Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

I hope these don't seem weird to you but if they do, may I something stranger to make these sound good? For Halloween one year, I dressed up as a cat ballerina. Not a cat or a ballerina, but a cat ballerina.* Talk about compromise at its finest! Compromise can be a beautiful thing. Instead of having to choose between two (awesome) options, you get to have both. Like cats and ballerinas or pumpkin and chocolate. 

This pumpkin and chocolate brownie idea has been floating around for a while but there were mixed reviews for every recipe that came my way. One said that it was too gummy and the flavours did not work, the other said that the pumpkin was too watery and the brownie was too dry. Compromise time. Take my favourite brownie and jack up the pumpkin swirl and voila, we have the perfect mix.

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Idea from Martha, brownie recipe from here, filling adapted from Betty Crocker

brownies

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
2 tsp instant coffee 

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, very finely chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, browned!
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp canola oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla 
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

filling

3 oz cream cheese, room temperature

3 tbsp brown sugar, packed

1/8 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cinnamon

a couple big pinches of allspice

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350º. Butter (or non-stick spray) a 9" x 13" baking pan then line with foil with an overhang so the brownies can be lifted from the pan. Butter or cover with non-stick spray. 

filling Beat the cream cheese, sugar, salt and spices together until combined. Beat in the egg yolk. Mix in the pumpkin until fully combined, set aside.

brownies Whisk cocoa, instant coffee and boiling water together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in butter and oil. (The mix will look curdled and weird, it's hokay.) Add eggs, yolks and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and combined. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix in with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in chocolate. Spread about half of the batter into prepared pan. Grab the filling and drop big spoonfuls over the brownie batter. Pour the rest of the brownie batter on top. Run a knife through the batter a few times to marbleize it. Bake until toothpick inserted halfway between the edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool 1 1/2 hours. Using foil overhang, life brownies from pan. Return to wire rack and let cool completely, about an hour. Cut and serve. Makes 18 brownies.

 

* At least when my future children want to be avocado bats and easter reindeer I will know what is up.

Bummer. Again.

Here is a shot of what would have been a great pie. It sounds great, Caramel Pumpkin Pie, but booze ruined it! I never add it to anything with baking. It is sort of my thing. I used to be a hater of pecans, nuts in general actually, but then I slowly warmed up to them and we are now the best of friends. We hang out a lot. But booze is my new hate. Love to drink it, hate to eat it. 

So when it came time to add the rum to the caramel, it killed me. No, the taste of it afterward killed me. The pumpkin mix had tasted so good and the caramel so good then BOOM rum killed it. "But why is all the rum gone?" as Jack Sparrow would ask and it is because it ruined the pie. I shall go cry now.

The crust was still good if that is any comfort!

Maple Pecan Granola

The taste of fall right here. When I read on the peas that she had made pumpkin granola, I thought it was brilliant. So using that idea I ever so roughly adapted from my old granola recipe and so came the birth of this new, and much improved, granola. 

I meant to post all week but things got delayed. Maybe because Justin Bieber was in town. Maybe because I have boat loads of homework. Alright, it was the first one. 

Maple Pecan Granola

Ever so roughly from here

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup rice krispies

1 tbsp flax seeds

1/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ginger

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp maple extract

Preheat the oven to 300º. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray or butter it up. In a small bowl toss together the oats, rice krispies, flax seeds and pecans. In a small sauce pan, heat the pumpkin, maple syrup and brown sugar till bubbling and combined about a minute or so over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stir in the spices, salt and extracts. Pour over the oat mixture until fully combined. Spread a thin layer over the baking sheet. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until the moisture is nearly all gone. It will harden completely when it cools. So let it cool then enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie

Happy belated Thanksgiving! I clearly celebrate North of the border. It is why I add "u"s to words. My stomach is still packing. But it is a once a year deal so live it up. Four pies were made but one was a dud (damn that rum!). What is our traditional Thanksgiving dinner, you ask? Well I'll tell ya! Turkey (surprise, surprise), sweet potatoes with pecan and brown sugar topping, brussel sprouts (fav), mashed potatoes, gravy, cauliflour with cheese and bread crumbs, roasted carrots and stuffing! I could honestly live without mashed potatoes but it would not be Thanksgiving without my beloved stuffing and sweet potatoes.

And yes, brussel sprouts are my favourite. Roasted, boiled, you name it. But the ultimate is with diced bacon, sliced onions, bit of chicken broth and lots of salt and pepper. I almost forgot I am here for the pumpkin pie. The recipe is from America's Test Kitchen so it has to be good. And it was. 

Pumpkin Pie

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

1 pie crust fit to a 10' pie plate*

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

1 tbsp ginger

1 heaping tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

6 eggs

extra whipping cream and raw sugar

Preheat the oven to 400º with rack in lower third of oven. In a food processor, combine the pumpkin, dark brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg for about 1 minute. In a largish saucepan, add the pumpkin mix. Cook, stirring constantly, at a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until smooth and shiny, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the heavy cream and whole milk. Stir until combined and remove from heat. In the food processor, process the eggs until uniform. Add half of the pumpkin mix until smooth and combined then add the rest of the pumpkin mix. Once it is all combined, pour it into the pie crust. Using a kitchen brush, brush the sides of the pie crust with whip cream. Sprinkle with sugar. This makes it have a nice crunch. Bake for about 35 minutes or until set in the center. Check while its baking so that the edges don't burn. I had to cover mine about halfway through with foil. Allow to cool before serving so that it slices easy. You can even put in the fridge, however you prefer.


*I used my Mum's recipe for pie crust and had it fitted to the pie plate. It is not such a decorative look I know but the other pies were! Anyway, the recipe said to bake the crust for 25 minutes before pouring in the filling but I skipped this step and all turned out well.

Pumpkin Bread

I am currently in Montana as this is published. We are all heading out there to see my cousin graduate! I haven't seen their whole family in about three or so years. Back in the day, we would go to Cranbrook and Montana for nearly the entire summer. Unfortunately, it is pretty impossible to do so anymore. My older bro-ha and I have work and baby B has sports. Therefore, I am so happy to be going back. 

Before our departure I looked through the fridge to see if I could get rid of anything that would not be in great shape when we got back. Granted my older brother will be here for an extra week but all he consumes are bologna sandwiches. Real healthy that boy. I noticed that I hadn't used up all of my pumpkin yet. I had made this very bread not too long ago, cookies and some lattes but still it remained. The perfect amount actually, 1 cup. And here is the birth of pumpkin bread. 

I am sure I have mentioned this before but pumpkin bread is one of my favourite things. Amongst bread pudding, pie and such, pumpkin bread is there. And I recently realized that I had not posted a single recipe for pumpkin bread. There are many things that are baked around here that never even stand a chance of getting a photo because they are consumed. It is infuriating! Determination on my behalf got the photo now here is the recipe.

Pumpkin Bread!

Adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook

1/3 cup shortening

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup milk 

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Spray a 9 x 5 pan with baking spray or butter it up and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 350º. In a larger bowl, cream the shortening. Add part of the brown sugar and then eventually add the rest, just so it is easier to combine. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each one. Stir in the pumpkin, vanilla and milk. Set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Add this to the pumpkin mix and stir just until combined. Do not over beat it! Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread it evenly. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Let it cool for about 15 minutes in the pan. Remove the loaf from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I'm pretty out of season these days. I keep going for the big and heavy desserts, meals and drinks. I mean I have gone to the rodeo, had some lemonade and other such Summer activities, don't get me wrong. But these fall treats never seem out of place to me. They are really year round for me.

When I had this yesterday morning, pride overwhelmed me. Starbucks coffee alone is not really my thing. The blended drinks on the other hand, heaven. The vanilla lattes and the frappuccinos keep me going. That is one summer thing that I always miss, the frappuccinos. So much so, that I started them again in February. Now knowing that I can make my own latte that is a near replica, it saves me a ten minute walk. Just wait till I find out how to make frapppuccinos!

Pumpkin Spice Latte
From the Kitchn
 
1 cup skim milk 
1 tbsp canned pumpkin
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
1 shot espresso, about 2 tbsp (strong brewed coffee works too)

In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice. Whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk until it gets a bit more foamy. Pour into a mug. Add the espresso on top. Admire your good work and drink up.

*For the pumpkin pie spice, mix 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 1/16 ginger and small pinches of nutmeg and allspice. Or use pumpkin pie spice mix should you have it on hand.

Pumpkin Pie.. Oatmeal

I may never love another. Oatmeal, that is. No, I can't say that but I can say that this is now tied for my favourite oatmeal position! Since I have oatmeal nearly everyday, this was a nice change. I have had pumpkin pie oatmeal in the past, and it really just didn't do anything for me. But I hate to see a great idea go to waste and this was great! It was perfectly sweet and crisp and legitimately like pumpkin pie. I don't really have a picture but here are the remains..Due to my frequent oatmeal, it is suiting that I will document the next weeks oatmeal experiments/experiences. I will show my favourite, my go-to morning oatmeal and whatever else comes to mind!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal!
Inspired by the lovely lady here
3/4 cup vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 pinches of nutmeg
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 tsp splenda brown sugar blend

Preheat the oven to 375º, I used convection. Mix the soy milk, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg till smooth in a small baking dish (a loaf pan would probably work). Stir in the oats. Pop in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Turn the oven to broil (once again, I used broil convection at 450º) and pop it in for another two minutes. It will have a nice melted sugar top. Enjoy!
I didn't sweeten my oatmeal because the vanilla soy milk already is slightly sweetened but if regular milk or unsweetened milk is used, I would recommend stirring in a bit of brown sugar. By a bit I mean a hefty couple of teaspoons!