Oh My Gourd!

    It’s that time of year again… The time where you can’t order a coffee or a cake without being offered the seasonal “pumpkin spice” flavor, candy is sold in “value packs” to trick you into buying more, and slightly-too-tight pumpkin sweaters are sported by the community retirees. Old people put out scarecrows, everything smells like cinnamon and everyone starts to notice that the so-called “fun size” candy isn’t too fun... IT’S FALL YALL!

It seems like everyone is
getting in the fall spirit!

    The main role that fall plays in baked goods has to be the pumpkin, considering the start of fall is pretty much dependent on when Starbucks starts serving pumpkin spice lattes. You may be surprised to know that pumpkins can be used for so much more than carving:  you can eat the seeds, the “flesh” can be used in food, and they also tend to make decent paperweights.

    Most people buy canned pumpkin puree, but you can actually make pumpkin puree yourself, which can save you some money when the pumpkins are on sale. Be sure you get a “pie pumpkin” versus a “Jack-O-Lantern” pumpkin when you’re baking or cooking with pumpkin . Pie pumpkins are smaller than carving pumpkins and are available in most grocery stores during the fall season (look at the first picture).  

    To make the puree, just slice the pumpkin down the middle, scrape out the insides, and slice the sides into somewhat equally-sized wedges. Put them on a baking tray (one with ridges if you don’t feel like cleaning burnt pumpkin off your oven), add just enough water to cover the bottom,  and bake rind-side-up at 350F for about  1 hour, or until the “flesh” is fork-tender. Let the wedges cool until you are able to hold them and scrape the flesh from the rind. Next, put the scrapings into a food processer and pulse it until the mixture is lump-free and resembles a puree.

    Pureed pumpkin can be used in a number of things such as pie, custard, cake, bread and so much more. I once added pumpkin to a box of gingerbread mix,  threw in some ground cloves and cinnamon, baked it in a 13X9 pan like a cake and layered it in jars with vanilla bean cream cheese frosting and pumpkin caramel (homemade caramel with the puree mixed in while still warm). It was a big hit and perfect for a gift or parties! Pumpkin is also a great moistener for cakes and breads - play around with it in classic recipes like muffins, chocolate cake or even gingerbread!