Pumpkin Season

[Richard Kilgore]

I have a rather large pumpkin, and I am looking for some great things to do with it. Any favorite pumpkin recipes --- pies, tarts, breads or anything else from the pastry and baking side of the street?

[nightscotsman]

Before you try to deal with you large pumpkin, you should know that usually the bigger varieties are grown to look pretty and have very little flavor. It's the small ones such as cheese and sugar pumpkins that are used for cooking.

That said... pie.

[Redsugar]

‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes’ is also known as the Cinderella or Fairytale pumpkin. As with sugar pumpkins, the large 15-20 pounders aren’t the best choices for cooking – but the smaller ones (up to 8" diam.) are optimal for cider-flavored soups, cakes, and of course, pies. Consider a more-elegant-than-traditional Irish stew, adding baked pumpkin into the stew mixture when it’s been finished on the stovetop. And, please consider making pumpkin marmalade! Yesterday, I opened the remaining jar from the batch I produced a year ago: spooned onto fresh hot baking-powder biscuits, Irish soda bread, or toasted cornmeal-rye, it’s lusciously hedonistic.

Next week, I expect to prepare a pumpkin custard for a private dinner-party booking: The pumpkin meat will be poached until tender in an orange-&-cinnamon-bark-flavored milk mixture, thickened with eggs, baked in a water-bath mold, chilled several hours, then unmolded and served with a maple-cranberry sauce.

Incidentally, your pumpkin is evidently in v. good condition – well matured, and free from cracks & scarring. My 81-y.o. father is an exceptional vegetable gardener, and he has told me that pumpkins should be stored in the low 50-degree range with good ventilation -- which is to say, not under refrigeration which would cause cold damage.

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks, looks like this one may be just for decoration, so let's assume smaller, tastier pumpkins for our ideas here.

nightscotsman -- there must be some fine variations on pumpkin pies. Do you have a favorite?

Redsugar -- all these ideas sound interesting. Would you be willing to share recipes here, or provide a link?

Anyone else?

[Abra]

Redsugar, please do tell how you do the pumpkin marmalade. That sounds irresistable.

Edited October 22, 2004 by Abra (log)

[Tepee]

Me too! Me too!

[Redsugar]

I have eaten a marvellous mélange of marmalades (how’s that for an alliterative expression?) – including, for example, Seville orange (Hatley’s, Robertsons Limited Edition, Wilkin & Sons, and the pricey Keiller Dundee; although, I have yet to taste the lauded Christopher Brookes version made with Whiskey, or any from Fortnum & Mason, or Roses Lemon & Lime; and I must find a jar of the Maria Grammatico line from Sicily), as well as clementine, and tangerine, and sour cherry.

Indisputably, these marmalades are premium commercial products. Nevertheless, the pumpkin marmalade you’ll be making is the ne plus ultra of these preserves. Well, that’s the estimate I have when eating those golden cubes & luscious syrup atop buttermilk biscuits, pan rolls, or cornmeal poundcake.

“Give me the luxuries of life and I’ll gladly do without the necessities.” (Buckminster Fuller)

PUMPKIN MARMALADE

5 pounds pumpkin; peeled, seeded, cubed, and loose fibers removed

4 pounds white granulated sugar

2 large oranges

1 large lemon

pinch of fine-grained salt

Thinly slice the citrus fruits; alternatively, you could grind them, but my preference is to have the rind in the finished product. Mix together all of the fruit, then add the sugar. Let the mixture stand overnight. Next morning, drain off the exuded juices and, in a large pan, boil the juices to achieve a syrup, about 30-45 minutes. Add the pumpkin mixture to the syrup and cook until it is translucent. Bottle in sterilized glass jars. All in all, I believe it tastes its optimal best when chilled.

Option: Add some preserved ginger. However, for my palate, I wouldn’t want anything to interfere with the citrus-fruit spectrum.

[kthull]

Every year I try to do something different with pumpkin.

Cheesecake, really good.

Flan, wasn't worth it.

Bread pudding, decent.

Pies with other flavors, not worth it...plain is still the best pie

Semifreddo, HEAVEN

Of course there's cookies, pancakes, muffins and bread for before dessert.

Not too sure what I'll do this year.

[nightscotsman]

nightscotsman -- there must be some fine variations on pumpkin pies. Do you have a favorite?

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I think there are more recipes for pumpkin pie than there are for brownies and chocolate chip cookies combined. I've tried quite a few and this one from Bon Appetit is the best I've had so far (just for the filling - the crust part of the recipe is a disaster). I don't know if it's the absolute worlds best pumpkin pie ever, but it works for me.

[andiesenji]

I posted my recipe for pumpkin soup in the other thread.

Some of the larger pumpkins have good flavor. Not the giant ones, but the larger ones that are considered primarily edible pumpkins. Certainly the Shakers did a lot of cooking with large pumpkins as many of their recipes specifically call for large, thick-walled pumpkins.

Consider the giant banana squash. Even the huge ones are good eating.

It is indeed Rouge Vif d'Estampes.

The following is from Univ. of Illinois web site.

"This variety is a C. maxima type that is deep red-orange, flattened, heavily sutured. It was the prototype for Cinderella's carriage pumpkin and is sometimes sold as "Cinderella" pumpkin."

It has excellent flavor and is often used as a soup pumpkin, in that the top is removed just past the curve to the top so that in can be replaced, the seeds are removed and lightly salted water is placed into the pumpkin and the top is replaced, (I spear it diagonally with some small bamboo skewers to keep it in place.)

It then goes into the oven on a baking sheet, at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes for a pumpkin this size.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Using a broad, round tip spoon (or an ice cream "spatula" works very well also) carefully remove the flesh from the interior, careful not to get it too thin. Also pare the flesh from the lid portion, try to leave it about 1/2 inch thick or a little less.

Chop the flesh roughly and set aside.

Recipe follows:

PROVENCE PUMPKIN SOUP

An original recipe by Andie, 11/5/97

Flesh from a medium large sugar or "soup" pumpkin, 3-4 cups, approximately. (PRE-COOKED)

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons herbes de Provence seasoning

1/3 cup shallots, cut into small dice

or 1/2 cup onion

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup apple jelly

1 quart chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream (or half and half if you want less fat)

Preheat your pan and melt the butter.

Add the shallots and ginger and sauté over medium heat for about 4 minutes.

Add the herbs de Provence and the nutmeg, continue cooking for another minute or so, stirring constantly.

Add the apple jelly and stir until it has melted and blended with the other ingredients.

Pour in the chicken stock and increase the heat until it is simmering,

Reduce the heat and add the pumpkin.

Cook at a low simmer for about 20 minutes.

Either use an immersion blender to puree the contents or remove a cup at a time and blend in a blender until it is smooth.

Return to the pot, bring to a simmer and whisk in the cream.

Place the pumpkin shell in a bowl to hold it steady, ladle in the soup and serve with croutons, toasted pepitas or ???

[ludja]

With the caveat of using a cooking pumpkin as described above (or butternut squash):

Thai pumpkin in sweet coconut milk

(simmer milk, add coconut palm sugar or brown sugar and simmer pumkin pieces in; serve at RT or chilled)

and along similar lines...

Candied pumpkin over vanilla ice cream

(inspired by Milliken and Feniger; candy pumpkin pieces ~ 30-45 min in brown sugar syrup flavored w/cinnamon). Can also stir in some heavy cream before serving... (serve sauce warm)

Along mexican lines, I've had (but not made) excellent pumpkin empanadas...

Also remember a memorable dessert made by our own Varmnit which I mean to try this season: pumpkin fritters with cajeta sauce...

Edited October 22, 2004 by ludja (log)

[chefpeon]

I think I'm the only person on the planet that doesn't like pumpkin.......

Here it is the middle of October and I'm so sick of pumpkin already!

I'm making pumpkin pies, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cheesecakes, pumpkin ice cream.......

oh yeah, pumpkin soup.....that too......

I'm going pumpkin crazy. It's all selling like crazy too. People must like it.

But it's beyond me!

[torakris]

I used to make these wondeful pumpkin cookies for the big Halloween party my friends and I used to put on. The first year I made them about 2 months later two of my friends announced they were about 2 months pregnant, didn't think anything of it. The next year I made the cookies again, this time 2 months later found 3 of my friends were pregnant, none of them had been planned pregnancies.....

My friends forbid me from making anything with pumpkin.....

I am actually sort of scared to cook with it myself.....

[andiesenji]

I have a recipe for pumpkin chili that will knock the socks - and possibly other things - off anyone who trys it who isn't used to super hot and spicy foods. (Habanero peppers are a significant ingredient.)

I make it for a group of guys who like really hot and spicy foods, they take a thermos jug of it to football games or similar events.

However, most of the football games here in SoCal. are not exactly played in really cold weather but it would warm one up if it was needed.

They also take it when they go hunting and also when they go snowboarding at Mammoth.

It really doesn't have much pumpkin taste to it.

Edited October 22, 2004 by andiesenji (log)

[Wendy DeBord]

One of my monthly specials is pumpkin creme brulee and it's selling better then any previous special. I make a tart shell using thinly rolled puff pastry and bake it blind between two mini tin pie cups. When the puff is set, but before it takes on alot of color I brush it with corn syrup and continue baking until golden. I store the shells seperate and fill them to order.

I bake my brulee seperately in a pan placed with-in another (ie.waterbath). They scoop out the pumpkin brulee to order and fill the shell. Torch it off=brulee'. Set it on cinnamon cream anglaise and serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and a chocolate leaf.

It's not too far from a pumpkin pie, it has a touch of brandy which goes very well with the pumpkin.

Next month I'm doing a pumpkin chiffon pie as one special.........although I haven't desided on a formula yet.

Off the top of my head I can't recall who sells pumpkin puree, but I would definately look them up on the web. I bet they have several good tested recipes..........and you can use your own puree instead of their product.

[boulak]

It's not exaclty pumpkin, but an acorn squash foccacia is awesome.

Toss the thin sliced squash with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little (or a lot) sugar. Distribute it on top of the foccacia. After baking, remove from the oven, give a light brush of olive oil and sprinkle with fleur de sel and the squash seeds that have been reserved and toasted. Raw seeds placed on the foccacia before the bake tend to burn.

[Redsugar]

Next month I'm doing a pumpkin chiffon pie as one special.........although I haven't desided on a formula yet.

Sinclair: Although not an innovative combination, a gingersnap crust is a good base for pumpkin chiffon pie. Presently, I am embracing the expectation of making a Pumpkin-Pecan Tart in November; the ingredients will include ginger, cinnamon, allspice, molasses, and sour cream – and a generous amount of pecan halves, about 2½ cups for a 10" tart. Served warm with whipped cream…double-yum.

It's not exaclty pumpkin, but an acorn squash foccacia is awesome.

Boulak: Your description of the Pumpkin Foccacia has me yearning for another all-out Italian meal. Abbondanza – the buffet of plenty!

In the realm of yeast-raised breads, acorn-squash crescents with hazelnuts are one of the loveliest dinner rolls this side of baking heaven. They're feathery light & buttery rich.

[andiesenji]

This is my pumpkin chili, I serve it in those large "latte" cups so folks can eat it while wearing gloves, when out in the cold.

This is another original recipe developed over several years of "tinkering"....

Pumpkin Chili Mexicana

Serves 20

3 1/2 to 4 pound Mexican pumpkin, cheese pumpkin, Kabocha or similar squash.

2 pounds chopped beef or turkey (not finely ground)

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

3 - 4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 cup diced mild sweet red pepper (Bell is OK, Pimento or ripe mild Anaheim are better)

1 cup diced mild green chiles, Anaheim, Big Jim or New Mexico

1/2 cup Jalapeños, diced

1 cup beef or chicken broth.

1 teaspoon freshly ground dried red chiles, Colorado, New Mexico, Ancho or your preference.

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin

(first toast the seeds in a dry iron skillet till they start to pop)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Optional - - 1 or 2 Habanero or other very hot peppers, very finely minced. (you can omit these if you do not want a searingly hot chili)

2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, including liquid

2 large cans tomato paste (used to be 8 oz., however they keep changing the amounts)

2 14.5 ounce cans black beans or dark red kidney beans, drained (or equivalent)

1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels

Directions

First, pierce the pumpkin or squash in several places with an ice pick or chef's fork and place it on a pan in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer will penetrate easily through the flesh.

Meanwhile, while the pumpkin is baking,

Sauté the beef or turkey in a large saucier

As it is fairly well browned and is still giving off juices,

add the onion and garlic and cook for about 4-5 minutes or so.

Add the peppers (except for the Habanero) and continue cooking until they are tender.

Add the beef or chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Add the spices and continue simmering for 8 -10 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside.

When cool enough to handle, split the pumpkin, remove the seeds and skin and chop into fairly small chunks and add to the meat mixture.

Return to heat and bring to a simmer.

Add the remaining ingredients, including the Habanero, and cook over medium low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often to keep from burning.

Serve, topped with a generous dollop of sour cream and finely chopped scallions or green onions and freshly baked cornbread, or tortillas if you have them available.

Also have finely shredded mild cheddar cheese, toasted pepitas, croutons and various crackers on side dishes for your guests to add as they wish.

[bentherebfor]

Forum on what to do with your seeds is here

[little ms foodie]

My friend made me pumpkin shrimp bisque last night for dinner. It was soooooo good I woke up thinking about it!

Recipe Here

[Sobaicecream]

In the realm of yeast-raised breads, acorn-squash crescents with hazelnuts are one of the loveliest dinner rolls this side of baking heaven.  They're feathery light & buttery rich.

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Redsugar, I'm sold! Please would you share the recipe or the link to the recipe for those squash cresents you so temptingly described? Aren't pumpkin breads glorious? That color. Ah...

[Deborah]

One of my favorites dishes is Rigatoni with a Pumpkin Bacon Sauce. Last year I made pumpkin soup and it was really good as well.

[chefpeon]

Ok, since this is the pumpkin thread.....maybe y'all can help me out.

One of my biggest problems/weaknesses as a professional is to get excited about making

stuff that doesn't appeal to me personally. I hate pumpkin. In fact, I don't even like most

fall fare or holiday foods.....don't like turkey dinner.....have never looked forward to

Thanksgiving. Never had much of a problem with the ol' holiday weight gain, that's for sure.

So I'm making pumpkin cheesecakes at work (not to mention pumpkin pies, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin bread.....my co-workers are making pumpkin soup)....it's just one big, freaking

pumpkin-fest....woo hoo. Anyway, I like to break with the "same-old" by making whatever I

make a little bit different....add my "signature" if you will. This is easy when I'm making

things I like, but really hard when I'm not.

So I'd like to put some sort of topping on my pumpkin cheesecake. I was thinking of cooking

down some cranberries (a la cherry pie filling) and topping the cheesecake with that. I hate

cranberries too, so since I have no clue, how does that sound to you all.....pumpkin cheesecake

with cranberry topping? Would the cranberry be too strong for something like that?

I was also thinking about something like a pecan caramel topping, but I've had problems with

my caramel becoming very liquid under refrigeration.....

Any ideas and suggestion you all may have is greatly appreciated!

[Sobaicecream]

So I'm making pumpkin cheesecakes at work (not to mention pumpkin pies, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin bread.....my co-workers are making pumpkin soup)....it's just one big, freaking

pumpkin-fest....woo hoo. Anyway, I like to break with the "same-old" by making whatever I

make a little bit different....add my "signature" if you will. This is easy when I'm making

things I like, but really hard when I'm not.

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I'm one of those weirdos who likes pumpkin, any time of the year! But I hear your misery and you have my sympathy. I can't imagine having to be so literally up to my elbows in a detested food. Poor Chefpeon.

So I'd like to put some sort of topping on my pumpkin cheesecake. I was thinking of cooking

down some cranberries (a la cherry pie filling) and topping the cheesecake with that. I hate

cranberries too, so since I have no clue, how does that sound to you all.....pumpkin cheesecake

with cranberry topping?

Any ideas and suggestion you all may have is greatly appreciated!

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I hesitate to give my opinion because I'm not a professional baker. But as one who fits the profile of a customer flocking to you for more bloody pumpkin , I thought you would consider my thoughts.

I also like cranberry. But the combination of pumpkin (with all the requisite spices, I presume) and cranberry don't really appeal. I feel that these are two strong flavors that someone who likes them would prefer to enjoy fully and separately. Although this is just my opinion. (Also, since you already loath pumpkin, I think adding one more hated ingredient would not only be cruel to but make it just that much more difficult for you to really put enthusiasm into creating something nice.)

Final thought: with all that overexuberant holiday gorging occurring, why not make your pumpkin cheesecake unique by trying for something more delicate? How about playing with the concept of tiramisu (since there's marscapone, wouldn't that still make it a "cheese" cake), perhaps by taking just the zabaglione part and chilling it in a pie crust? I know some tiramisu recipes call for whipped cream, making everything a bit too fluffy and messy. But I just make the zabaglione by beating sugar and egg yolks in hot water bath until really thick. Then folding in the marscapone and stiffly whipped egg whites. When totally chilled, this custardy stuff is actually firm enough to slice, which would make it a possible pie filling.

[Pan]

Anne, I prefer pumpkin in savory or only mildly sweet foods than in real sweets. For pies and such, I prefer sweet potato. That's also a seasonal food, right? How about making sweet potato pie and other lovely confections and breads with sweet potato? Don't tell me you detest sweet potato, too!