Grandma Rose's Praline Pumpkin Pie

Well, Thanksgiving has come and passed and now it's time for Christmas. I love the Christmas season. I enjoy giving gifts and I always put a lot of thought into every single gift. Yesterday we put up the Christmas tree and the stockings so it's really starting to feel like that time of year. It was even below 70 degrees here in Texas!

Tomorrow morning I go back to Boston. I love my friends and my life at school, but it's hard to tear myself away from my family and loved ones. Thankfully, I only have about two and a half weeks before I come back home for an entire month. But until then, I have a lot of work to do-- not to mention baking!

 

Yesterday, in the midst of our decorating frenzy, I made this praline pumpkin pie from the Grandma Rose cookbook. After making several of her recipes, I learned to take her instructions with a grain of salt and I think this actually worked out well for me. As I suspected, the written baking time was too long and the heat a bit higher than necessary. I'll tell you how long I baked it and at what temp, but your welcome to play with it a bit if it doesn't work for you.

What you need for the crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold sweet butter
6 tablespoons sour cream

For the praline shell:
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons sweet butter, softened

 Sift together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter, leaving the mixture in coarse lumps.

Cut in the sour cream, a little at a time, using no more than is necessary to hold the dough together. Add no water. I actually used about 7-8 tablespoons of sour cream because mine was just far too dry.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle and fold it in thirds. Chill the folded dough wrapped in waxed paper for at least 30 minutes before using.

Roll out the dough and line a nine inch pie plate with it. Cut excess dough off of the edges.

Blend pecans with sugar and butter. Press gently with the back of a spoon into bottom of pie shell.

What you need for the filling:
3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup rum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon mace

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Blend together the pumpkin and the eggs.

Add in the cream, rum, sugar and spices. Blend gently. If using a mixer, be very careful as the whipping cream will whip up if you are too vigorous. Pour into the shell.

Bake for about 40 minutes. Pie is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If you wish, you can top with a meringue and stick back in the oven for a few minutes to brown.

 

I actually was not a huge fan of this pie. The filling does not taste like a traditional pumpkin pie and the texture is a lot lighter. For some reason, I actually had too much filling and ended up making a little trifle as well.

I really like the praline layer, but the crust was really tough. This is possibly my fault as I kept second guessing the crust and may have overworked it. My parents loved it and though it was delicious but I'm not sure that this is something I would want to make again.

I hope you'll give it a try yourself and tell me what you think of it. Good luck!
Rosie

Source: Grandma Rose...

In Which I Discuss Zelda and Grandma Rose's Sad Pumpkin Cheesecake

I did it guys. I was able to put down the wii remote and leave the room long enough to make a new post. Actually, I haven't had the opportunity to play the game as much as I wish. It turns out that I actually have responsibilities while home. Gross.

I'm about to wax poetic about Zelda. Feel free to skip to actual the baking if you're not interested. I won't be offended.

Anyway, if there's one thing I can say about the game, it's absolutely beautiful. When I hear people criticize the Zelda games for not utilizing the hyper realistic graphics found in most games today I get so angry. There is just something so fantastical and over the top about the Zelda games that realistic graphics would simply can't capture it. I love the dark stylization of Twilight Princess but Skyward Sword really found something beautiful for itself. For the first time, the characters seem real and tangible. Players really get a sense of the proportional difference between characters when they're looking up at Groose and his friends for the first time. There's great humor in the dialogue and game play is invigorating. Like I said, I haven't gotten as far as I would have liked, but so far this game has really blown me away.

But now to the actual point of the blog. Cheesecake. PUMPKIN cheesecake.

What you need:

For the crust
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons melted sweet butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the filling:
2 lbs cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
5 whole eggs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1 lb can of pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons rum
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Preheat oven to 350. Thoroughly grease a 9 inch springform pan. Combine all crust ingredients and line the bottom and sides of the pan.

Cream the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar and the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Gradually add flour, mixed with spice, and pumpkin. Add rum.

Pour into the crust. Now this is where things need to be modified. The recipe calls for the cheesecake to be baked for 1 hour and 45 minutes. However, I checked the cake 20 minutes before it was time and it was already overcooked. I would suggest checking this at an hour and judging the remaining baking time from there. You'll know it's done when the center is firm to the touch.

My sad burnt cheesecake. I had to trim off the really heinous parts.

 When the cheesecake is completely cool, you can make the whipped topping. Whip the cream, sweetening with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon rum if you would like. Pipe with a star-tipped pastry bag. Sprinkle with toasted chopped almonds or pecans.

Despite being overbaked, this cheesecake was still pretty tasty. I'm sure that if it had been baked for the right amount of time, it would have been heavenly.

As it was, the filling was not quite as creamy as I would have preferred. However, the taste was good and the cheesecake as a whole was wonderfully rich.

Good luck and have a happy Thanksgiving!
Rosie

Source: Grandma Rose's...

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Icing

It's that time of year when college gives me headaches and severe nausea. As the semester is drawing to a close, I have a lot of big projects coming due and I'm definitely wearing out. Today was class registration for spring semester and, while I always enjoy looking forward to new classes, I'm not overly enthused by the fact that I ended up in an 8 AM where I'll listen to jazz music for two hours. But hey, maybe it will surprise me and I'll be cool cat by the end of it.

I have to put of a disclaimer about next week. There might be a lack of a post next week because, not only am I going home for the holiday on Saturday, but also because....

Yes, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is coming out on Sunday which means that I will lose all contact with the outside world until I have beaten the game. If I do manage to drag myself from my gaming cave, I may be unshowered with a crazy look in my eye. I apologize for any neuroses that may occur from this point forward.

But on to the baking. For the third installment in our pumpkin saga, I made pumpkin cupcakes with caramel buttercream.

Anyone who knows me knows that cupcakes are pretty much my favorite thing. The only thing better than cupcakes? Pumpkin cupcakes. These turned out deliciously moist and the frosting was sweet without being overbearing.

What you need for the cupcakes:
1/2 cup shortening, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup milk

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening and sugars until fluffy; add eggs, beating well.

Blend in pumpkin.

Sift dry ingredients; add to pumpkin mixture alternately with milk.

Beat until smooth but make sure not to overbeat. Fill muffin cups or cupcake tins 1/2 full.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool in pan about ten minutes before removing them from pan and setting on wire racks. Cool completely.

What you need for the frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, not packed
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter or shortening
About 2 lbs powdered sugar

Melt 1/2 cup butter with 1 cup brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a boil and cook (while stirring constantly) for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and whisk in milk and vanilla extract.

 Mix the other 1/2 cup butter or shortening with 2 cups of powdered sugar. Alternate adding the brown sugar mixture and remaining powder sugar.

This is a very thin frosting so I would not advise trying to decorate the cupcakes with it. However, it's quite delicious and it really compliments the flavor of the pumpkin.

 

These cupcakes came out perfect! They are so good that it's pretty much impossible to only eat one. 

I have a lot of friends who don't care for pumpkin pie because of the texture. If you're looking for a Thanksgiving dessert that has the traditional pumpkin flavor but a texture that everyone can enjoy, I seriously suggest you give these cupcakes a try.

Good luck and happy baking!
Rosie

Source: Cupcakes- favorite Eastern Star Recipes Holiday Cookbook 1970
             Frosting- BakeBakeBake community of LJ (I'm so sorry! I can't remember the poster or original source!)

Pumpkin Coookies with Brown Butter Icing... Oh my!

People up here assume that, being a southerner, I must LOVE Paula Deen. However, that's not really the case. It's not that I have anything against the woman, I just don't follow her show or make many of her recipes. If there is one woman in cooking that I truly adore, it would have to be Martha Stewart. Okay sure, she's had a couple oopsies, but her recipes are just FANTASTIC.

One of my favorite cookbooks is Martha Stewart's Cookies. Everything I've ever made from that book has been scrumptious. I had my eye on the recipe for pumpkin cookies with brown butter icing for years now, so when I decided to do a month of pumpkin recipes I knew I just had to make them!

 What you need for the cookies:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I was lazy and used ground)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (14 oz)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl.

Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl and beat on medium speed until pa.e and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low. Add pumpkin, evaporate milk, and vanilla; mix until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture; mix until combined.

Transfer 1 1/2 cups batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 plain tip. Pipe 1 1/2 inch rounds onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies about 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. They're done when the tops spring back. Cool on baking sheet for five minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: I didn't have a pastry bag when I made these so I just used a gallon sized ziploc bag with the corner cut off. However, this batter was thin       enough that you might not even need to use a bag. It's up to you whether you decide to use one or not.

What you need for the icing:
4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon evaporated milk, plus more if needed
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Put confectioners sugar in a bowl. Easy enough.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown. Immediately add butter to confectioners sugar, scraping any browned bits from sides and bottom of pan.

Add evaporated milk and vanilla; stir until smooth.

Spread about 1 teaspoon icing onto each cooking. If icing stiffens (which it will), stir in a little more evaporated milk.

Ta da! These cookies are incredibly delicate and delicious. You can only store them in single layers (which is a bit of a pain considering this recipe made almost 50 cookies) and they need to be in an airtight container. However, these are well worth the trouble. They're not too sweet and they are almost like miniature cakes.

Good luck and happy baking!
Rosie

Source: Martha Stewart Cookies

Yummy Pumpkin Bread

Hey y'all.

 

Yep, it's that time of year. It has already snowed once up here in Boston and today I was regrettably under-dressed to face the chilling winds on the corner of Tremont and Boylston. I really do love winter, though. Despite this being my second year to spend it up North, the novelty of piles of snow and icy days has still not quite worn away. To me, winter is all about cute tights, pretty scarves, frosty eyeshadow, warm drinks and spicy foods. Unfortunately it also means painfully dry skin and hair. I only bring this up because The Beauty Department did a really cool post the other day with tips on caring for one's skin. Unfortunately, I fear that next week's paycheck is going to have a chunk taken out of it to buy some of the things mentioned in that post.

But food. That's my area of specialty. I'm doing something a bit wacky for November. I'm doing a month of pumpkin themed treats. Oh, boy. Who knows how this is going to turn out. We may all detest this innocent little squash by the time December rolls around, though I am hoping this is not the case.

First up: Pumpkin bread. When you were in school, did you ever have to do that exercise in reading directions where the very first one was to read through all of them first? But you didn't, of course, so you followed a whole bunch of silly, embarrassing directions that included standing up and saying your name and all kinds of fun stuff, only to get to the end and see the final direction was to skip everything else and simply sit there. Don't worry, I was awful at those. Still am. Bear with me here, as you'll see just how goofy I am...

What you need:

1 cup oil

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 box brown sugar

4 cups pumpkin

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons cinnamon

4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Combine the oil and the sugars.

Add the pumpkin.

Combine flour, salt, cloves, cinnamon, soda and nuts. Add to the pumpkin mixture. Add vanilla; mix well. It's VERY thick so lift some weights and press those benches before stirring this concoction.

Now here is where my inability to look ahead came into play. When I set out to find this recipe, it was to look for something that included pumpkin and that wasn't super expensive to make. Which is why I never read the final step that said to bake the batter in five 1 pound coffee cans. 

Yeah, this. Source: icollector

I vaguely remember coffee coming in cans as a child, but now it's all bags and plastic containers with screw on lids. So I improvised. 

Grease and flour three loaf pans. (This makes a lot of bread.) Try not fill them more than half full. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and ten minutes.

 

Gorgeous, right? It's a trap. About thirty minutes after these came out of the oven, they each had a giant sink hole in the center. What had happened? I had been tricked. About forty five minutes in, I checked them and they looked completely done. I even tried putting a tooth pick in, like in a cake, and it came out clean. They were definitely NOT done. 

Moral of the story: Don't be fooled by appearances. Bake these for an hour and ten minutes.

The good news is, despite parts of these being underbaked, they were really quite delicious. This bread is incredibly rich with a great spice flavor. You can even freeze two of the loaves so that they don't go bad while you're working on the first.

I would certainly recommend this recipe but I would hope that my readers are far cleverer than me and pay attention to directions. 

Good luck and don't forget to set those clocks back!

Rosie

Source: Favorite Eastern Star Recipes Holiday Cookbook 1970

Oh, and just because I'm vain, I'm posting a picture of my Halloween costume. I went as Rosie the Riveter! My Halloween was amazing and I was really proud of my ensemble. What did you guys dress up as?

The pants are from a vintage shop and make my rear end look three miles wide. But otherwise, I thought I did pretty well, no?

Happy baking!