Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Let’s face it– it’s the pumpkin apocalypse.

Pumpkin soup, pumpkin brownies, pumpkin butter, pumpkin lasagna (I’m sure it’s been done)– the world has gone pumpkin insane.

World-wide pumpkin shortages are how it will start. Next come widespread symptoms of orange pigmentation and hyperactivity. The end is near!

(Sorry. I’ve been watching a lot of end-of-days movies recently. I’m in a paranoid state of mind.)

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t intend to be part of the solution. Though I do so solemnly swear to contain my pumpkin blogging in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Let’s not cause a frenzy!

Now that I’ve issued the appropriate disclaimer, PUMPKINS AWAY!

The only cure for this madness? Gingerbread season.

What I really love about these muffins is that the brown butter complements the pumpkin so well. I’ll even let you in on a secret– brown butter is literally just cooked butter. You melt it in a saucepan until it turns brown.

The effect? It adds another flavor dimension to the butter and brings out its nutty aroma. Apocalyptic stuff.

I fully endorse this recipe for a perfect lazy fall morning when it’s just cool enough for a jacket and the sky looks just a little bluer.

Just remember to enjoy responsibly. Keep calm and pumpkin on!

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Yields 15 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

scant 1/4 tsp cloves

scant 1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 large egg

1 stick unsalted butter, browned

1/2 cup pumpkin

1/2 cup milk (I used fat free, so any kind should do)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup orange juice

Streusel Crumble

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

3 tbsp cold butter (unsalted)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients and whisk to combine.

In a small saucepan, add butter and cook over medium heat. Watch until it just starts to turn brown (brown- good, black- bad) and remove from heat. In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients (egg, pumpkin, milk, vegetable oil, OJ, browned butter) and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the brown butter last and whisk immediately to temper your egg. No one wants scrambled egg pumpkin muffins!

Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully combined. Spray a cupcake pan with oil to prevent sticking (or use cupcake liners), and fill each opening 2/3 full with batter.

In a small bowl, add brown sugar and flour. Dice the cold butter into small pieces and add to bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, mix in the butter until in small, pea-side pieces. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of crumb mixture over each muffin.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in muffin pan before transferring to baking rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Peach Galette

HI YOU GUYS! Remember me? The one who takes all the pictures of food? I’m still here!!

Please forgive my absence. I’ve been frolicking in the summer sun.

Ok, I’ve been locked away in an office. Happy? Dessert to the rescue.

This is a peach galette.

Galette /gəˈlet/ noun- A rustic pastry filled with fruit and sugary goodness. Rustic /ˈrəstik/ adj- rough around the edges. Just my style.

Husband: “That pie was good.”

Me: “That wasn’t a pie.”

Husband: “Right. The grouton?”

Me: “…”

He’s right, though. The grouton…err, galette, was the perfect combo of sugary dough and sweet fruit. You’ll see in the pictures below that before I could take a picture in proper daylight, we’d eaten half. Consider this a strong endorsement.

Once you’ve rolled out the dough, just slap your fruit mixture in the middle. Please note that I spent 5 minutes carefully arranging the outer layer of peaches before haphazardly dumping in the rest. Whatever, it’s rustic.

Before you bake, be sure to tuck in a little extra sugar and butter for good measure.

Bake, cool, enjoy, and pray a little is left when daylight comes. Bon appetit!

Peach Galette adapted from Simply Recipes

Yields one 12″ pastry

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, chilled

5-6 tbsp cold water

Filling

2 1/2 sliced peaches, just ripened

3 tbsp plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp plus 1 tbsp dark brown sugar (light would work fine as well)

1 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 egg

1 tsp turbinado sugar

Directions

Mix together flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Slice stick of butter into tablespoon-sized chunks and add to flour mixture. Pulse food processor 8-10 times, or until butter is mostly incorporated and pea-size or less. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time and pulse after each addition. After 5 to 6 tablespoons, you should feel the blade start to struggle against the forming dough.

At this point, stop mixing and turn the mixture (crumbs and all) out onto a hard, floured surface and knead just until soft dough forms. Mold into a disc and wrap in plastic. The dough should chill for at least an hour (up to 12) before being rolled out.

When the dough has chilled, roll it until it’s about a foot in diameter. The dough will be pretty thin, but that’s what you want. Roll the dough onto your rolling pin and gently transfer to a nonstick, ungreased baking sheet.

Peel and slice peaches and place in a medium bowl. Add sugars, flour and vanilla and toss to coat. Arrange peaches in the middle of the dough, leaving a 2″ border all around. Take your extra tablespoon of sugar, granulated sugar and unsalted butter and roughly mix. Dot mixture throughout the top of the peaches.

Complete the galette by folding each section of the dough border over the peaches. When this is done, lightly beat egg and use to wash over the dough. If you want, sprinkle turbinado (or any ol’) sugar on the dough to give a sugary glaze. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes, or until your galette is well browned and bubbly. Enjoy!

Time

20 minutes active, 1.5 hours inactive

Strawberry Pimm’s Popsicles

You guys! The Royal Peanut has been born!

Wait…that was a week ago?

Well, you should still be celebrating. It’s always Pimm’s o’clock in this kitchen.

It’s also still summer outside, which calls for popsicles.

For those of you unfamiliar with Pimm’s, it’s a magical British liqueur best paired with ice, ginger ale, strawberries, cucumber and mint. It’s called the Pimm’s Cup. It is everything you will ever need.

While this popsicle is a deviation from the traditional Pimm’s Cup, it has the same sweet flavor with just a little bite…just like the British.

It’s also packed with strawberries, making it perfectly refreshing for the not-so-British summer heat. Meaning, I’ve already had two today.

Also, a big shout out to my non-British husband for being my popsicle model. Job well done.

So raise your pops to Prince George, and long live the Queen! Cheers!

Strawberry Pimm’s Popsicles

Makes about 6 popsicles

Ingredients

40 strawberries hulled, or about 2.5 lbs

1″ sliced cucumber

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup Pimm’s liqueur

4-5 mint leaves (optional)

Directions

Hull strawberries and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly and let sit for 10 minutes. This will let the natural sugars in the strawberries come out. While waiting, pour out one cup of Pimm’s and immerse mint leaves to soak.

After 10 minutes, place strawberries and cucumber in food processor or blender. Chop/pulse them for no more than 4-5 seconds. You want the strawberries and cucumbers to be well blended, but to still have small fruit chunks.

Next, place your blended strawberry mixture in a mesh strainer and let the liquid from the strawberries drain (trust me, more room for Pimm’s!). Gently press on the fruit to drain remaining liquid, then return to large bowl. Remove mint leaves and add Pimm’s, then stir to combine fully.

Spoon fruit mixture into popsicle molds and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until firm.

Time

20 mins active, 4 hours inactive

Happy New Year!

 

Welcome 2013! I will say I’m a little sad to see 2012 go. It saw our wedding, honeymoon, and the beginning of Eat Cake for Breakfast! A truly great year.

If your New Year’s Day was anything like mine, it was spent recovering from New Year’s Eve. In the spirit of recuperation, I’ve put some hearty recipes below to help soak up the champagne. Lots of cooking and baking to come in 2013! In the meantime, I’ll go back to my takeout.

Lasagna Bolognese by Smitten Kitchen

Chicken and Dumplings by The Pioneer Woman

Chicken Pot Pie by Eat Live Run

French Dip by Food Network

May the best things in life be yours in the New Year!