Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkins.  Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins.  Why is it that every year when October rolls around, everyone goes absolutely crazy for these big orange fruits?  You can't turn around without smacking into a pumpkin.  Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin candles, mini-pumpkins covering every available flat surface, but most of all pumpkin recipes.  Lots and lots of pumpkin recipes.

I'm afraid to say that I too have caught the pumpkin bug.  In my defense, I have a stack of homemade pumpkin puree sitting in the freezer just begging to be used.

These pumpkin muffins have just the right amount of spice, just strong enough pumpkin flavor, and a hint of orange that brings out the pumpkin flavor perfectly.  Also, chocolate chips.  The original recipe didn't have chocolate chips in it.  In case you haven't picked up on it yet, I have a bit of a chocolate chip problem.

Note: I halved the amount of spice so it wouldn't compete too strongly with the chocolate.  The original recipe also called for a candied pumpkin seed topping for the muffins, which I didn't make.

Pumpkin Muffins

adapted from Flour, by Joanne Chang

makes about 24 muffins 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons light or dark molasses

4 eggs

3/4 cup orange juice (about 3 oranges)

16 ounces (1 can) pumpkin puree 

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 heaping cup dark chocolate chips

1.  Heat the oven to 350 F.  Butter, spray, or line standard muffin pans.  Cream together butter, sugar, and molasses in a stand mixer on medium speed 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Scrape down sides of the bowl.

2.  On low speed, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.  Scrape down bowl again.  Still on low speed, add orange juice and pumpkin and beat until combined.  (Mixture will look curdled - don't worry about it.)

3.  In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.  Add wet mixture to dry mixture and fold carefully just til combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.

4.  Divide batter evenly between muffin cups.  Fill the cups almost to the rim.  Bake for 20-25 minutes (I start checking after 12 minutes), until muffins are golden brown and spring back when pressed in the middle.  Remove from muffin cups and let cool on a wire rack.

Sausage Chili and Cornmeal Biscuits

Hi all.  Just a heads-up:  This is the first of many soup recipes to come, so be prepared.  I'm going to be throwing everything I can get my hands on into a soup pot.

This sausage chili (originally by Emeril Lagasse, I think?) has been a big favorite in this house for a long time.  Using sausage instead of ground beef really adds a lot more flavor and makes all the difference.  This chili is hearty, spicy, and comforting. 

I served it up with cornmeal biscuits.  Usually I just go with the usual cornbread, but these biscuits were super easy and delicious. Original recipe here.

The onion and sausage brown in the bottom of the pan. . .

 And then you add the beer.  I might not be able to drink it, but I sure can cook with it!

  Biscuits ready to go in the oven.

And the finished product.  I'm sure leftover biscuits would be amazing the next morning toasted for a fried egg sandwich.

Sausage Chili

 feeds 5-6

Ingredients:

1 lb. sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 cups onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

28 ounces crushed tomato

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cans kidney or pink beans

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

salt & pepper to taste 

1. Brown sausage in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and oregano.  Saute until onions are soft, about 4 minutes.

2. Deglaze the pan with beer (make sure to scrape up all the tasty bits off the bottom!).  Cook 1 minute.  Add crushed tomato, tomato paste, sugar, and beans.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and let simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes.  Serve.

 Cornmeal Biscuits

from The view from Great Island

makes about 8 biscuits

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal

1 1/4 cup buttermilk*

1 tablespoon honey

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces

1.  Preheat oven to 450 F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2.  Whisk the cornmeal, buttermilk, and honey together and set aside.  Add dry ingredients to the bowl of a food processor along with butter pieces and pulse 10 times, or until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.  OR use a pastry cutter or two butter knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3.  Add the buttermilk mixture and combine just until dough stays together.  Turn out onto a well-floured surface and form into a 9-inch round.  Cut out as many biscuits as you can with a 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 inch biscuit cutter or glass. 

4.  Bake for five minutes, or just til they start to rise, then turn down the heat to 400 F.  Bake for another 8-10 minutes, until golden.

*You can easily make buttermilk by adding one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to milk, then letting it sit for 10 minutes.