Autumn – Page 3 – Backdoor Hospitality

Sour Cream Apple Crumble Bars

I will continue to love Autumn more than any season, and I don’t think it will ever leave, to which I’m grateful. The vibrant colors alone rap my heartstrings (doesn’t take much). And nothing says Fall quite like the wafting aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & cloves. Puddle jumping never seemed so invigorating. Then, there’s the visit to the pumpkin patch or apple orchards, while bundled up in “sweater weather” with the crisp air and crunch of the leaves with each step. Oh Autumn, can you stay like this well into late November? Autumn seems to call out, “come inside, bundle up, sip some cider by the fire, and be.”

How they smile for the picture

With the busyness of summer feeling a bit nomadic, Autumn let’s us know that it’s okay to be sedentary, to regroup and develop a game plan (fitting that football is in the Fall) of where you’re going next. I’m reminded of traditions being rekindled or brand new ones beginning. I know our family has been like running one 800 meter to the next without a time to catch our breath, much less time to ‘know’ one another. This season reminds me of how I can make room for the new college student who has moved to town as well; but, it reminds me that if my family is on a constant chase without any reprieve, then it’s pointless.

I rarely make dessert specifically to be eaten after dinner, but sometimes having dessert planned with dinner when you’re not having guests over can be…well, special. And I think making a dessert for my family, unannounced communicates that I think they’re pretty darn special. These Sour Cream Apple Crumble Bars are perfect for that. Plus, they taste better the next day. So, you don’t have to be in the kitchen making dinner & dessert all for the same meal. They’re wonderful, and these little gems are sure to procure you praise for at least a couple of days (reason enough to make them). I would love to hear what you do to usher in Autumn!

A Year Ago: Rarely for the Planned

Sour Cream Apple Crumble Bars (printable recipe)

This recipe is adapted from The Good Cookie cookbook. It reminds me of an apple pie baked from Dutch Mothers in Lynden, WA, but without having to deal with the rolling & chilling that comes from making a pie crust. The key is to let it cool to get the best overall taste.

Crust:

1 1/3 cups unbleached flour
1/3 cup unrefined evaporated cane juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp cold water
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Apple Filling:

1 pound Jonamac apples; peeled, cored, & sliced into 1/2 inch slices
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tb apple juice or cider
2 tsp cornstarch
2 Tb brandy
4 Tb unsalted butter
1/2 cup rapadura sugar

Topping:

1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup unrefined sugar (evaporated cane juice)
1/3 cup rapadura sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Sour Cream Mixture:

1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Make the crust: In a food processor, add the flour, sugar, & salt, combine 30 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, pulse 6-8 times. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk, cold water & vanilla. Then, with the food processor running, add the liquid and combine for 15-20 seconds. Dump the dough into a 9-inch square pan and pat it down evenly with your hands. Bake in preheated oven of 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Make Apple Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the peeled/cored/sliced apples, lemon juice, cornstarch, brandy, & apple juice. Toss it around and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the sugar to cook. Stirring constantly until there are no more lumps. Add the apple mixture and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, or till the apples are soft on the outside but still slightly crunchy inside. Empty contents into a bowl and allow to cool completely.

Make the topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, cinnamon & salt. Add the melted butter and mix with a fork, stirring until the dry ingredients are all moistened. Set aside.

Make the Sour Cream Mixture: In a small bowl, whisk the egg until well blended. Add the sour cream, cinnamon & salt to the whisked egg and whisk till combined.

Assembling the bars: Take the sour cream mixture and combine it with the apple filling. Stir well and spread evenly on the baked crust. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sour cream apple mixture. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and set. Cool the bars completely before serving. You can dive right in if you’d like; however, they taste so much better when they’re completely cooled.

The Family Meal (Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup)

There is so much research showing how important it is to eat together for meals. I understand that eating every meal together is not completely feasible, so maybe it’s making a goal for one meal a day. Granted, I don’t have teenagers or any after school sports during this stage of life. However, I think I hold it so dear, because growing up we didn’t have regular “check-in” time during a meal (meaning every member of the family sat together). I love how Ben regularly asks the girls, “Girls, I forgot to ask (insert enthusiasm), what was your favorite part of the day?” Tayers will routinely announce, “OH..HUCK! (as in a character from Strawberry Shortcake).” But you know, it’s not about dinner being intricate or fanciful; rather, it’s simply about being present to feed both the body & soul.

I wish you could come into our home to share a meal with us, because contrary to mislead beliefs, we rarely have exquisite platings. Typically, it’s fairly humble and sometimes a flop (with a very humble husband still eating it). If there’s something I want to impart to you in the kitchen is take risks, expand upon what you know, but do it with little steps. And if there’s another thing I want to impart is take advantage of what the farmers are growing, because it most likely tastes REALLY good.

Tomatoes. They’re still abounding here in western WA and you don’t want to pass them up. My girls love tomatoes, as do I, and we all love a good tomato soup. Growing up I hated tomato soup, because you only found in a white & red can labeled Campbell’s (Could it get any worse?). So in my infinite 8 year old wisdom, I deduced that all tomato soup was evil (as were those sad little Circus Peanut Candies). Then, I grew up and tried a different tomato soup, come to realize I had it partially wrong. Not all tomato soups are created equal (I was right about the Campbell’s brand). This tomato soup is fairly straightforward & easy. You won’t see if featured on 30 minute meals, due to the roasting time alone, but well worth it. You can choose to serve it a la rustic (less smooth & without pressing it through a sieve) or a bit more refined (pressing it through a sieve), but it’s entirely up to you. Whatever you do, I hope you sit down, give thanks for even the simplest of meals, breathe in deep for this moment you’re given, and do with those people you love most:)

One Year Ago: Day One & Two of Culinary Intensive Course

Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup (printable recipe)

Please don’t be afraid of salt here. Salt is like the focus button on a camera, it is there to enhance the flavor. A tomato in season is going to be great; however, when you add a bit of salt to it…it’s WOW factor increases exponentially. Use however, much water you think you need to create the consistency, which suits your fancy.

3 lbs heirloom tomatoes
Handful of sungold tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
sprinkle of unrefined granulated sugar
sprinkle of kosher salt

2 tsp unrefined sugar, evaporated cane juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1-1 1/2 cups water
freshly grated parmesan cheese
crack of fresh ground pepper
light drizzle of olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut heirlooms into quarter slices, while leaving the sungolds as is and put on tray. Quarter the red bell pepper & place on sheet as well. Drizzle the olive oil over the nightshades (tomato & peppers fall in the nightshade family), then sprinkle with salt & sugar. Roast for an hour.

Transfer everything, even the oil, to a food processor. Process until smooth (45 seconds to 1 minute). Taking a fine meshed sieve or food mill, pour some of the pureed mixture through to strain the seeds & skin pulp. Take the strained soup mixture and add 1/3 cup at a time to create the right consistency for you. I used 1 cup of water. Then, added a little bit more sugar & salt to make the tomato flavor pop. Heat on the stove top. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan, cracked pepper, & light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Celeriac Risotto with Basil Pesto

Tomorrow morning I drop off my girls with my father-in-law, so I can head back up to Bellingham to bake many, many cupcakes for my sister-in-law’s wedding reception. Ben is at a conference down in Seattle until tomorrow, which makes for baking those many, many cupcakes a bit stressful with two little monkeys running around. Before I head off into butter, sugar, eggs & flour land, I find it my duty to introduce you to celeriac–that is if you’ve never met.

Celeriac has a bit of celery coming out, but that part you want to save for making stock. However, it’s the bulbous, root, where the inner beauty lies. You would be fooled by passing it by at the farm stand, market or grocery store. It’s just like it’s name implies, the taste of celery, but a bit more subtle. You can turn it into a puree, roast it or puree to make a soup. Here is a wonderful recipe to make use of it’s subtlety in a semi-elegant way, while really not trying as hard as people think you actually did.

A Year Ago: It’s Called Comfort

Celeriac Risotto with Basil Pesto (printable recipe)

Ingredients:

3-4 Tb olive oil
1 celeriac, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 tsp kosher salt
1 leek, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth, keep warm in a small pot on simmer
3/4-1 cup grated parmesan

Basil Pesto (hopefully you have some on hand that you made from summer’s bounty)

Directions:
In a heavy-duty bottom pot or large saucepan, put oil in pan and turn to medium heat. Add celeriac & leeks, stirring often, until celeriac is tender but not browned. Add rice to pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the wine and mix, allowing the alcohol to burn off a bit and soak into the rice (about 30 seconds).

Add 1 cup of chicken broth to the rice & mix well. Allow the liquid to bubble, turn heat to a simmer and continue adding warm broth in 1/2 cup increments, while stirring often to ensure your rice isn’t dry at the bottom of the pot and getting burnt. It should take about 20-25 minutes, or till the rice is creamy, but a little al dente is good. Add the grated parmesan and mix it in. Serve immediately and put a teaspoon of basil pesto on top.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake

I just love food magazines, but what I love even more is having an excuse to buy one. We went to Vegas for my sister-in-law’s wedding and if traveling with two children under the age of four isn’t excuse enough–I have no clue what is. We spent the night in Seattle to make it easierContinue reading “Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake”

On Roasting a Pumpkin

It should be said, that rarely does anyone photograph or capture the essence of mishaps for their blog. My friend said the other day, in reference to the comparison syndrome (you know, feeling like you just don’t seem to measure up), “that’s why I don’t read other mom’s blogs too often, because they only post the wonderful things they do with their kids and it makes you feel like you’re (and I paraphrase) a Loser!” It’s very true, whether it’s a mom blog, a crafty blog, a food blog, etc, you rarely see or read the disasters.

And to let it be known, I for one am definitely not above disaster. It’s a humbling experience all the same, but it’s what I do with the flop and try to get better. That’s what I love about roasting & pureeing my own pumpkin. It falls under the “from scratch” (even more if I had a yard to grow the squash/pumpkin) category and ultimately makes the recipe taste a little better. I wanted to encourage those of you who think buying canned pumpkin is the only option to step into this safe world of roasting your own.
First things first…pick a sugar pie pumpkin or other squash variety, which suits your culinary needs. I have for years baked sweet meat squash for my “pumpkin” baking needs and never had any complaints. My friend Kelli gave me two of her pumpkins from her yard 🙂 Preheat your oven to 450.

Honestly, the most difficult step is roasting your pumpkin would be cutting the pumpkin. You really should have a sharp chef’s knife for the job. You want to cut it down in the middle, with one hand on the handle and the other hand pressing down (gently but with a bit of pressure) on the blade. Squash can be a bit sticky, leaving a residue on your hands, which acts a suction device for you knife. So again, be careful in cutting.

Scoop out all of the seeds and stingage. Place in a bowl to roast the seeds for later. Be sure you DO NOT put the insides into your garbage disposal, as it will get caught and the plumber will have to come. I speak from experience.

Place your pumpkin cut side down on a parchment lined roasting pan or jelly roll pan. Pour in some water onto the pan to aid with steam in the oven, because you really don’t want to brown the cut edges. Put in the oven and bake for 60-90 minutes, depending on the size of your pumpkin. It will be done when you can pierce through the pumpkin with a knife.

Now how it goes from solid to puree is up for discussion, but this is how I do it. Scrape the pumpkin meat out and plop it in a food processor. Don’t overload your processor, but process in batches. Process till smooth and put into containers. From here you can use the canning method or freezing method. I freeze mine, because, well…that’s just what I do. I used to use freezer ziploc bags until I found these handy plastic containers at Cash & Carry. I use the 12 ounce ones and I believe they were $2.75 for 50 of them (lids sold separately).

Hope you take advantage of pureeing your own pumpkin and squash! It’s therapeutic.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Marshmallow Cream Filling

As I was perusing the internet I came across this quote:

Churches that have not nurtured a common life among members will find hospitality to strangers difficult. The table is central to the practice of hospitality in home and church. The nourishment we gain there is physical, spiritual, and social. Whether we gather around the table for the Lord’s Supper or for a church potluck dinner, we are strengthened as a community. Meals shared together in church provide opportunities to sustain relationships and build new ones. They establish a space that is personal without being private, an excellent setting in which to begin friendships with strangers.

I don’t remember where I got this or who wrote this, but I find the statement appealing. One it makes me wonder how my church family is doing in this area of life (and how I am doing within the church body). For me, it’s fairly easy to invite people into my home, or my life, to share a meal or drink coffee, in order to know one another. I have the ability to make friends wherever I find myself and (not boasting) if you were to ask Ben, he would tell you, “Kamille has an inquisitive nature to draw people out by asking questions and putting them at ease.” This type of hospitality and welcoming doesn’t scare me, but I know it scares other people (and that’s okay if it does).

However, what’s hard for me in my idealist/dreamer ways is seeing a need for hospitality & community meals in the larger church gathering; yet, it stays fairly idle. I get discouraged, because I read quotes like the one above and say, “YES, we need that to survive, to breathe, to truly know one another.” I get discouraged, because I see people on the fringes not knowing how to make their way in and I’m only one person (who just happens to have two little ones and by default it makes me less available). Does anyone else feel like this? Whether, it be the outsider trying to make your way in or the insider trying to find an opening?

But, in trying to live in the “glass half full” mindset, I see how amazing a meal can bring people together. It’s not HUGE; yet it is! I know I felt incredibly loved & cared for in my postpartum stage with my two girls through people bringing meals. For one, I was simply famished like any mother nursing a schizophrenic sleeper. And two, it’s something I didn’t have to think about. Blessing. We are community friends with four Japanese students who are studying at Western for about six months. We can alleviate some of the language barriers and anxiety by feeding our bellies, and ultimately our souls. Blessing. There’s a young adults gathering called ‘Soup & Story’ through our church body. People who don’t know one another are able to find friendship & be friendship through something simple as soup and bread. Blessing. And I got to make some wonderful pumpkin whoopie pie cookies last week for the new group of freshman at Western. A time when they’re possibly feeling insecure or fearful about being away from home, I can put my baking skills to good use. Blessing.

As I share this recipe with you, I hope you will see the many blessings in your life and ways to shower down blessings on someone else.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple-Marshmallow Cream Filling (printable version)

Adapted from this recipe by Two Fat Cats Bakery, Portland, Maine My changes were adding ground ginger and using rapadura sugar in place of the granulated sugar. I found this from Bon Appetite.

Ingredients

FILLING

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
2 teaspoons maple extract

CAKE

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3/4 cup rapadura sugar (you can use granulated)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
15 oz pumpkin puree or 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup milk (I used whole)
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

FILLING

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add marshmallow creme and maple extract; beat until blended and smooth. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

CAKE

Sift first 8 ingredients into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in another large bowl until blended. Gradually beat in oil. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Beat in pumpkin. Add dry ingredients in 2 additions alternately with milk in 1 addition, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Cover and chill batter 1 hour.
Arrange 1 rack in bottom third of oven and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment; spray lightly with nonstick spray. Spoon batter onto baking sheet to form cakes (about 3 level tablespoons each; about 12 per baking sheet), spacing apart. Let stand 10 minutes.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking. Cool cakes completely on baking sheets on rack. Using metal spatula, remove cakes from parchment.
Line cooled baking sheets with clean parchment; spray with nonstick spray, and repeat baking with remaining batter.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling on flat side of 1 cake. Top with another cake, flat side down. Repeat with remaining cakes and filling. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.

P.A.C. Crisp (pear, apple, cranberry)

Crisp ala mode, what could be better?

Yesterday we had an Autumn Family gathering with the other families from our playgroup we go to Thursday mornings. I made this delicious crisp, along with the help of my trusty 2.75 year old assistant. I have to say that this crisp is exceptionally tasty. No, let’s not kid ourselves…it’s a complete foreshadow of everything Autumn (which is a GOOD thing indeed).

I was looking for something rustic, simple, and a ‘knock your socks off type of good,’ to make for dessert. I actually had never made it before, but I knew my Ina Garten hadn’t let me down so far, and her Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook would for sure have a crisp recipe. I made a few adjustments from the original recipe, by using rapadura sugar, whole wheat pastry flour, using cranberries instead of dried, and adding cardamom (since there was orange in the recipe, cardamom screamed to be used). All of these made it taste great, especially the addition of cardamom.

The pears, apples, & cranberries sitting in sugary, spicy goodness.

Since my two year old helped make the crisp, she couldn’t stop talking about it the rest of the afternoon. The party was at 4:00 and she still needed to take a nap. She had a bit of a meltdown when I informed her that we weren’t going to the party quite yet, because she needed to take a nap. Her eyes quickly filled up with tears and some speaking in tongues began, to which effect something about not being able to eat the crisp was murmured. Poor girl, she even got a bit anxious as we were walking up to our friend’s door, where she looked around for the crisp then blurted with panic, “CRISP! CRISP?” And yes, she was the only kid at the dinner table eating her crisp after dinner, while all the others were playing downstairs (Then, was it bad to serve this for breakfast to her? I did put my foot down and say no to the ice cream she requested).

The crumb crust before entering the oven. Yes it’s a lot of topping, but keep piling it on.

And it must be said that I adore all of these ladies whom I get to share life with (almost) every week. We have been meeting weekly since just after V’s first birthday, which is almost two years now. I love how we have our similarities and differences, yet we still choose to be more than co-mothers, but friends. Each one of them brings a different gift to my life as a woman, wife & mom. There isn’t judgment on how we parent different or how we fail, but grace, because we understand (period). I also love how everyone is real & genuine. No one comes in with a, “Wow, I LOVE being a mother every second of the day (or everyday for that matter).” But there’s also not this, “Whoa, I hate being a mom and my kid is a….”

Instead, it’s a sincerity and a realness of “this mothering/parenting job is hard, and I don’t always like it, and I’m not going to be fake and make you think it’s the best job in the whole world 100% of the time. But I do value something higher, which means I will give up some of my rights, in order to provide my children with something greater. I not only value something higher, but love these stinkers so deep it hurts and am willing to go above & beyond for them.” That’s who these women are to me and I love them for it. So thanks Biz, Lindsey, Becky, Christine, Bethany, Megan & Talia–my Thursday mornings (although always running late & a bit disheveled) are my diamond in the rough as a stay at home mom and you ladies’ bring out a different spectrum of light in my diamond.

Last year’s Halloween party before many of the siblings were born.

P.A.C. Crisp (pear, apple, cranberry) (printable recipe)

Recipe is adapted from the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. **A little side note: If you’re not familiar with other sugars like rapadura, I would encourage you to start baking & cooking with them. I get mine from the bulk section at our local Co-op, which is cheaper than buying it pre-packaged in the health/natural section of your grocery store.** The recipe also called for Macoun apples, but I used what I had on hand and I’m not too particular when the recipe calls for say ‘Granny Smith.’ Instead, I use what I know could create a good end product and wouldn’t dissolve into mush (say Red Delicious). My apples came from a friend’s tree, so I have no idea what they are called.

Ingredients:

3 ripe Bosc pears

5 apples (I have no idea what kind I used)

3/4 cup frozen cranberries (that’s what I had on hand, but you could use fresh)

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Squeezed juice of one orange

Squeezed juice of one lemon

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice sugar (this is sugar which is less refined and has a golden color to it)

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Topping:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup rapadura sugar (however, I know most people don’t have this, so do 3/4 of the above sugars)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and core the pears & apples. Cut them into large chunks. Put the fruit into a large bowl, toss with cranberries, zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, & cardamom. Pour into a 9×13 baking dish.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely. You’ll notice that this is a lot of crisp topping, but keep packing it on and you won’t be disappointed.

Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm (with vanilla ice cream to live on the wild side).

Maybe sitting by the fire eating the crisp with this little cutie could be better.

Pumpkin Pecan Scones

Today at church service was the first day that I didn’t have either of my girls with me from start to finish. It was nice to be able to worship and take in those precious moments of simply being. Our church family is going through I Corinthians right now. Our teaching pastor, Jim, spoke about the crux in the Corinthians lives. He was relating it to his mountain climbing experience; with the crux being the challenge/obstacle in the climb to get over.

This central idea of the crux was woven throughout the message, and eventually got me asking, “What is the crux in my life’s journey? What is the crux in my journey via mothering…via marriage…via my growing up family?” Sometimes the crux is only there for a season in our lives and it strengthens us for future cruxes, which are five times larger. Other times the crux is something that keeps getting brought up. In those instances, maybe the crux keeps coming up because we truly haven’t dealt with it.

Just in the mountain climbing scenario, the crux is only truly conquered when we deal with it head on. We cannot ignore it, climb around, or sit beneath it; rather, we need to do the hard work and climb over it. I believe the best part about this is how Jesus is waiting for us to ask for his help. (He’s only going to help when I ask for it. He never forces himself on me) The same is true for friends & family helping us get over the crux; but, only when we ask for their help.

One of my cruxes is being too helpful when people are hurting, but they’re not willing to change. I take on more than I should bear and it slowly destroys me (something I am trying to climb over). It’s learning to set up boundaries, knowing when to say no, and stripping off the Savior complex (not an easy task). But I’m hopeful! And with that, these yummy scones are an easy way to be helpful to anyone you meet without taking on more than you should bear (except eating a few too many).

Pumpkin Pecan Scones (printable recipe)

I was looking to create a scone recipe based on a wonderful pumpkin cookie I made from here. Now if you’re one of those people who is impartial to Starbuck’s Pumpkin Scones than you need to make these. Because these ones will knock your socks off and the Starbucks version will be a distant memory, while you’ll be having a “define the relationship” with these pumpkin scones.

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup sugar (I use unrefined)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I seriously believe freshly grated makes a difference, but you could use the ground nutmeg from the store)

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup buttermilk (extra for brushing the tops of the scone prior to baking)

1 cup pumpkin puree (I used my own pumpkin puree, because that’s what I do, but I understand not everyone has this fetish, so buy canned pumpkin)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup toasted & chopped pecans (plus some additional for topping, totally optional)

turbinado sugar for sprinkling

frosting recipe below

Preheat oven to 350. Dump both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices into a food processor. Process for 30 seconds (this will sift it, aerate it and incorporate all the ingredients). Dump the butter on top and pulse (for 1-2 second intervals) about 8-10 times. Dump contents into a large bowl & set aside.

Combine buttermilk, egg, pumpkin puree, & vanilla in a small bowl or mixing cup. With the dry ingredients, make a hole in the middle and pour wet ingredients into the hole. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just till the wet & dry ingredients have been combined. You don’t want to over mix, because you’re aiming for a biscuit texture (which requires visible pieces of butter). Then, add the chopped pecans and combine with your hands (because that’s what they’re here for), once again being delicate with the dough. The dough should be a bit sticky, which is okay.

Separate the dough in half. Sprinkle flour on a flat surface and form one of the halves into a circle. I don’t use a rolling pin, but use my hands to shape the dough into a circle measuring about 1/2 inch high and 6-8 inches round (really you’re aiming more for the 1/2 inch height and the diameter is merely a gauge). Cut into 8 pieces. Repeat process with the other half.

Put a sheet of parchment paper on baking sheet. Place the scones on top. Brush with buttermilk & sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes. **Make frosting after your scones are baked, because the frosting has little window in terms of pliability/workability.** Top with frosting/icing & a pecan (or a some chopped pecans). Serve with some coffee.

Frosting

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

4 teaspoons milk (I used whole milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

Combine butter, brown sugar, milk, & vanilla in saucepan over medium heat. Cook long enough to melt butter and sugar dissolves. Take off heat. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine till smooth. Use immediately by spreading on top of scones.

Heirloom Tomato Soup

Well, the week of Kamille is officially over as of a week ago. And although I was richly blessed by my husband for allowing me to take a three day cooking class, spend a couple evenings away from home and be creative away from typical mommy duties, it still made me feel like I wanted (and possibly needed) more time away. Is that horrible to say? I think I needed time to take in everything I learned, in order to apply it. But for anyone with small children knows, finding time to debrief is near impossible because life is always going.

However, after a couple days, I was able to apply some of my newly learned skills. My top priority being cutting apart a whole chicken and then making a stock out of the leftover chicken parts. So far I have two whole chickens cut down under my belt and about 100 more to go. It was great to make such simple dishes for dinner (using the chicken I cut up) and have Ben rave over them. He said of last night’s dinner (of roasted chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese & basil under the skin & roasted squash), “Mama, you did a good job! This is is what you would eat at a fancy restaurant.” I replied, “Are you teasing me?” Ben, “No, I’m serious!” What a great way to win over my heart (if you want to hit my soft spot you simply have to praise my cooking & baking…it doesn’t take much)

And I guess that’s what I have enjoyed about baking & cooking. It’s not only a simple (but big) way to show my family & friends I care for them—it is a means to allow the stresses of family, church, life, mommyhood to be taken from me for a short window. To simply peel potatoes & carrots is not an arduous job, but a time to think and let the cares of this world fall off my shoulder. To cut apart a chicken is not a complicated task, but a time to achieve something simple in a world so complex & difficult to grapple. To beat butter & sugar together at the mixer is not simply formulaic & mindless work, but a chance to watch the world unfold as freshly baked sweetness comes out of the oven. All of this is done to know myself in the midst of chaos and to know how to extend my world of blessing to someone who needs it most.

At my cooking class I made an Heirloom Tomato Soup. It was one of my favorite dishes, because it was a melding of complex and simple, much like life. It took only a handful of ingredients, but turned my mouth upside down as the flavors danced around.

Kamille’s Heirloom Tomato Soup (printable recipe)

Make a roux, which is a ratio of 55 flour to 45 fat (butter for this soup). Mix the ingredients together in a pan over medium high heat, constantly stirring until the roux forms a ball or it begins to smell like popcorn & hazelnuts. You can cook it as long as you like, but I cooked mine till it formed a tan color.

Ingredients:

Roux (transfer your roux from pan to a bowl to stop the cooking)

1 lb Heirloom tomatoes

1 garlic clove, minced

1 shallot, minced

about 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock (if you want to make it vegetarian than use vegetable stock)

Salt to taste

Freshly cracked pepper & olive oil drizzled on top

1. Score the bottoms of your tomatoes with an X mark.

2. Blanch your tomatoes for 30 seconds in scalding water, then submerge in an ice bath to stop the cooking.

3. Peel the skin off (as much as you can) and dice up your tomatoes.

4. Add about a tablespoon or more of olive oil to your pan and saute your garlic & shallot until fragrant, but not browned. Add your tomatoes and chicken stock to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat to produce a boil, then lower heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

5. Take pan off heat and use an immersion blender to process tomato mixture (if you don’t have an immersion blender then use a regular blender, but blend in a couple batches). Take your roux and add about a tablespoon to your pureed tomato soup. Mix and taste. Add salt. Mix and taste. Pour into bowl and top with freshly cracked pepper and olive oil.

**Most important item in all of this is to taste during every process. Taste your pre-cooked and cooked roux. Taste the tomatoes, shallot, garlic & chicken stock mixture. Taste so you know how much salt you need to add. Also, don’t be afraid of the salt, it is an essential ingredient that makes food “pop,” especially tomatoes. Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy.