Pumpkin Pancakes

 

• ▢ 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• ▢ 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• ▢ 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• ▢ 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
• ▢ 2 Large Eggs
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons Butter Melted
• ▢ 1 1/2 Cups Milk

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately. Mix them together but don’t over mix. Let it rest for 5 minutes before cooking.

I made a half recipe and it made 11 pancakes. They were tasty and it was a good way to use up a partial can of leftover pumpkin.

Everyone’s Favorite Fruitcake -KAF

 

1. 
   

   Ingredients

   Fruit

   • 1 1/2 cups (213g) dried pineapple, diced
   • 1 1/2 cups (255g) raisins, golden or regular
   • 1 cup (128g) dried apricots, diced
   • 1 1/2 cups (223g) dates, chopped
   • heaping 1 cup (170g) candied red cherries, plus additional for decoration, if desired
   • 1/3 cup (64g) crystallized ginger, diced, optional
   • 3/4 cup (170g) rum, brandy, apple juice, or cranberry juice

   Batter

   • 16 tablespoons (227g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, at least 65°F
   • 2 cups (425g) dark brown sugar, packed
   • 1 teaspoon table salt
   • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
   • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
   • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
   • 1 teaspoon baking powder
   • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
   • 3 cups (360g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
   • 2 tablespoons (11g) black cocoa, optional, for color
   • 1/4 cup (85g) boiled cider, golden syrup, or dark corn syrup
   • 1/2 cup (113g) apple juice, cranberry juice or water
   • 2 cups (227g) chopped, toasted nuts (almonds, pecans, or walnuts)

   Topping/glaze (optional)

   • rum, brandy, simple syrup, vanilla syrup, or ginger syrup
   • 
     

   To prepare the fruit: Combine the fruit with the liquid of your choice in a non-reactive bowl; cover and let rest overnight. Too impatient to wait until tomorrow? Microwave everything for 1 minute (or until it's very hot), cover, and let rest 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 300°F. This recipe makes enough batter for ONE (not all!) of the following: 3 dozen individual (muffin pan) cakes; 16 mini loaves (about 3 3/4" x 2 1/2"); 6 to 8 medium loaves (about 3" x 5"); or 2 standard 9" x 5" loaves. Choose your pans (or combinations), and lightly grease them. If you're making muffin-size cakes in a standard muffin pan, line the pan with muffin papers, and lightly grease the papers.

3. To make the batter: Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl (at least 6-quart), and beat together until well combined.

4. Beat in the salt, spices, and baking powder.

5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition.

6. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and cocoa.

7. Add the flour mixture and the syrup (or boiled cider) to the mixture in the bowl, beating gently to combine.

8. Stir in the juice or water, then the fruit (including any additional liquid that has collected in the bowl), and the nuts. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and stir until everything is well combined.

9. Spoon the batter into the pans, filling them about 3/4 full.

10. Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the oven, as follows: about 60 minutes for the individual cakes; 65 to 70 minutes for the small loaves; 75 minutes for the medium loaves, and 2 hours + 10 to 15 minutes for the 9" x 5" loaves. The cakes are done when a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

11. Remove the cakes from the oven. Fruitcake can remain in its pan for storage, if desired. Or carefully remove cake from the pan after about 5 minutes, loosening its edges first.

12. Brush the warm cake with rum, brandy, simple syrup, or flavored simple syrup (vanilla, rum-flavored, etc.). If you like just a hint of rum or brandy flavor, add 1 tablespoon of liquor to 3/4 cup vanilla syrup or simple syrup, and brush this mixture on the cakes. (This keeps them moist for weeks; you can skip this step, but they won't stay moist long-term.)

13. When the cakes are completely cool, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and store at room temperature for up to 6 to 8 weeks.

    NOTES:

    Set a calendar reminder to start this around October 25.

    This batch made enough for 4 of my little pans. Increased by 25% if everyone wants one.

    
    

Pumpkin Cardamom Crumb Muffins

 Yield:

12 muffins

• Softened butter (or cupcake liners), for the pan

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING

• ¾cup/96 grams all-purpose flour 
• ½cup/110 grams packed dark brown sugar 
• 1teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• Salt
• ½cup/113 grams unsalted butter, melted ( 1 stick)

FOR THE MUFFINS

• 1¼cups/251 grams granulated sugar
• ½cup/125 milliliters vegetable oil
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2large eggs
• 1(15-ounce/425-gram) can pumpkin purée
• 2cups/256 grams all-purpose flour 
• 3tablespoons pumpkin spice
• 1teaspoon baking soda
• 1teaspoon salt
• ½teaspoon ground cardamom
• NOTES: excellent flavor. The cardamom amounts are not too much.
• Follow the crumble directions carefully. Mine was more like paste that melted into the muffin cups. Tasty but not cute at all.

Baked Ziti

NOTES FIRST:

I’m sure this is a fine recipe as-is, but I want to start by saying I changed pretty much everything and am just posting because the lemon zest in the ricotta is a worthwhile step. That’s all.

Actually, I made a half batch with cheap jarred sauce, the wrong shaped pasta, plain ole’ mozzarella and no spinach. The recipe is forgiving enough that even that was quite good. But, future self, add the zest if you have it. 

Ingredients

• 4 cups (32 ounces) marinara sauce
• 2 cups (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt, more for the pasta water
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ziti pasta
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 pound fresh spinach
• 1½ cups grated smoked mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
• Chopped fresh parsley and/or torn basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread ½ cup marinara in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper.
• In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
• Return the pot back to the stove. Over low heat, drizzle the bottom of the pot with a little olive oil and add the spinach. Toss and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until just wilted, working in batches if necessary. Turn off the heat, remove the spinach from the pot, and gently squeeze out some of the excess water. Coarsely chop it and set aside.
• Add the pasta back to the pot along with the remaining marinara, most of the chopped spinach, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and more fresh pepper and toss until combined.
• Add half the pasta to the baking dish, top with dollops of the ricotta, the remaining spinach, and scoop the remaining pasta on top. Top with the mozzarella and pecorino cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the cheese is browned, 16 to 22 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve hot.