Zucchini Pumpkin Bread/Muffins

Rebecca and I have been in the mood for Autumn-y things. Steve pulled some zucchini out of our garden and I had some extra pumpkin, so we made bread! (It could easily be called cake.) We stole this recipe from Taste of Home and tweaked it (as usual). Enjoy!

 Ingredients:

*2 cups sugar
* 3 eggs, lightly beaten*1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
*1 cup butter, melted
*1 tablespoon vanilla extract
*3 cups all-purpose flour
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
*2 cups shredded zucchini
*1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:

In a bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, butter and vanilla. Blend with hand-blender. Combine dry ingredients; gradually blend in pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until breads test done. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack.

Harvest Squash Pie

Rebecca and I were at the farmer's market this week trying to think of pie ideas and as he headed over to the only fruit available, apples, and saw how mealy they looked, we decided to head in a different direction: butternut squash. I've heard of squash pies before, and I've of course made pumpkin pies, so we decided to dive right in without a recipe. I thought I remembered the basic ingredients for pumpkin pie and accidentally mistook condensed milk for evaporated (whoops), but I always say that when you mix sugar with anything you won't be disappointed and we weren't. Check out the recipe below.

*1 large butternut squash, halved and roasted
*1 can sweetened condensed milk
*1 cup brown sugar
*1/4 cup white sugar
*1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon (would have used nutmeg if I had any)
*1/4 cup cornstarch (I don't play around with firming agents)
*1 tablespoon flour
*1 tablespoon vanilla extract
*Crushed walnuts

Directions: Pretty simple really. Just scoop out the roasted squash and blend with all of the other ingredients. Pour into uncooked crust (recipe in blog), sprinkle with walnuts, and cook for 15 minutes uncovered and then 30 minutes covered (or longer if necessary) at 350 degrees.

I honestly have never seen such a pretty color! Perfect for autumn. We served it with whipped cream and hot mulled apple cider.

Ann Walko's Apple Pie

Another Anne collecting apples

I got this deliciously basic apple pie recipe from my friend Insley (and her grandmother, Ann). I added a little water and yogurt to make it creamier. It helped in baking it at 7,000 ft elevation as well. 

Filling:

*6-7 med. size Macintosh apples
*1/3 cup sugar
*1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
*1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*3 scant tablespoons flour

*3/4 cup yogurt

*1/4 cup water

Directions:

1 ¼ cup sifted flour (separate ¼ cup from this and add to it ¼ teaspoon of salt) Take remaining 1 cup of flour and cut in (with two table knives) ½ cup Crisco until the mixture has bonded and is crumbly.

Next take ¼ of flour and salt and add to it 3 tablespoons of ice water.  (Sometimes it requires a bit more than this).   Stir into a paste and then add to the Crisco/flour mixture and cut again.

Ball up, divide in half and sprinkle flour on wax paper and pin to roll.  (Because the dough is usually fairly moist, quite a lot of flour can be used to roll it out and prevent sticking).
Line pan with crust.  Add filling and put 6 thin slices of butter on top of apples.  Put top crust on.  Cut off excess at edges.  Roll under and press with fork.  Cut vent holes in top crust.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes then turn down (to 325-ish?) and bake for an additional 40 minutes on the bottom rack.  (Put foil around the edges if they begin to brown.)

Coconut Rosewater Cake

I stole a recipe from NPR, who stole it from "The California Cook" (and we both made adjustments). So here is my version of the rosewater cake:






Ingredients:
*1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
*1 cup sugar
*3 large eggs at room temperature
*2 teaspoons coconut extract
*1 tablespoon rosewater 
*1 cup vanilla or lemon yogurt (I used both)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Sift
the flour, baking soda and baking powder together in a medium mixing
bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the
butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about four minutes.
Beat in the eggs, rosewater, and coconut extract, and mix for two
minutes.

Reduce the mixer to the lowest speed, add half the flour mixture, and
mix until combined. Add half the yogurt, mixing slowly yet constantly,
and then add the rest of the flour and yogurt.

Pour the mixture into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 35-40
minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the thickest
part of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then
invert onto a cake rack.

I know the original recipe called for a glaze but the cake does very
well on its own, especially with tea!

Sunglow Winter Soup

"The Potato Harvest" Jules Breton

One of my favorite butternut squash soup recipes. It's pretty basic as far as they go, but you don't have to mess with classic.

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 butternut squash, cubed peeled
* 4 large cubed peeled russet potato
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)
* 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* Dash Tabasco and/or Lawry's Season Salt

Directions:

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add leek; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining ingredients. Blend with hand mixer (electric) until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Cover and keep warm.

Piña Colada Ricotta Pie

Totally love this one! Even my housemates who don't like pineapple liked this one.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 can crushed pineapple

* 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or 4 tablespoons flour)

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 1 3 0z. pkg. cream cheese

* 1/2 pint Ricotta cheese (I used more)

* Unsweetened coconut flakes

* Coconut extract

* 1 tablespoon dark rum (optional, but you totally should use it)

* 1 egg

* 1/4 cup sugar

* 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

* 1 9 inch pie crust cut into lattice strips

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch with 1/2 cup sugar and pineapple. Heat until mixture reaches a boil and has thickened slightly. Add rum. Remove from heat and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, beat Ricotta cheese, coconut flakes, coconut extract, cream cheese with the egg and 1/4 cup sugar until mixture is smooth. Pour into pie shell. Spread pineapple mixture over top of Ricotta mixture in pie. Cut the second pie crust into strips 1 1/2 inches wide and arrange strips over the top of pie in a lattice fashion. Brush the top of the crust with a tablespoon of milk which has been beaten with the yolk of 1 egg to make a golden and shiny crust. If you want to. Not necessary. Bake pie at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and bake for another 25 minutes. I baked mine a little longer.

Chill pie for several hours before serving. You kind of have to.