Sweet Potato Casserole

I couldn't wait to try this recipe. It's so unique and different when compared to the typical overly sweet marshmallow laden dish we normally serve for Thanksgiving. My dad had bought me an organic pie pumpkin on my birthday and I thought this was the perfect dish to highlight the beauty of that squash. The small pumpkin equalled just over 3 cups when cooked so I used it all. I substituted apple juice (homemade, of course) for the orange juice concentrate and shelled pumpkin seeds for the pecans. I wish I had taken a picture. The green of the seeds against the bright orange was amazing. We had one slight problem. I assembled the dish and took it to my dad's to bake it. The topping fell into the pumpkin but the taste was divine. I can't wait to make it again. I have a few sweet potatoes sitting on my counter that may just need to casseroled.

Sweet Potato Casserole
2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (3 medium), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup 1% milk
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
For the Topping
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans (1 3/4 ounces)
FOR THE SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE: Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and return to the pan. Mash with a potato masher. Measure out 3 cups. (Reserve any extra for another use). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch-square (or similar 2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk eggs, oil and honey in a medium bowl. Add mashed sweet potato and mix well. Stir in milk, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish.
FOR THE TOPPING: Mix flour, brown sugar, orange juice concentrate, oil and butter in a small bowl. Blend with a fork or your fingertips until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture. Bake the casserole until heated through and the top is lightly browned, 35 to 45 minutes.

Impossible Pumpkin Pie

When I saw this recipe a week or so ago on one of the blogs I follow, I was intrigued. The author said this pie makes it's own crust. The one thing I struggle with is crust. I'm not a crust fan and making it is not on my list of favorite things to do. This pie was simple enough to slip it into my Thanksgiving cooking and was a hit with the family. What I loved about this pie is that it doesn't really have a crust but it's not so soft that it loses it's form when cut. Most of the family thought this was the perfect pie. I plan on playing with it some to make a gingerbread/apple version.

Impossible Pumpkin Pie
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup biscuit mix
1 can (16 oz) pumpkin
2 tsp. butter
2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 can (13 oz.) evaporated milk
2 tsp. vanilla
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 inch pie pan. Beat all ingredients until smooth. Pour into pan. Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Jar Cakes

I started making jar cakes when my son was little. They were an interesting concept - baking cakes in canning jars. You can serve them right away or seal the jars. They make fun gifts and a great way to preserve a cake for those winter munchies. Now that I think about it, I'm adding some canning lids to my shopping list so I can make and preserve some cakes. I get the munchies and I hate baking like that and I've thrown out a couple of cakes so far because I'm the only one in the mood for cake. These jars are perfect because they come out to about 2 servings (probably more like 4 but who can only eat one slice). I like serving them with hard sauce and I think I could make a good Rum cake in a jar (ohh I feel a cooking experiment coming on). I have three varieties so I'll make sure to share them all with you.

Pumpkin Spice Jar cakes
4 oz + 3 tbs. soft unsalted butter
3 1/2 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
3 1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 teas baking powder
1 teas baking soda
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas ginger
1/4 teas mace
1 cup chopped walnuts
8 sterilized wide mouthed pint jars with lids
Preheat oven to 325. Generously grease jars. Beat butter and 1/2 sugar. Add eggs, mix, add sugar, mix, add pumpkin, mix. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add Walnuts and mix. Spoon 1 cup batter into each jar. Carefully wipe rims clean then place in center of oven to bake 40 minutes. When cakes are done remove jars one at a time and lid. Let cool - jars will seal as they cool.

Thanksgiving pie

I must be feeling the need to return to comfort food and family. I don't know why I have Thanksgiving on the brain but I do prefer finding holiday recipes well in advance of the holiday so I can stock up on ingredients.
I believe I got this recipe from Paula Deen. It's a fun mix of pecan and pumpkin pies. It sounds a little complicated but it's really so easy. You can buy a store-bought crust or try to make your own.
Be sure most of the jiggle has gone out of the pie before removing it from the oven and let cool so that it's good and set before cutting.

Thanksgiving Pie
3 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
½ cup sugar
4 tb butter, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teas vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
9 inch unbaked pie shell
whipped cream
oven to 350. Beat eggs well. Beat in next 5 ingredients. Arrange pecans on bottom of pie shell. Pour filling over pecans. Bake 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream.

Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is from Gluten-Free Baking with the Culinary Institute of Art. This recipe is really good and tastes good the next day (after that I can't tell you because I never got them in the freezer).
Flour Blend #5
1 3/4 cup White Rice Flour
1 1/4 cup Tapioca Starch
1 3/4 Soy Flour
1/2 cup Whey (I used powdered milk this time but you can use soy milk powder)

Pumpkin Muffins
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup + 1 TB oil
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin (canned works fine - a can that makes 2 pies makes 3 batches)
3/4 cup + 2 TB flour blend #5
1 TB cinnamon
1 1/4 teas baking soda
Preheat oven to 350. Mix sugar, oil, eggs and pumpkin with a whisk until fully combined. Add in flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Mix by hand until fully combined. Pour into prepared muffin tins (I used paper cups and they peeled away really nicely). Bake 15 minutes of until skewer comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and then remove from pan. If you use a loaf pan bake 50-60 minutes.
You can ice with cream cheese frosting but these were great with just butter (or nothing).