Mixing Seasons....Is It Okay?

     Am I the only one that is bothered by the fact that Valentines Day decorations are starting to pop up in stores? We haven't even had Halloween, Thanksgiving OR Christmas!
I like to enjoy each holiday as long as I can, but I do have a confession about my newest recipe...I combined fall with a tad bit of Christmas in this amazing Pumpkin Gingerbread! I am in no way trying to put up my Christmas wreath or Santa Claus decor but I couldn't resist this recipe! Even my 22 year old brother asked for more!
I made this bread into mini loaves so I could share with more people. Reduced cooking time is listed on recipe.

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (200 g) all purpose flour*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin purée**
• 1/2 cup (1 stick, or 112 g) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) molasses (I ran out of molasses and switched to maple syrup!)
• 1 Tbsp finely minced candied or fresh ginger (optional)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray or butter to keep the pumpkin gingerbread from sticking to the pan. (or 4 mini loaf pans)

2 In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

3 In another bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together the pumpkin purée, melted butter, sugar, molasses, fresh or candied ginger, eggs, and water.

4 Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the raisins if using. Stir only until incorporated.

5 Place the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then gently run a knife around the edge of the loaf and invert the loaf to remove it from the pan. Let it cool on a rack for 30 minutes or longer.

**If doing mini loafs, bake for 30-40 minutes. Check at 30 and increase by 5 minutes as needed. 

It's Football Time in TENNESSEE!

 

 Football season is by far one of the best times of the year. Not only because it happens to fall during fall (no pun intended), but we all know that feeling you get inside when you wake up and it's UT game day. The crisp fall air, ice cold beer (or in our case this weekend, 8am Mimosas and Bloody Mary's), tables full of chips and dip, the band playing Rocky Top around campus, and getting to cheer on the football team with 102, 454 of your best friends. There is nothing better.
 
Well, for me, being in the event/wedding industry, unfortunately we do not get to indulge in these festivities every weekend along with the rest of the city. We must truly love our jobs! But this week, my venue has the weekend off so I get to tailgate with all my friends and enjoy the game from the Skybox with my mom! Needless to say, I AM EXCITED! Since the game is at 12:00 noon, my friends and I will be doing a big breakfast tailgate! I am contributing by making my famous JellO shots (ask anyone-they're famous!), homemade pumpkin muffins with cinnamon sugar topping, and a french toast bake! Even though the french toast bake isn't pumpkin, I have listed the recipe below because it is a fabulous brunch item!
Hope everyone gets to enjoy the tailgating festivities this weekend and.... GO VOLS!

Homemade Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

Topping:

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon)

Optional Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Oven preheat: 400

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl: flour, baking powder, salt, spices

Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl: Pumpkin, oil, sugar, milk

Stir wet ingredients into dry, stir until just combined. Spray regular muffin tin with non-stick spray. Using a large ice cream scoop the batter generously into the tins (should be about 2/3 full.)  Sprinkle tops of muffins with chopped pecans (if using.) Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes. (I only baked mine for 16!)

Remove to a cooling rack.

Dip the top of each warm muffin into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon sugar for a delicious topping.

French Toast Bake

Ingredients

•  FOR THE FRENCH TOAST:
• 1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
• 8 whole Eggs
• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Whipping (heavy) Cream
• 3/4 cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
•  FOR THE TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 pinch Nutmeg - Optional
• 1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
•  Fresh Fruit (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.

In a medium sized bowl mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nutmeg if desired. Add butter pieces and cut them into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.

When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 F. Remove casserole from the fridge and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. (If you're using fruit, sprinkle on before the crumb mixture.) Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

Next Blog Post... Fall with a hint of Christmas! Stay Tuned!