Shared Sugar » pumpkin http://sharedsugar.com Sat, 03 Dec 2011 03:29:40 +0000 en hourly 1 Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins http://sharedsugar.com/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/ http://sharedsugar.com/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:21:47 +0000 Kesha http://sharedsugar.com/?p=1643 shared-sugar-pumpkin-muffins-2 I can’t get enough pumpkin this season. Everywhere I turn, there it is and I want it. Maybe it’s the spice. Maybe it is the season. Maybe it is just all around too delicious to pass up. This is a case of the same.

shared-sugar-pumpkin-muffins-4 I first had these muffins at a friend’s bridal shower. I found the recipe online and made them once as a dessert after a soup dinner this fall and then again for breakfast at our fall festivities at the office. I’ve tweaked the recipe along the way but have heard nothing but love for these little pumpkin delights. They look too big to enjoy alone, but after you start eating, the problem usually takes care of itself.

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    Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

    Makes 10 large muffins

  • Ingredients

  • cheesecake filling
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • streusel
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • batter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon all spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 eggs
  • 1-1/4 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Directions

    • make the filling

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour two 6-cup large muffin tins. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, stir the softened cream cheese until it is smooth. Add the sugar and cinnamon and mix until combined well. Then add the egg and mix until combined well.

    make the streusel

    In a small bowl, mix sugar, flour, pecans and cinnamon. Then drizzle on the melted butter. Toss together until it is evenly mixed and set aside.

    make the batter

    In a large, shallow bowl. Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, all spice, sea salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate large bowl, using an electric mixer beat the eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla together. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the pumpkin mixture into the well. Mix the ingredients together using a fork, just until combined.

    build the muffins

    Using a tablespoon, place two tablespoons of the batter in each muffin cup. Then place one tablespoon of cream cheese mixture in each muffin cup on top of the batter. Then top with two tablespoons of the batter. Top each muffin cup with the streusel, covering most of the batter. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted in the muffins and comes out clean. Then cool on wire racks.

]]> http://sharedsugar.com/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/feed/ 8 Spiced Bundt Cake with Orange Butter http://sharedsugar.com/spiced-bundt-cake-with-orange-butter/ http://sharedsugar.com/spiced-bundt-cake-with-orange-butter/#comments Fri, 11 Mar 2011 02:43:17 +0000 Kesha http://sharedsugar.com/?p=1597 shared-sugar-spiced-bundt-cake-3Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best. I received this recipe from a friend of my mom’s. The word on the street was that this bundt cake was devoured within hours of it being prepared but when I read the recipe I was not convinced. It seemed so basic.

shared-sugar-spiced-bundt-cake-2 By request of my mom, I made it for a family gathering. I was nervous about the outcome but didn’t taste it before sharing it with my family as to not ruin the beautiful shape of the cake. Little did I know, I had nothing to worry about.

shared-sugar-spiced-bundt-cake-1 I served it warm so the Orange Butter would melt into the cake. It was love at first bite. Unbelievable. It was so delicious. I wanted to have it for every meal. This is a great example of how the right combination of ingredients can still steal the show. This recipe will be in my baking archive for decades. Can’t beat simple pleasures like this.

    Spiced Bundt Cake with Orange Butter

    adapted from Kim’s recipe, friend of my mom
    serves 12-15

  • Ingredients

  • bundt cake
  • 3-1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 can pumpkin puree (16 ounces)
  • 1-1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • powdered sugar, for dusting
  • orange butter
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • zest of one orange
  • 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, at room temperature
  • 1-1/4 cups powdered sugar

  • Directions

    • make the bundt cake

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour the bundt pan. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and fill the well with the remaining ingredients. Using a whisk, mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if the cake is done. Try and remove the cake from the oven right before the toothpick comes out clean. The top of the cake should be golden brown. Let the cake cool slightly. Then turn the cake out onto a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.

    make the orange butter

    Using a mixer, beat the butter and orange zest until smooth. Then add the orange juice concentrate and beat until combined. Add the powdered sugar in increments and beat until smooth. Add more or less powdered sugar to taste. Serve in a bowl to spread on warm bundt cake.

]]> http://sharedsugar.com/spiced-bundt-cake-with-orange-butter/feed/ 9 Pumpkin bars with maple cream cheese frosting http://sharedsugar.com/pumpkin-bars-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/ http://sharedsugar.com/pumpkin-bars-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/#comments Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:47:19 +0000 Mara http://sharedsugar.com/?p=1522 SharedSugar_PumpkinBars
There was one delightful fall day a few years ago when I came to work and discovered a tray of pumpkin bars, baked by the wife of my former boss. I’d never experienced anything quite like them before, and they instantly became one of my favorite baked goods. Ever. This is big people. As you’ve probably noticed, we’re not really strangers to dessert around here.

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Last fall I tried to replicate them without a recipe. Sad times. These were not anything like Tami’s pumpkin bars. So finally, I swallowed my pride and asked my former boss, John for the recipe. They kindly provided it. And, an entire tray of bars from her. Yum. This year I’ve fared much better with the original recipe. Of course, I couldn’t quite leave it alone and made a few adjustments including applesauce, wheat, a few more spices, nuts and an adapted maple cream cheese frosting I’ve made before.

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I’m not quite sure how to categorize these things? Bar, apparently. However, they’re almost more like a shorty sheet cake. Whatever they are, they work. And, they are perfect for fall. Especially if you can’t take making another pumpkin pie over Thanksgiving this year.

    PUMPKIN BARS WITH MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

    adapted from Tami
    makes approx. 24 bars

  • Ingredients

  • pumpkin bars
  • 1-3/4 cups pure cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 15 oz. pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie puree)
  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • maple cream cheese frosting
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (use 2-1/4 cups for a thicker frosting)
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

  • Directions

    • make the pumpkin bars

    Lightly grease a 10-inch x 15-inch jelly roll pan. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

    In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs and pumpkin puree. In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Pour batter in jelly roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place pan on a cooling rack and cool bars completely.

    make the maple cream cheese frosting

    In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the cream cheese and butter. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Mix in maple syrup. Refrigerate frosting for at least 30 minutes. This step is important. From experience, if you don’t refrigerate the frosting, it’ll slide right off the bars. After frosting is chilled, ice the bars. Sprinkle pecans on top of the frosted bars.

]]> http://sharedsugar.com/pumpkin-bars-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/feed/ 22 Cranberry Pumpkin Bread http://sharedsugar.com/cranberry-pumpkin-bread/ http://sharedsugar.com/cranberry-pumpkin-bread/#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:02:42 +0000 Mara http://sharedsugar.com/?p=377 CranberryPumpkinBread1
When I am baking there’s usually someone I’m baking for. Friends, family, a dinner, work, etc. Not so this time; this one’s for me. Just like Kesha and her ice cream, I have a little confession of my own. I am obsessed with cranberries. In fact, I can eat them raw by the handfuls—for which my husband thinks I’m a freak show. Although, he could have it much worse.

Sadly, he’s not the only one that looks at me strange. I was checking out at the grocery store the other day and the clerks snickered and laughed at my 6 bags of cranberries. What they didn’t know is I had 4 more bags at home in the freezer, and that won’t be my last trip. Last year I ran out of cranberries, so I’m determined to be more prepared this year.

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The first thing I decided to do to with my glorious tart, red friends was to make cranberry pumpkin bread. I first saw this recipe last year on design*sponge’s lovely In The Kitchen With series and have been making it ever since. I love the pumpkin spices mixed with the tart cranberries. They really give the traditional pumpkin flavors an unexpected surprise. I’ve been through multiple recipe alterations using yogurt (bad idea), less sugar, switching out butter for oil (hooray for moisture), etc. etc. over the months. This combination is what I’ve found to work best.

Also, a note on the original submitter of this recipe on design*sponge, Lena Corwin. She’s a very talented designer and illustrator and also has an inspiring lifestyle/design blog. Definitely worth checking out.

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CranberryPumpkinBread2

    cranberry pumpkin bread

  • Ingredients

  • 2 to 2-1/2 cups pumpkin puree*
  • 2/3 cup water**
  • 2/3 cup oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 2-1/2 cup sugar
  • 3-1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 tsp cloves
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen (not dried) cranberries

    • *I like to make my own puree. But, you can easily buy the canned kind, just make sure it’s not the kind for pies that already has spices.
    **If you have made your own puree and it’s watery (hasn’t been strained with cheesecloth) you may not need all of this additional water.

  • Directions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, water, oil and eggs until just combined. In another bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.

    If using frozen cranberries, place them in a strainer and run them under water for a few minutes until mostly thawed. Also, if you prefer a more subtle cranberry taste, roughly chop the cranberries, although I prefer mine whole in this recipe.

    Then, add cranberries and walnuts to the dry ingredient mixture. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix with a wooden spoon by hand. Mix until the batter is combined, but don’t over mix. Distribute the batter equally in the pans, which should fill each about half way. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Cool on a wire rack. It works well to eat one loaf and wrap the second loaf up and freeze it for later.

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