Monthly Archives: October 2011

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Baking, Bread, Quickbread and tagged with

Before I moved to Bozeman, I never really understood why people liked fall. September through November are typically the wettest months of the year in Juneau, even by Juneau’s standards. Constant drizzle, drippy leaves, and annual flooding are really the only things Juneauites have to look forward to, other than possibly freezing nights resulting in ridiculously icy roads.

However, going to college in Bozeman introduced me to the crisp air, crunchy leaves, and brilliant colors of the ideal fall day. I now understand the appeal of the season and all the baking flavors that come with it. The smell of something baking is just as much a part of fall, and if it fits the weather then so much the better.

So just in case you aren’t tired of pumpkin yet (as if that’s even possible), this bread is amazing. Moist, pumpkiny, the perfect amount of spices. I’ve baked it twice this month already and I’m sure a third is not far off. It’s so good I have a hard time not eating all three loaves in one day.

If you are baking at or around sea level ignore the red text as there’s no need to make any changes. But if you’re baking at 4500 feet (like I am), follow the red modifications I’ve made in the recipe.

Otherwise, this happens.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

 Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
2 scant tsp. baking soda
1 scant tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

4 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F for 50-60 (375°F) and grease three  8”x4”x2” loaf pans.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center.
  3. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, oil and water; mix well.
  4. Stir into dry ingredients (I find a rubber scraper is easiest) just until moistened.
  5. Divide evenly into greased loaf pans.
  6. Bake for 50-60 (40-45) minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: I find it easiest to use the disposable loaf pans (don’t have to worry about getting them back from people) and place all three on a baking sheet. You know your oven best, but I’ve never had to rotate them during baking.

Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Baking, Cupcakes, Dessert, Sauces and Frostings and tagged with

Although they are not my greatest strength, I really enjoy making cupcakes. Or more accurately, I enjoy frosting cupcakes. Also sprinkles – they’re just so fun!

You may recognize this recipe from my blog header. These cupcakes are really easy, delicious, and one of the few recipes I didn’t have to modify for baking at 4500 feet. The addition of ginger is a nice distinction to a normal pumpkin cupcake, and the cinnamon frosting blends perfectly.

Just look how perfectly they rise.

I got this recipe from my friend Amanda, and it’s already become one of my favorites. I’m sure I’ll be making these every year. I decided to use the spider-web design from the recipe for half, and the fall leaf sprinkles I had for the other half. Unless you are an incredibly generous with frosting, you can probably cut the frosting recipe in half.

Spider-web Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes

From the kitchen of Amanda
Makes 12-18 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup (about 1 1/4 ounces) crystallized ginger cut into 1/8- to 1/4-inch pieces (unless you really like chunks of candied ginger, make sure these pieces are small)

Directions

  1. Position rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line muffin tin cups with paper liner.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low-medium speed, beat the melted butter, sugar and pumpkin until smoothly blended.
  3. Mix in the eggs and crystallized ginger. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated. The batter will be thick.
  4. Fill each paper liner with a generous 1/4 cup of batter, to about 1/2 inch below the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for at least 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, then remove and cool completely.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 to 2 teaspoons whole milk

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla on low speed until smooth and thoroughly blended. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.
  2. Add the powdered sugar and continue to mix until smooth, then beat on medium speed for 1 minute to lighten the frosting.
  3. Transfer about 1/4 cup of the frosting to a small bowl, and stir in enough cinnamon to make the frosting a light brown color and enough milk to make a thick but pourable frosting. Set aside to use for the spider-web decoration.
  4. Use a knife or a small spatula to spread the remaining frosting on top of each cupcake in a smooth even layer. Cleaning the utensil often against the side of the bowl (or with a paper towel) will help you spread the frosting smoothly.
  5. Spoon the reserved cinnamon frosting into a small self-sealing freezer bag. Press out the excess air and seal the bag. Cut a tiny hole in one corner of the bag, about 1/8 inch in diameter.
  6. To form the web pattern, hold tip about 1/2 inch above a cupcake and slowly pipe two circles, one inside the other, on the frosting. Pipe a dot of the frosting in the center. Drag a toothpick gently from the center of the cupcake to its edge, and repeat at each 90° interval.
  7. In between the previous lines, draw the toothpick from the edge of the cupcake towards the center. You should have 8 lines alternating in directions to form a spider-web. It may be necessary to add a new dot in the center.

    Try not to eat them all at once. =)

Best Belgian Waffles Ever

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Breakfast, Sauces and Frostings and tagged with ,

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I don’t subscribe to the idea that it can only be eaten in the morning. I often make pancakes or stuffed French toast for dinner because who has the motivation for that kind of thing in the morning?

My favorite breakfast is Belgian waffles. But not just any Belgian waffles. I’ve become a bit of a waffle snob and most just don’t make the cut. Restaurant waffles are generally too heavy and many people make “homemade” waffles from a mix. I almost never make anything from a mix because it kind of feels like cheating. Except with pudding, because you just can’t beat 5 minutes from box to spoon.

The fancy glass makes it classy.

These waffles are light, fluffy, and overall delicious. My favorite way to top them is with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream, although chocolate chips and peanut butter is a close second.

It’s a fairly large recipe, so if you’re just cooking for one or two, you’ll want to cut in half. The batter keeps for a few days in the fridge (just give it a good stir) and will be just as delicious, but they won’t be quite so fluffy after day one. I frequently make a batch and eat one for breakfast (and lunch and dinner…) for the next several days.

Below is my family’s recipe for the best Belgian waffles ever (as named by my mom), as well as one for homemade whipped cream.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Best Belgium Waffles Ever

Ingredients

5 large eggs, separated
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup oil
2 Tbsp baking powder
4 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

  1. Prepare and preheat your waffle iron according to its instructions.
  2. Separate egg white into a large bowl (the one for your stand mixer, if you have one) and the egg yolks into another large bowl. Beat egg whites on high speed until light and fluffy.
  3. Add oil and milk to egg yolk and beat lightly. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and stir gently into wet ingredients until well blended. Let rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Gently fold in egg whites until mostly blended. Some fluffs of egg white should remain.
  5. Add 3/4 cup batter to waffle maker and cook to desired doneness. Garnish with toppings of choice and enjoy!

Vanilla Whipped Cream

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup sugar (I generally used powdered but granulated works fine)

 Directions

  1. Whip cream on high speed to very slightly less than desired consistency.
  2. Add vanilla and sugar and beat until combined.

Notes: If you want to pipe your whipped cream, whip it slightly longer. Spoon it into a frosting bag with your tip of choice (I like a large star) and twist it shut with a plastic bread clip. I find it easiest to set it in a pint glass to store in the fridge.

Classic Pumpkin Pie

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Baking, Dessert, Pie and tagged with

Every year I impatiently wait for October 1st, the first day of the year I have semi-arbitrarily deemed acceptable to bake with pumpkin.

Of course most years I end up baking a pumpkin pie sometime during the summer just because it sounds good, but I digress.

Pumpkin is a key fall flavor, and since I don’t personally like apple pie (gasp), it’s my favorite pie of the season. If I exercise a considerable amount of self-restraint, one pie lasts me about a week. Although I’ve tried variations of pumpkin pie involving cream cheese, two layers, or no-bake methods, the classic remains my favorite.

I know some people find pies intimidating, or more accurately pie crust, so I have included the recipe I always use. It makes enough for a double crust so cut it in half for one single-crust pie. This crust is incredibly easy and consistently results in a lovely golden color, no tin foil necessary.

What’s your favorite fall pie?

Perfect Pie Crust for Double-Crust Pie

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup + 1 Tbsp shortening
6-7 Tbsp ice water

Measure shortening into a small bowl and place in freezer for 15-20 minutes. Pour water and a few ice cubes into a liquid measuring cup and set aside.

Directions

  1. Mix flour and salt in a larger bowl. Using a pastry blender (or a fork), cut in the chilled shortening until the pieces are pea-sized.
  2. One tablespoon at a time, pour water into mixture and gently mix with your pastry blender (or fork). Repeat until all is moistened and the dough will stick together as one ball. Divide dough in half and gently roll each half into a ball.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, gently flatten one ball of dough into a disc. Gently roll into a circle large enough for your pie plate. Transfer dough to pie plate, and trim to a half inch larger than the rim. Fold pastry under itself and crimp, if desired.

Classic Pumpkin Pie

Adapted from LIBBY’S®

Ingredients

1 pie crust for single-crust pie
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin pure (I prefer LIBBY’s®)
1 can (12 fl. oz) evaporated milk

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Mix sugar, salt and spices in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.
  3. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture.
  4. Gradually stir in evaporated milk and mix until filling is one consistent color.
  5. Pour into prepared pie crust.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F, then reduce oven to 350°F and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours, then serve or refrigerate.

Cinnamon Sugar Scones

Posted by Lindsey @ Baking Bytes in Baking, Breakfast, Pastries, Quickbread and tagged with

For my first post, I decided to use a recipe I make all the time, a very delicious diet staple. This is somewhat odd because growing up, I never liked scones. They were always hard and dry and far too crumbly to be able to eat properly.

Then I went on exchange to Scotland and was opened to the wonderful world of properly prepared scones. Light, moist, delicious scones.

Also castles. Castles are awesome.

Although I probably sampled two dozen flavors, I usually liked the simple flavors best. So when I was perusing the fabulous blog of Baked Perfection and found these cinnamon sugar scones, I knew they’d be perfect. I almost never make a recipe immediately after reading it because I’m usually missing at least one ingredient, but with these I had them all on hand already. These scones contain only common ingredients (unless for some reason you don’t always have heavy cream on hand…), and are incredibly easy, fast, and delicious.

Assuming you have everything, you can be eating these, in all their cinnamon sugar glory, in a mere half hour. The original recipe includes a drizzled glaze, which I use when I want a sweeter treat, but they are also excellent plain, or spread with melted butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

Below is the recipe with basically no modifications because I think it’s perfect as is. Enjoy!

Miniature Cinnamon Sugar Scones

Recipe adapted from Baked Perfection 

Ingredients

2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/4 cups whipping cream (heavy cream)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mats.
  2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until completely combined.
  3. Pour in whipping cream. Mix or knead by hand, just until combined. Mix will be sticky.
  4. Flour surface. With floured hands, divide dough into two sections and pat into two rounds, each approximately four inches.
  5. Cut each round into 8ths and place on prepared baking sheet sheet.
  6. Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool at least five minutes, then glaze, butter, or enjoy plain.