Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts & September's Give-Away Apron Winner

Fall is upon us and it brings out the flavors that my family loves; apples and pumpkins being at the top!  These cake doughnuts are easy to make and with a little trick I do, your family won't know that you didn't stand over a pot of oil and fry them!

The pumpkin farms here in North Carolina have fields full of ripen pumpkins and I only wish my girls were still small so we could take part in the festive activities of hay rides and trying to carry the biggest pumpkin in from the field.  Last year, I was in New Jersey with my granddaughters and I got to share that experience with them.  Of course, we had mini Apple Cider Doughnuts, which are just as good and I helped them carve pumpkins for their school's contest. These are the memories I hold dear.

Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (canned)
1 1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (or 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. of ground cloves, and 1/4 tsp. each of ground nutmeg and ground ginger)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 3/4 cups + 2T King Arthur all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans.  If you don't have doughnut pans, you can make these in a standard muffin tin.

Whisk together the oil, eggs, pumpkin, spices, salt and baking powder.

Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour just until smooth.

I used a plastic pastry bag fitted with a large round tip to pipe in the batter into the doughnut wells, about 3/4 full.  (This recipe makes 15 to 18 doughnuts, so you will have to bake another pan!)

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes--set the timer at 15 and check.  These were done in 15 minutes.
Remove doughnuts from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack.
While the additional pan of doughnuts is baking, melt:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

In a separate bowl, mix:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 T ground cinnamon

Dip the doughnuts into the melted butter, then sprinkle them with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Warm and delicious!  Perfect with a glass of cold Spiced Cider--it's still in the 80s here, or if it's chillier, try a cup of warm Mulled Cider. Enjoy!

A little behind, but none the less...the winner of September's Apron is Barbara Woods!  Please email me your address and I will send this beauty out to you!   I will have October's up tomorrow.

Pumpkin & Chocolate Hazelnut Rugelach

Is it ever too early for pumpkin desserts?  Well, our Kelly would have said, "never."   That's exactly what I thought when I made these unique rugelach (nestled in my Raven's plate!...can you tell, I'm an Edgar Allan Poe fan!)

Rugelach is a traditional Jewish pastry found in most cafes and bakeries throughout Israel, as well as the United States.  Some sources believe that both rugelach and the French croissant have a common Viennese ancestor.  The crescent shaped shaped pastry celebrates the lifting of the Turkish siege in the Battle of Vienna in 1683. However, since the croissant didn't develop until the 19th century, it is considered a descendant of this pastry.

The cream cheese (or sometimes sour cream) and butter dough is usually filled with a fruit spread and nuts, however, I've made lots of these delicacies for my Christmas boxes with my favorite raspberry and chocolate filling, so it seems anything goes!

For today's pastries, I chose to add some pumpkin puree to the dough and spread Nutella over the rolled out round for an easy fall treat.

Pumpkin & Chocolate Hazelnut Rugelach

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1- 8oz. pkg. cream cheese (not low-fat!) at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling:
Nutella (Chocolate Hazelnut Spread)

Egg Wash--1 egg beaten with a 1/2 tsp water

Cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.  Add the next four ingredients and mix until combined.  Add the flour and salt and mix just until combined...don't over mix or your dough will be tough!

Divide the dough into four portions and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.  Remove one of the disks from the refrigerator and roll out to a 9-inch circle, trimming edges to make a clean circle.

Spread approximately 3 tablespoons of Nutella on the circle, leaving about 1/4"-1/2" from the edges.

Divide the circle into 8-pie shaped pieces.  Roll up from the outer edge to the point of the triangle and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush with the egg wash and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

A wonderful way to welcome Fall; especially with a mug of hot chocolate or cuppa of tea. Enjoy!

One more thing:
Yesterday, I posted on FaceBook a "Rustic Sourdough Bread" I baked and a friend asked for the recipe:

Happily, this is a King Arthur recipe that I will post.  I purchased sour dough starter a week ago and after following the instructions, which comes with the starter to feed it, I was ready to make this quick loaf.

Rustic Sourdough Bread
1 cup "fed" sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
1 T granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp. salt
5 cups King Arthur unbleached All Purpose Flour

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook. Knead until smooth and the dough pulls away from the sides, adding either a bit more water or flour to achieve this.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl to rise, covered with plastic wrap in a warm place, until doubled in size.

Gently divide dough in half.  Shape the dough into two oval loaves, long loaves, or as I did, one big loaf!  Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour.  Towards the end of rising, preheat oven to 425F-degrees with a baking stone in place.

Spray the loaf (loaves) with lukewarm water and make two deep diagonal slashes; a lame or serrated knife works well.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature is between 190-200F-degrees.  Since I made just one big loaf, I lowered the oven temperature to 375F-degrees after 30 minutes and baked the bread another 10 minutes to achieve the correct internal temperature.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing...RESIST!!

The crust is crunchy and the interior is soft and makes wonderful sandwiches.  Sour dough is really one of my favorites and there's so many recipes you can do with your starter--Pizza, waffles, or pancakes to name a few!

After the Storm Pumpkin Muffins

Hurricane Hermine brought havoc to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, but here in North Carolina, I consider us lucky to have less than 2 inches of rain and very little wind.  It's not to say that I haven't lived through some of the roughest of storms, but anytime you don't have any damage doesn't mean you don't prepare for the worse when these storms are coming.  I have a great respect for "Mother Nature!"

The storm did bring some cooler temperatures and while the kitties were enjoying a morning on the screened-in porch, I decided to bake.  Pumpkin came to mine as the day was still overcast and cool.  It's a favorite flavor in our house and the aroma of spices while baking just gave it a warm feeling.  The rich taste of pumpkin was enhanced with cranberries and pecans, but also molasses, which was a favorite of my dad's.  He poured it on his pancakes and like him, I love the unique taste it brings to my baked goods.

Pumpkin Muffins
2 3/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie spice
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup buttermilk*
3/4 cup dried cranberries (or raisins, dates, currants)
3/4 cup chopped pecans

*If you don't have buttermilk, add 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar to milk and let set for about 5-7 minutes.

Preheat oven 375F-degrees.  Spray a muffin pan with a nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin,oil, molasses, and buttermilk.  Whisk to combine thoroughly.  Add the dry ingredients and stir.  Finally, add the cranberries and pecans.  The batter is thick, but don't over mix.

Use a 1/4 cup scoop and divide batter among the muffin cups.

I'm pretty generous because I love to get a "muffin top"on my finished muffin!  Bake 15-17 minutes.  Let cool slightly in the pan then remove to a rack.  Serve warm with butter, if desired...I did.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin~Cranberry Tea Cake & September's Give-Away Apron

Finally! I actually sewed the apron earlier this week, but haven't had the time to bake something to go along with the post.  I leave tomorrow for an event in Orlando, where I'm teaching and the week has just flown by.

I guess you can say I'm rushing the season, baking with pumpkin and cranberries, but there are signs that Fall isn't far behind.  Some of the maple trees are starting to turn and we've had some leaves fall already.  I just wish the temperatures would have gotten the message that we should be in the 70s and not in the upper 80s with stifling humidity.

Pumpkin~Cranberry Tea Cake
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup boiling water
Pour the boiling water over the cranberries and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 oz. (1/2 stick) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 3/4 firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 3/4 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray two loaf pans (or you can use a Bundt pan) with baking spray and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together.  Add the brown sugar and continue to cream until fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until completely incorporated.  Add the vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and mix together.  

Stir together the dry ingredients and add to the batter along with the dried cranberries.  Mix on low just until ingredients are combined.

Divide between two loaf pans or Bundt pan.  Smooth tops and bake for 40-45 minutes or until tester comes out cleanly from the center.  Allow to cool about 10 minutes in the pan(s), then transfer to a wooden board or serving plate.

A quick tea cake to have for the morning or through the afternoon as I continue to have a busy day.  Happy Fall, y'all...Enjoy!

Albert Camus, the Nobel Prize winning author and journalist wrote...

"Autumn is

a second

Spring when

every leaf

is a Flower."

That's exactly what I was thinking when I espied this beautiful fabric.  If you would like to win this apron, just post a comment during the month of September and your name could be chosen:-D
 

Pumpkin Patch Muffins & September's Give-Away Apron

The kitchen smelled wonderful this morning with the aroma of these muffins; bringing back memories of the last October that Kelly was with us.  She loved pumpkin and I baked these with her in mind.

I just returned this week from an event in Houston where I taught classes on my next line out in October.  One lovely woman in my workshop asked me, "how do you go on after losing a child?"  That's a question I've yet to answer, but I said, "she made me promise to continue sharing."  Kelly had a tremendous heart and always put others first, so how could I not honor her request. Understanding loss is not in the human nature, but it is part of life.


Pumpkin Patch Muffins
1 cup orange juice, heated slightly in the microwave (about 40 - 60 secs)
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Lightly greased specialty muffin pan (or line a muffin pan with paper liners)

I used this mini swirl bundt pan because its shape reminded me of a pumpkin!

Allow the cranberries to plump in the warmed orange juice for 15 minutes before starting the batter.

In a large bowl, measure all the dry ingredients and whisk together.  Add the "wet" ingredients and use a rubber spatula to mix together until smooth.

 Use a 1/4-cup scoop to measure batter into the muffin wells.

Bake in the preheated oven, 20 to 25 minutes until the tops "spring back" when you touch them with finger tips.  Allow to cool about 7 minutes before transferring the muffins to a rack to cool completely.  The recipe makes 12 large muffins.

Next, before I get to far behind, the winner of September's Give-Away Apron is Stamping Sue.  I'll be sending this out to you shortly for you to enjoy.  I would like to try to promise to get October's Apron up, but with another trip on Monday, I'm not sure if I'll get it done before I leave.  However, I will get one up and some special gifts to honor Kelly.  Enjoy!
 

Pumpkin~Cinnamon Swirl Breakfast Cakes

No where is it written that you can't enjoy pumpkin all year long!  I know that for a fact with our daughter Kelly who loved anything pumpkin...and her son is no different.  So this morning, I "whipped" up a surprise for his breakfast with these little cakes.

I remember when Ari was just barely 2 1/2 years old and his dad and I took him to pick apples and pears; just like they did as a family.  After the fruit was picked, he wanted to head to the pumpkin patch to pick one for Halloween.  The first thing he notice was how prickly the stems were and the second thing, being the outdoor's boy he is, said, "Mimi, these look like soccer balls!"  I had to grab him quick before he put a foot to one of them:-D

We have gray skies and it's a bit cooler, so pumpkin was very appropriate, but even if it were sunny, I still love the smell of it baking.

Pumpkin~Cinnamon Swirl Breakfast Cakes
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Cinnamon/Sugar Filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, mix the first eight ingredients and use a hand whisk to combine.  Add the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to combine thoroughly--don't over mix.

Scoop about a 1/4 cup of batter into the prepared liners; I use "crumb cake liners," but you could also do these in a muffin pan.

Use an off-set spatula to spread and smooth the batter.  Next, add about 1 tablespoon of the Cinnamon/Sugar mixture.  Then, put another scoop of batter on top and smooth again with the spatula.

Finally, divide the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture on the top of each one of the cakes.

 Bake Breakfast Cakes 20-23 minutes until they spring back on top when lightly touched.

The spices, combined with the pumpkin, made these little cakes the perfect Breakfast treat.  Don't let the calendar tell you to wait for pumpkin in the fall...you can have it now.  Enjoy!  

I'm sorry to say that I've had to add "word verification" again; the amount of spam I'm getting is beyond ridiculous, rude, and intrusive.  Until I figure how to transfer this blog to WordPress, please bear with me--Thanks for understanding 

Easy Pumpkin~Banana Muffins with Spiderman

Amidst days of a horrific storm, I did find sunshine in the sweet face of one of my favorite baking buddies...and baking we did.  Ari loves muffins; it's a treat his mama started getting him at the Co-op where they lived.  Pumpkin, zucchini, or banana was the usual choice, so Ari and I decided to combine two of these flavors into one to make a new variety for him to have.

We came up with an easy and quick way to have a morning muffin before his music class that is full of goodness. The trick to a moist, cake-like texture and giving the pumpkin flavor was using a box of Jell-o Pumpkin Pudding.  We found it at the grocery store when we were shopping and thought we'd give it a try.

Easy Pumpkin~Banana Muffins

2 bananas, mashed
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 box of Jell-o Pumpkin Pudding
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract 
2 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

4 T butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.   Brush muffin pan with melted butter.  We used his Jumbo muffin pan and this recipe made 6, but for a Regular muffin pan you will get 10-12.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, mix the first five ingredients well.  Then, add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined.

Scoop into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 18-20 minutes for Jumbo and 15-18 for Regular.

The tops of the muffins should be firm to the touch.  Allow them to cool slightly and then, turn out out a rack to cool. 

 My little King enjoyed his muffin so much; he said, "These are the best ever, Mimi!"  Isn't that what we all want to hear. Enjoy!

Spooktacular Pumpkin Pie Poundcake

Pound cakes have been around a long time.  They are often a staple in the Southern region of the United States at picnics and potlucks where sour cream may be an added ingredient; in Great Britain, they're called Sponge cakes or Madeira Cake and consist of castor sugar, butter, self-rising flour and eggs in equal parts; and in France, they're known as "quatre-quarts" which means, four quarters and uses the same quantity of ingredients, but usually no fruits added; and in Germany, "Eischwerkuchen" (Ei=egg and schwer=heavy) and it means all the proportions of the other ingredients weigh as much as the eggs together!

My mother made lots of pound cakes--traditional vanilla, chocolate, lemon, and black walnut, but I never remember her baking one with pumpkin.  I love pumpkin in the fall and this one has a particular dense consistency that reminded me instantly of pie instead of cake--hence the name!

Spooktacular Pumpkin Pie Poundcake
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-8oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree'
5 large eggs
1 T pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 cups chopped nuts (I used pistachios, but walnuts, or pecans would be great)
Don't preheat the oven! 
Spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan with a baking spray and set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese thoroughly.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle.  Add the sugars and beat again on medium speed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until fluffy.  Add the canned pumpkin puree' and mix to combine.  (The batter may take on a "curdled" look...don't panic!)

Add the flour, salt, and nuts (if using) and mix just until it's all combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing once more.

Spoon batter into the prepared Bundt pan.  

Place the cake in a cold oven, then, turn the temperature to 325F-degrees Convection baking (if you have convection or just Bake).  Set the timer for 90 minutes.  Putting the cake in an oven that wasn't preheated is new for me.  I experimented with making popovers last night by putting the pan in a cold oven and they turned out perfect...so what the heck, I thought, let's see how a pound cake does!!

What do you think?  I maybe on to something here, as long as I gauge my oven temperature to this method:-D

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 T Karo light syrup
2-3 T very hot water
1/2 tsp. Orange Juice Powder

I love the combination of orange and pumpkin and decided to try a little of this new product I found at King Arthur catalogue.  If you don't have it, you can use about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. orange extract--just don't make it too over powering.

It's actually been a pretty warm day here and we're heading towards setting a record for no rain fall--Yes, this is the Pacific Northwest:-)  I know my mom would have loved this and of course, Kelly may have asked for this as a change up to her usual birthday Pumpkin Pie. Enjoy!

 

Black & White Chocolate Pumpkin Doughnuts

 

Today is a special day in our family--our daughter, Kelly's best friend, Kandyce's birthday.  From the day they first met in 7th grade at LaReina High School, they were inseparable; even miles couldn't break their bond.

Happy Birthday to my sweet girls!

Kandyce is a part of our hearts too and knowing how much our girls would have loved to be celebrating their 40th birthday together brings some sadness, but it's also a day to rejoice that Kandyce and her lovely family came into our lives.

I created this Black & White doughnut recipe because of a memory of the two of them one Halloween; the costume(s) they came up with was Salt & Pepper Shakers!  Kelly was pepper and Kandyce was salt, but all day long at school everyone asked them why they didn't do it the other way.  Kelly's answer, "what do you mean!"

So, here's the first (of many) give-aways this month to celebrate Kelly's generous nature...

...a doughnut pan to bake this recipe or your favorite.

Black & White Chocolate Pumpkin Doughnuts
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree'
2 large eggs
1/3 + 1 T sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt

White Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 T very hot water
2 T Karo light syrup

Black Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 T Karo light syrup
3 - 4 T hot water

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray doughnut pan with a baking spray and set aside.
In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together thoroughly.  Add the pumpkin and mix to combine.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just to combine.  Add the sour cream and mix again.  

Use a 3 Tablespoon scoop to measure the batter into the doughnut pan openings.  

Bake 13 to 15 minutes.  Test by pressing the tops of the doughnuts with your index/middle fingers.

Let cool 5 minutes then invert pan onto a rack to cool completely.

Mix up the White Glaze first.  

Use a small off-set spatula to spread the glaze on half of the doughnut.  While this glaze is setting, mix up the Black Glaze.

 Use the off-set spatula to spread on the other side.  Place the doughnuts on the rack to set.

To be eligible for the doughnut pan, just comment on this post or any others I do between now and October 8th--Kelly's birthday when a name will be drawn.  Enjoy!