Tag Archives: pumpkin

January 31, 2014 · 6:00 PM

Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Flans

Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Flans

This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe was a dessert called Paris-Brest.  This is not Paris-Brest.

I decided to do a make-up recipe this week instead of the scheduled dessert.  It just wasn’t a good week for a big dessert, so I will wait to make it when I have more people to help me eat it.

I made Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Flans.  I chose this recipe mostly because I had a stray can of pumpkin in the pantry I wanted to use up.  Also, this recipe didn’t really appeal to me, so I wanted to get it over with.

Pumpkin Gorgonzola Flans

Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Flans are a savory custard meant to be served as a starter.  They are really quite easy to make.  Canned pumpkin is mixed with eggs and heavy cream, and seasoned with salt and pepper.  After pouring this mixture into ramekins, it is topped with crumbled Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts.  Bake until cooked through and eat slightly warm or at room temperature.

This recipe surprised us!  I liked it better than I thought I would.  The Gorgonzola is a very important flavor in this dish; it really added to the overall taste.  My husband surprised me by liking this one a lot!  He said it was one of the better French Fridays dishes.

It was fun to get caught up on one of the first recipes the FFWD group made!  At this point I only have 8 recipes to get caught up on.  Definitely a doable number!

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October 17, 2013 · 8:00 AM

Pumpkin-Apple Muffins

Pumpkin-Apple Muffin

This is one of the first recipes I shared here on From Scratch.  Since we’re in full-on pumpkin season I thought I would share it again for those who may have missed it!  Original post follows.

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I fell in love with pumpkin muffins in the late ’90s when I worked in the Factoria area of Bellevue.  The Great Harvest Bread in Loehmann’s Plaza made these wonderful Pumpkin Hazelnut muffins that I used to buy when they were still warm.  So delicious, and addictive!

This Pumpkin-Apple Muffin recipe has been my go-to pumpkin muffin recipe for a long time now.  I try to make it once every fall.  I got the recipe from the Seattle Times years ago (at least 11 , since I haven’t lived in Seattle for 10 years now and I remember making these while I lived there).  A note on the recipe says it was originally from “Colonial Homes Magazine”, which apparently is no longer published.  Look!  The recipe is still available on the Seattle Times web site:  Pumpkin-Apple Muffins.

I decided to try substituting white whole wheat flour for part of the all-purpose flour.  The results were delicious, and the whole wheat adds a bit of extra nutrition.

Pumpkin-Apple Muffins

Click here to print.

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour (substitute 1 cup traditional or white whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the all-purpose, if desired)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
  • 2 cups chopped apples (Granny Smith are a good choice)
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease muffin pan(s) or line with paper cups.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil until blended.  Whisk in the pumpkin until smooth.  Stir in the apples and walnuts.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.  Spoon into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup about ¾ full.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Turn out onto a wire rack and cool a bit before serving.

Makes 24 muffins.

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October 28, 2011 · 7:32 AM

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good

Hello, pumpkin!

This week I feel compelled to share with you the story of how I came to participate in French Fridays with Dorie.

I was first introduced to Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table and FFWD by Pam at Sidewalk Shoes.    She gave the book a glowing review and included a link to the FFWD site.

Look at all that good stuff.

A couple of weeks later, I heard Dorie on All Things Considered on NPR.  She was at home with Michele Norris and they made “Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good” together.  They made it sound so good!  How exciting would it be to cook with Dorie in your own kitchen!?  You can read about it and listen to the story here.

After that I checked out the reviews on Amazon, and immediately added the book to my WishList.  It would be one of the items I was most hoping to receive for Christmas.

Ready to go in the oven...

Around this time I was gearing up to start my own blog.  I thought that participating in French Fridays would be a fun way to give some structure and inspiration to my new blog, hopefully attract some readers, and also have some fun cooking and eating.

I couldn’t wait for Christmas so I could get started!  I thought that “Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good” would be one of the first recipes I tried.  Of course, I never did make that recipe.  Until now.  “Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good” is this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe!

Wow that looks good!

This pumpkin really is stuffed with everything good:  bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, herbs, and cream.  It bakes for about 2 hours, until the pumpkin is super tender and the stuffing is hot and bubbly.  I took the top of the pumpkin off for the last 20 minutes of cooking as Dorie suggested, and the stuffing got nicely browned on top.

My husband loves any kind of squash, so he really enjoyed this dish.  I feel kind of “meh” about squash, so while I didn’t mind the pumpkin part I didn’t love it either.  But the “everything good” stuffing makes up for it: it is divine!

Mmmmmm...

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December 1, 2010 · 1:57 PM

Pumpkin-Apple Muffins

Pumpkin-Apple Muffin

I fell in love with pumpkin muffins in the late ’90s when I worked in the Factoria area of Bellevue.  The Great Harvest Bread in Loehmann’s Plaza made these wonderful Pumpkin Hazelnut muffins that I used to buy when they were still warm.  So delicious, and addictive!

This Pumpkin-Apple Muffin recipe has been my go-to pumpkin muffin recipe for a long time now.  I try to make it once every fall.  I got the recipe from the Seattle Times years ago (at least 11 , since I haven’t lived in Seattle for 10 years now and I remember making these while I lived there).  A note on the recipe says it was originally from “Colonial Homes Magazine”, which apparently is no longer published.  Look!  The recipe is still available on the Seattle Times web site:  Pumpkin-Apple Muffins.

I decided to try substituting white whole wheat flour for part of the all-purpose flour.  The results were delicious, and the whole wheat adds a bit of extra nutrition.

Pumpkin-Apple Muffins

Click here to print.

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour (substitute 1 cup traditional or white whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the all-purpose, if desired)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
  • 2 cups chopped apples (Granny Smith are a good choice)
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease muffin pan(s) or line with paper cups.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil until blended.  Whisk in the pumpkin until smooth.  Stir in the apples and walnuts.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.  Spoon into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup about ¾ full.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Turn out onto a wire rack and cool a bit before serving.

Makes 24 muffins.

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