Fresh Pumpkin Cupcakes

I love baking with fresh pumpkin.  Though I've only done it once, I prefer it to canned pumpkin.  The color is just gorgeous.  After buying souped-up Candy Apples at the NC State Fair, I decided to make cupcakes this weekend and decorate them in a variety of ways.  






Yesterday, I removed seeds and peeled the skin away from the pumpkin using a sharp knife

and then cut the flesh into large chunks.  I steamed the Pumpkin for about 10-15 minutes til tender and then once cooled, pressed the chucks through my ricer.  If you don't own a ricer, you can always mash.  This made enough for 24 Cupcakes, I froze 2 cups for a Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie, and still have enough to make cookies or pancakes.  A medium Pumpkin netted about 5 Cups for Pumpkin and cost $3 at a farmers stall.

Preheat oven to 375. 

In a mixing bowl, add 2 Sticks Butter (Room Temperature).  Add 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Pumpkin, 1 tsp Vanilla, and 1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar.  Mix until smooth.  

To a bowl add 2 3/4 Cups Flour (NOTE: this will vary depending on how wet the batter is and how humid it is), 1 Tbl Baking Powder, 3/4 tsp Salt and 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice.   Stir with a wire whip to combine.  Measure out 3/4 Cup Milk.  Add flour and milk to pumpkin mixture, alternating, flour and milk, beginning and ending with the flour.  

In a separate bowl, beat 3 Eggs until combined, add 1 1/2 Cups Sugar and mix on high until light ribbons and fold into batter.   

Ready muffin tins with foil liners.  Using a scoop, fill tin 2/3 full.  Place in hot oven and immediately reduce oven to 350.  Bake for 20-22 minutes.

Let cool before icing.

For Meringue Icing.  Set up double boiler using a bowl that will fit into a pot of simmering water.  To the bowl add, 3 Egg Whites, 1/2 Cup Cold Water, 1 tsp Cream of Tartar, and  1 TBL Sugar.  Place bowl into the pot and using a hand mixer, beat on high for about 15 minutes til whites "cook" by warming and hold their peak when you remove the beaters.  Once firm peaks are formed, remove bowl from the pot and place in an ice bath to chill.  Beat every few minutes until cool.  

Fill a pastry bag fitted with the desired tip and frost the cooled cupcakes.   Top as desired.  I used a variety of small candy as well as toffee peices and sprinkles.  

Sheet Pan Dinner (Chicken Thighs and Vegetables)

I came across a recipe I clipped from a late issue of Sunset Magazine.  Since our weather has been cooler, I was in the mood for a new dinner idea in order to use the oven and this was perfect.  I went to a spice store recently where bought Chinese 5-spice.  Bonus.  It's a nice aromatic and made the kitchen smell good.

Preheat oven to 425.  Drizzle Olive Oil on a sheet pan to give a light coating.  Rinse 8 Chicken Thighs and place on paper towels so they dry.  Peel 1 Medium Sweet Potato and cut in 1/4" slices.  Peel 2 Granny Smith Apples and section into 8 wedges each.  Peel 4-5 Small Carrots and cut lengthwise.   Peel 1 Large Red Onion and slice into 1/4" slices, keeping the rings intact.  Clean 1 Bulb of Fennel and slice into 1/4" slices.  (NOTE: 2 stores I visited were both out of fennel so it's not pictured).  Place all the vegetables on the sheet pan in a single row or shingled if it's tight, then wiggle the Chicken thighs into the gaps.





In a small bowl, microwave to melt 2 TBL Butter and add to it 2 tsp Honey, 1 1/2 tsp Chinese 5-Spice.  Coat the skin side of the thighs with the glaze.  Place in hot oven.  After 15 minutes, baste chicken with drippings.  Cook for another 15-20 minutes until the chicken is golden browned and crispy.







This recipe showed the vegetables carmelized.  There were quit a bit of drippings and carmelizing was not going to occur, so I made a quick decision, to place thighs on a plate and covered them lightly with foil to rest.  I moved all of the vegetables to a new sheet pan and continued cooking for 15 minutes total, flip them all once halfway through the cooking process.  Plate and serve hot.

This meal would be good either made in advance, while waiting for company to arrive, or even the day before.  It could be warmed for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 300.