Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Tags

breakfast, cinnamon, gluten free, oatmeal, pie, pumpkin

My husband eats oatmeal all the time but I am normally a little put off by it. This Southern girl prefers cheesy, buttery grits. Who wants grayish, lumpy mush for breakfast when you can have savory, deliciousness instead?! This recipe may have changed my mind about oatmeal. I love the explosion of flavor in this recipe. It is filling and so easy to make, which makes it especially great for busy work mornings. If I like this oatmeal, I wonder if there are other possible combinations in my future?

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (A variation of this recipe from the Undressed Skeleton)

• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• Chopped pecans

Mix the oats and water together. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir in almond milk and pumpkin until creamy. Stir in the brown sugar and the spices. Top with chopped pumpkins.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Tags

bourbon, bread, caramel, dessert, food, pudding, pumpkin, sauce, Southern

One of my favorite people in the world – Ms. Claire – is my buddy in exploring the local restaurants of Richmond. So far we have tried Babylon Gyros, Purdy’s Coffee Company, and  The Big Easy (Cajun themed!). At The Big Easy, we shared a serving of their bread pudding with caramel sauce. I had never been interested in trying bread pudding before this lunch. Boy was I wrong!! It was delicious! Since then I have been wanting to make my own at home. I added bourbon to this caramel sauce to make it even more delectable and smack of Southern charm.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce (inspired by this recipe)

Bread Pudding:

• 5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old crusty bread
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cups canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cloves

Bourbon Caramel Sauce:

• 10 to 15 caramels, unwrapped
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp bourbon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss bread cubes with butter in a bowl and set aside. Whisk together the rest of the ingredients in another bowl and pour over the bread. Coat the bread well with the mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquids. Transfer into a greased glass 8 inch baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

While the pudding is baking, place the caramels and milk in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between each time. When all the caramels are melted smooth, stir in the bourbon. Spoon the caramel sauce over the baked bread pudding. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Tags

beverage, coffee, fall, food, pumpkin, spice, syrup

Here is that fantastic syrup recipe that is the base of yesterday’s Pumpkin Spiced Vietnamese Iced Coffee. I haven’t yet come up with another use but I am sure there could be many. Any ideas? (I was actually surprised how pretty this photo turned out!)

Pumpkin Spice Syrup (thanks to Food + Words for this recipe)

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 whole cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 7 whole cloves
• 7 whole allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, allow the mixture to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. When the syrup is cool, strain into a clean jar through a fine mesh sieve. Store in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 2 months.

Pumpkin Spiced Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Tags

beverage, coffee, drink, iced, pumpkin, spice, Vietnamese

I am usually a coffee purist; coffee should be strong and black, no cream or sugar. When I read this recipe by Food + Word, my curiosity was aroused. I have previously enjoyed Vietnamese coffee and do like the idea of pumpkin spice syrup. Plus, I know plenty of coffee freaks at work who would like this syrup if it turned out I did not. Sadly for them, I love it!

Pumpkin Spiced Vietnamese Iced Coffee (from Food + Word)

• 6 oz freshly brewed coffee, chilled
• 1 oz pumpkin spice syrup
• 4 oz whipping cream (for a lower calorie option, use half 1% milk and half of the cream)
• 1 oz sweetened condensed milk

Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour the chilled coffee, pumpkin spice syrup, cream and sweetened condensed milk into the glass, and stir well to combine.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Tags

apple, dessert, fall, muffins, pumpkin

During the fall, a friend and I discovered the recipe for these muffins and thought they sounded fantastic. Very seasonal and easy to make.  They turned out quite pretty. I plan to take these to work tomorrow. Good food makes the day go a little easier, especially considering how busy it has been there lately.

The pumpkin and apple flavors are subtle but work well together!

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Muffins:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (see recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple

Topping:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners. In a large bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

 

I made this combination today because I just don’t see the point of buying it premade. It just sits too long and runs the risk of tasting old. I’d rather make it as I need it. Double to below recipe for the tablespoon required by the muffins.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger, ground
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg, ground

Combine together. Store in a cool, dry location.

Praline Pumpkin Cheescake

Tags

cheesecake, dessert, fall, holidays, praline, pumpkin, Thanksgiving

Two things to note about this cheesecake. 1) I did not make the cheesecake shown below. My aunt-in-law, Janie, made this gorgeous creation. 2) This was featured in Southern Living’s November 2011 issue.

We had 4 desserts on our Thanksgiving table but this one stole the show. Though the praline topping may seem like it will be too sweet, you really should try it. It perfectly complements the cake. I would make this cheesecake for anyone to whom I want to say “I really like/love/value you!” Not to dense, not too sweet, perfectly pumpkin-y.

Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake

The Cake:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

The Topping:

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Press mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Beat cream cheese and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended and smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and lemon juice, beating until blended. Pour batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 325° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours. Remove sides and bottom of pan, and transfer cheesecake to a serving plate.

Bring first 3 praline topping ingredients to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Boil, stirring occasionally, 1 minute; remove from heat. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Use immediately. Garnish with pecan halves.