end of cooking, stir in a fat pinch of smoked paprika, 2 pinches of red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings to preference.

4  Before storing, allow the hot butter to cool somewhat, then ladle it into airtight containers to freeze or any covered container to refrigerate. Use within a week or freeze for up to several months.

Yields about about 2 pints

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Cinnamon cider syrup (available now at Surfas) is a blend of apple cider, pure maple syrup and cinnamon. Add Bourbon or Dark Rum for a sophisticated touch.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

3/4 cup sugar
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
4 cups half and half
2 cups whipping cream
2 tbsp good vanilla extract
1 16oz. can pumpkin
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 loaf stale French bread or egg bread cut into 1/2 inch thick slices or squares
1 cup toasted pecans

Optional:  Orange zest

___ 

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.  Whisk sugar, whole eggs and yolks, half and half, cream and vanilla in a large bowl to make a smooth custard.
2. Combine pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and ½ cup of custard mixture in another bowl.
3. Generously grease the inside of 2  10-inch pans or loaf pans with butter. Line the perimeters of each pan with the smallest slices of bread. Then cover with an overlapping bread layer
4. Pour one-sixth of the custard mixture over bread and let soak. Spread one fourth of the pumpkin over the bread in each pan. Sprinkle with pecans and a final soaking with the custard.
5. Bake for about 1 ½ hours.  Note: The pudding will rise a great deal but will fall when you take it out of the oven.  

Serve warm with Bourbon cider sauce and a sprinkling of powdered sugar. 

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Try this with Roast Turkey, Piccolo Chef’s Pumpkin Gnocchi (http://www.surfaslosangeles.com/2009/11/pumpkin-gnocchi-with-sage-and-pecorino-butter-sauce ) or  Florentyna Sweet Potato Gnocchi from our freezer, Apple-Fennel Slaw (http://www.surfaslosangeles.com/2009/10/fall-fennel-slaw) or Valdeon Cheese Stuffed Dates.

Have any questions about these or other of our unusual beers? Stop by and let’s talk!

Cheers!
Aly, her Royal Beerness!

Piccolo Chef has monthly classes at Surfas for the mini-chef of all ages. Check them out today!

Recipe makes 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup butter
½ cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup freshly shaved Pecorino cheese

 Directions:

1. In large bowl, combine pumpkin and butter; add flour, yolk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Knead into soft dough (if necessary, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time); divide into 4 sections. On floured surface, roll dough to 3/4-inch thickness; cut into 3/4-inch pieces, rolling each piece against the tines of a fork to create ridges. Repeat with remaining dough.
2. In large pot, bring 6 cups salted water to boil. Cook gnocchi in 2 batches; dropping into water and cooking 2 minutes or until pieces float. Remove with slotted spoon to warmed bowl.
3. Meanwhile, in skillet, melt butter over medium heat, cooking until it just starts to deepen in color. Add hazelnuts, sage, salt and pepper, cook 1 minute more. Drizzle Sage and Hazelnut butter over gnocchi and top with shaved Pecorino.

Ingredients
Soup:

Sugar pumpkin (or butternut squash), peeled, seeds removed (1 pound yield)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
fresh thyme from 3-4 thyme stems
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
2 1/2 cups (approximately) chicken stock
sachet (black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, 3 juniper berries, fresh thyme sprigs)
1/2 cup (approximately) reduced apple juice (if necessary)

Garnish:

4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
1/4 teaspoons piment d’espelette*
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds,roasted and salted
crème fraîche (as needed)

* as written, this combination has a kick. My suggestion is to add 1/8 at a time and taste it as you go…you may only want to use the espelette which is milder.

What to Do

• Prepare the Soup Flavor Base. Peel the squash and remove the seeds. Dice evenly. Toss with olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and thyme. Place in a baking dish or sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Roast squash in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit until tender (or sauté on the stove). Check squash and toss occasionally to prevent the squash from sticking to the bottom of the baking dish. Remove from oven and set aside.

• Sweat Aromatics. In a large sauce pot, melt butter. Add onions and sweat until translucent.

• Add Soup Flavor Base. Add roasted squash to onions.

• Add Stock and Simmer. Ladle in warmed stock. Add sachet. Simmer until tender and flavorful.

• Puree and Strain. Remove sachet. Using an emersion blender (or food processor) purée until smooth. Strain through china cap to remove chunks and thyme stems.

• Simmer again. Return puréed soup to clean pot. Adjust consistency with stock (or water if flavor profile is good). Can add heavy whipping cream if desired.

• Add Seasoning. Add more salt or pepper if necessary.

• Prepare Cream Cheese Garnish. In the oven, or in a small saute pan over the stove, toast pumpkin seeds. Set aside. Mix cayenne and piment d’espelette with cream cheese. Add toasted seeds to cream cheese mixture (do this right before you serve or the seeds will loose their crunch).

• Plate. using a small spoon or ice cream scoop, place a small scoop of cream cheese mixture in individual bowls (or pumpkin shells). Add soup.

• Spiderweb garnish. Fill a pastry bag (or squeeze bottle)with crème fraîche and squirt a small circle in the top middle of soup and 2 circles around center circle. Moving from the center of crème fraîche to the side of the bowl, drag a toothpick across the crème fraîche circles in 4-5 places to create spiderweb.

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These breads can be soft or crisp and cookie-like. Traditionally they are made with pumpkin. You can also use butternut squash, apples, pears, ripe peaches, plums or very ripe bananas in them.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat OR all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup for rolling puris
1 cup red pumpkin, grated and cooked OR prepared pumpkin puree
6 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil OR butter
1/2 liter vegetable oil
Sauté pumpkin briefly in 1 teaspoon oil, steam-cook (or microwave) till tender, 5-6 minutes and mash well. Measure 1 cup pumpkin pureé into a bowl. Stir in sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and butter. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour till it forms small beads. Use the fruit to knead flour into a firm dough. Divide it into 1-inch, flattened discs. Roll each into a 3-inch wide, 1/4-inch thick puri.

Heat oil in a wok. When bubbles rise to the top, reduce the heat slightly. Fry 2-3 puris at a time. These dense breads are unlikely to really puff up.

Serve them for tea, a quick breakfast or healthy, after-school snack. They last up to 10 days stored in an airtight container.

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Ginger Cookies
2- 1/4 sticks butter, room temperature                       �
1- 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 egg                                                                          �
3-1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp sea salt                                                          �
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 /2 tsp fresh grated ginger                                          �
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg, plus 1/2 tsp water                                             �
1/4 cup raw sugar

1) Using a stand or hand mixer, cream the butter and powdered sugar.
2) Add the egg, sea salt, cinnamon and ginger. Beat for 2 minutes.
3) Whisk together the baking powder and flour. Add to the butter and mix until just combined.
4) Shape dough into a flat disc and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
5) Roll the dough out to about a 1/4″ thickness and cut out into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies on parchment-paper lined cookie sheets.
6) Using a fork or whisk, beat the remaining egg and water. Lightly coat this egg wash on the cookies with a pastry brush and sprinkle raw sugar over the wash.
7) Bake cookies at 350 until just the edges are golden.

Delicate Chocolate Cookies:
350g butter, at room temperature                   �
150 g sugar
1 egg                                                              �
100g almond powder
50g cocoa powder                                         �
400g pastry flour

1) Cream the butter and sugar together using a stand or hand-held mixer.
2) Add the egg and mix, then scrape.  Continue mixing.
3) In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour and almond flour.
4) Add the flours to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
5) Wrap tightly and refrigerate for one hour.
6) Lightly flour your work surface with a little flour and cocoa powder.  Roll the dough out and cut out using cookie cutters.
7) Place cookies on parchment paper and bake at 350 for 6-10 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie.

Pumpkin Ice Cream:
400 grams whole milk                                      �
150 grams heavy cream
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon                              �
1/4 tsp nutmeg
170 grams sugar                                           �
70 grams egg yolks
200 grams pumpkin puree

1) In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, heavy cream, half of the sugar and the spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the rest of the sugar.
2) Bring the milk to a simmer.  Pour half the milk onto the egg while whisking.  Pour this back into the saucepan and stir until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
3) Pour and strain this custard through a sieve into a clean bowl. Mix the pumpkin puree.
4) Place this mixture in the freezer for one hour, mixing occasionally.
5) Churn in your ice cream maker until finished.
6) Pour into quarter sheet pan and freeze for at least 2 hours.
7) Cut out pucks the same size as your cookies and sandwich them!  Yum!

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Salted Caramel Ribbon:
2 Vanilla Beans                     �
3 ½ cups heavy cream
¾ cup whole milk                    �
4 egg yolks
1 ½ cups sugar                      �
1 cup Salted Caramel Sauce(see below)

1) Split vanilla beans and whisk the seeds into the eggs and sugar.  Whisk until a ribbon forms.
2) Bring the heavy cream and milk to a simmer.  Pour half of this into the egg mixture, then back into the saucepan.
3) Continue cooking while whisking, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
4) Pour into a clean bowl through a sieve and cool in the freezer.
5) Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions.
6) Pour this into a quarter sheet pan and alternate with salted caramel sauce.    Freeze.

Caramel:
3/4 cup heavy cream                         �
2 sticks butter
½ tsp sea salt                                    �
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tbsps glucose or corn syrup            �
Vanilla bean, extract or other flavoring

1) Bring the cream and butter to a slow simmer and set aside.
2) In a saucepot, heat the sugar and corn syrup (on medium heat) until they reach a golden caramel color. You may want to tilt the pot from time to time, but do not stir with any instrument.
3) Once you have reached the golden caramel stage, slowly (and carefully) add in the cream and butter mixture.  Turn the heat back on to medium-low, and stir in the salt and vanilla.�
4) Cook over this heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10-12 minutes.  The caramel will thicken a bit.
5) Pour into a square baking dish, lined with parchment paper, and allow to cool to room temperature before cooling further in the refrigerator. 

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2 Tbsp Pumpkin puree seasoned with sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice
3 Shots Vanilla flavored vodka
2 Shots of Cream
Cinnamon sugar or graham cracker crumbs as needed

First season the rim of the martini glasses with graham cracker crumbs or cinnamon sugar. In a shaker filled with ice combine vodka, cream and pumpkin puree. Shake well and strain into martini glass. You can garnish with whipped cream or a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

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Serves 4-6, 15 minutes 

Ingredients:

1/2 pound pumpkin / butternut squash, peeled & grated / cut into
chunks
12 tablespoons yogurt
4-6 tablespoons milk (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons clarified butter / vegetable oil
1-2 green chilies, sliced (optional)
5 curry leaves (optional)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
pinch of turmeric
pinch of sugar
3/4-1 teaspoon salt
3-4 sprigs of cilantro, washed & finely chopped

Preparation:

Sauté the grated pumpkin in 1 teaspoon clarified butter. Cover and steam-cook briefly in 2-3 teaspoons water till tender, 5 minutes (or steam-cook / microwave the chunks. Mash the flesh).

Whisk yogurt till smooth. If tart, add a pinch of sugar; if too thick, stir in some milk. Add salt. Fold yogurt into the pumpkin.

Heat the remaining clarified butter in a seasoning wok, small pan or ladle till almost smoking. Reduce the heat, add the mustard seed and cover the pan till the popping subsides.

Add the chilies and curry leaves. Turn off the heat and mix in turmeric. Stir once and fold into the salad. Garnish with cilantro. Serve cool / at room temperature.

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