Food Photo of the Day ~ Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie, a holiday favourite and an flavour that sums up the autumnal season. My daughter helped create this classic dessert. She was truly pleased with her effort and we  all enjoyed her effort.   

Hope everyone had a lovely long weekend! - JD 

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

This pumpkin pecan pie gives a twist on the traditional holiday pumpkin pie by adding a rich nutty sweet crust on top. It was my first time making a pecan topping for a pumpkin pie therefore I was fussing over this throughout it's entire baking time. My flurried excitement aside, I would make this recipe again only next time with a bit more ease. It is quite a substantial pie so a deep pie baking dish is a must for this recipe.   

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

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makes one 9" pie

1 can (398ml) of pumpkin purée

1/2 cup (125ml) dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) ground ginger

1 teaspoon (4ml) cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) nutmeg, freshly grated

1/4 (1ml) teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup (125ml) Evaporated Milk

homemade pie crust or ready made pie crust shaped into a 9" deep oven proof pie dish 

Pecan Topping

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2 eggs

2/3 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups chopped pecans

In a bowl combine the 2 eggs, corn syrup, white sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in the chopped pecans. 

Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Place rack in centre of oven.

In a large bowl mix the brown sugar and spices together.

Beat in the eggs and pumpkin until well blended. Stir in the evaporated milk and mix well. 

Place the deep pie dish, with the formed pie crust inside, on a flat baking tray; then pour the pumpkin mixture into the bottom of the formed pie shell, spreading it evenly, and place the pie dish with the baking tray underneath in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to 375ºF (180ºC) and carefully remove the pumpkin pie from the oven, allow to cool slightly. 

Mix the ingredients for the pecan topping together, if you haven't done so already. Spoon the pecan topping over the slightly set, slightly cooled pie and place back into the oven for an additional 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping has set and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

Remove from oven. Cool for just a bit. Serve warm.

Notes: You can use pumpkin pie spice to flavour the pumpkin mixture. I also added a bit of British Mixed Spice. Ovens vary so there may be some adjustments to the baking time. 

Just muddling through the week until the holiday weekend. - JD 

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake

Trying to keep things simple this holiday long weekend. I already had forgone the turkey so I thought I wouldn't stray from the traditional dessert however I have. Do not let the long ingredients list discourage you; it is simple, festive and satisfying. Using the Bran Buds cereal in the crust adds a touch of fibre and the cheesecake itself was smooth, spicy with a lovely pumpkin flavour. Traditional with a twist.

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake

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Crust:

1/2 cup (125ml) All Bran Buds cereal

3/4 cup (175ml) finely chopped pecans

2 tablespoons (30ml) caster sugar

2 tablespoon (30ml) all purpose flour

2 tablespoons (30ml) butter or margarine, melted

Filling:

2 packages (250grams each) of light cream cheese, softened

1 cup (250ml) caster sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon (15ml) all purpose flour

2 teaspoons (10ml) cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) ginger

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) nutmeg

1 can (398ml or 14oz) pumpkin

2 tablespoons (30ml) amber rum or 2 teaspoons rum extract, optional

Pre-heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC) 

In a medium bowl, mix together the cereal, pecans, sugar and four. Stir in the melted butter until mixture is crumbly. Press mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and part way up the sides of a 23cm (9inch) springform pan.

Bake for about 7 minutes or until crust is lightly brown. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 300ºF (150ºC)

Now on to the filling...

In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until very smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition just until blended in. Mix in flour and spices. Stir in pumpkin and rum. Pour into baked crust. 

Bake for about 1 and 1/2 hours. Done when almost set when jiggled. Turn oven off. With door slightly open, cool cheesecake in oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven; let cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate several hours or over night before serving. Remove outer ring and slice. Serve with whipped creme and sprinkle with a little nutmeg or a drizzle of caramel, if desired.

Notes: I lined the bottom of the springform pan with baking parchment paper. I gave the crust and extra 2 to 3 minutes. Ovens vary so you may find this too. After 1 hour, I checked to see if it had set or not and go from there, if it needed the other 1/2 hour like the recipe stated or not. I found that the cheesecake needed another 10 minutes, for my liking. Ovens vary so checking after the 1 hour mark was optimal. 

Pumpkin Pie with Crumbly Nut Topping

This time the dessert was the focal point of the holiday meal but then again when is it not. Classic pumpkin pie is sweet and full of warm spices with a golden amber perfection. Even though this recipe uses condensed milk I found that the pumpkin pie taste was not overly sweet. The nut topping was a wonderful change from the usual dollop of whipping cream or vanilla ice cream. You may use this recipe or what ever pumpkin pie recipe you like however I do recommend you try this crumbly nut topping, you won't be disappointed. It is a such a simple topping that can be made for many different pies.   

Pumpkin Pie

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1 can (15 ounce) of pumpkin purée

1 can (14 ounce) of sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or British mixed spice

1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 - 9 inch unbaked ready made pie shell or make pastry dough using whatever pastry recipe you have; roll out and form the dough into a pie baking dish. Use unbaked.  

Crumbly Nut Topping 

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2 tablespoons of flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon dried orange peel

2 tablespoons of butter, chilled

1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC)

In a large bowl combine the pumpkin purée, condensed milk, the beaten eggs, cinnamon, ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice or British mixed spice if using, freshly grated nutmeg and salt. Stir to mix everything together nicely. Then pour the pumpkin mixture into the unbaked made pie shell or a unbaked ready made pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.

While the pie is baking, you can prepare the crumbly nut topping... In a medium bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, dried orange peel, chopped walnuts and chilled butter; mix together with a fork or use your clean fingers. 

When the 15 minutes are up remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the topping over the pie. Before placing the pie back into the oven; Reduce the heat to 350ºF (175ºC) and bake an additional 40 minutes or until set. 

Pumpkin Pie

Along with the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and carrots came a homemade pumpkin pie this weekend. It was my first time whipping the pumpkin filling from scratch usually I would buy the pre-packed can of pumpkin pie filling however this time I bought a large can of pumpkin purée and did the rest. It was really easy and I can not see going back to those pre-packed cans again. The pastry I made was quite flaky which could be due to the fact that I used cake and pastry flour as opposed to unbleached all purpose flour. With a nice dollop of whip cream this pie was velvety smooth. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend! - JW   

Aromatic Chai Tea Cake

Yesterday I made this cake in the afternoon. On a cold day with the oven working and the smell of warm comforting spices this hit the spot. I found the recipe to be fairly easy. The texture was spongy but light tasting. This would be a nice change to pumpkin pie. If you are looking for a dessert to serve this Thanksgiving or Christmas this is one. To make this you will need the following: 

1 1/2 cups of milk
10 Chai Tea bags

3 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
5 eggs 
2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract

First preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour two 8 inch round pans. Believe it or not I don't have two round pans instead I used one bundt/tube pan. Place that aside.

In a sauce pan, heat milk over medium heat, add the tea bags, remove from heat and let steep for about 15 minutes. I used a loose Spicy Chai tea, bought at a local tea shop, Cally's Teas. Placing about 20-30 grams worth into two Blackthorn Garden D.I.Y. tea bags, I brought back from England. Remove the tea bags and set milk aside and let it cool completely. 

In a bowl, blend together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Using a standing electric mixer or a hand held electric mixer blend brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla on medium speed until creamy. Approximately 3 minutes. Reducing the speed to low and alternating the cooled milk and flour mixture, blending until smooth. Having one of those standing mixers makes things go so much more easier. Divide the batter evenly among the pans or in my case spread the batter evenly in the tube the pan. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 30 minutes for two 8 inch pans or 45 minutes for one bundt/tube pan until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans or pan for 10 minutes then remove the cake from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely. 

This is how I served it. Homemade caramel sauce and pears. You can try custard, whipping cream, creme fraiche and or an apple pear compote. If you make the two 8 inch cakes you can layer with a cream cheese icing for more of a traditional look.