Always listen to Linus
- Liz Marin
- Sep 21, 2024
- 9 min read
Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin is an all-time favorite. Linus, Charlie's friend, believes
in this mythical figure called "the Great Pumpkin" which rises from the pumpkin patch on Halloween Night and delivers presents to good children. Sort of the Halloween variation of Santa Claus. Linus waits all night for the Great Pumpkin to appear but of course it doesn't. He leaves disappointed but optimistic it will be there next year.
Hope, optimism and belief are part of human nature. We all have it, and we all turn to it when we need to. In this crazy world we live in, I find myself clinging to optimism, that next year, some variation of "the Great Pumpkin" will appear, and everything will be good. Maybe optimistic, but one can always hope.
But while I'm "hoping" and staying "optimistic", there is something that does comes from the pumpkin patch and those are those PUMPKINS!!! And what better time than the beginning of Fall, which officially starts today, to start some baking!
I'm saving my special pumpkin pie recipe for Thanksgiving but there are lots of other pumpkin recipes to do now and I'm starting off with breakfast!
These are the best pumpkin pancakes I have ever made. There is just enough of a pumpkin taste and the cinnamon and pumpkin pies spices to give this that "Fall" flavor. They are super light and fluffy. Pumpkin and chocolate are delicious together as I found out when I came up with my Garnache Pumpkin Pie, but it is equally delicious in these pancakes. It's not mandatory but a little chocolate in the morning is always a sweet way to start the day!
This recipe is from Sally's Baking and it's a site I often go to for ideas and recipes. This one is a winner, and I think you will agree with me once you try it!
The Best Pumpkin Pancakes (courtesy of Sally's Baking Addiction)
Utensils
Blender (nice to have but not necessary)
Electric griddle or flat griddle (nice to have but not mandatory)
Mixing bowl with a pour spout (nice to have but not mandatory)
Ingredients
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 and 1/4 cups (285g) pumpkin puree, canned or fresh) (If using canned make sure it's pure pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling)
1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons (45ml) canola or vegetable oil
1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) whole milk
optional: 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
for cooking: butter or nonstick spray
Instructions
In a large bowl, preferably with a pour spout, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. Set aside.
For this step, I like to use a blender. I use my Ninja Blender. A blender guarantees an incredibly smooth batter and also breaks down the heavy pumpkin in the process. This is especially necessary if you are using fresh pumpkin puree. Add the pumpkin, brown sugar, egg, oil, and whole milk to a blender and blend on high for 45 seconds until combined. Alternatively, you may whisk by hand or use a hand mixer or standard mixer.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk gently to combine. Make sure there are no patches of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. The batter is very thick, and a few lumps are fine. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
Heat a griddle or large flat skillet over medium heat. (If using an electric griddle, preheat it to 375°F (190°C).) Coat generously with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Once it’s hot, drop/pour a heaping 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look set, and you notice holes in the pancake’s surface around the border, about 2–3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until cooked through, about 1–2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet with butter or nonstick spray again, if needed, for each batch of pancakes.
Keep pancakes warm in a preheated 200°F (93°C) oven until all pancakes are cooked. Serve pancakes immediately with toppings of choice like butter and pure maple syrup.
Sally also has this maple pecan topping which is just delicious. And it takes just minutes to make. Toast some pecans in a non-stick fry pan on the stove for a few minutes. You'll get a "nutty" aroma when they are fully toasted. Then add maple syrup to the pecans and let it warm through before spooning the mixture on top of the plated pumpkin pancakes.
Staying with breakfast or afternoon tea, here is a recipe for a delicious pumpkin bread. This recipe is from Deb Perlman of the Smitten Kitchen. I have every one of her cookbooks and have never had a failed recipe. This is a GIANT pumpkin bread and it's important you use the right size loaf pan for it. You'll need a pan that hold 6 cups because this is a towering pumpkin bread! It will be crusty on the outside and moist on the inside. I've even toasted a slice of this in my air fryer toaster oven and had it with a pat of butter and a cup of coffee for a breakfast treat. I think you will agree with me this is the best pumpkin bread you have ever had!
Deb Perlman's Giant Pumpkin Bread
You will need
Ingredients
1 15-ounce can (1 3/4 cups) pumpkin puree
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable or another neutral cooking oil or melted butter (115 grams)
3 large eggs
1 2/3 (330 grams) cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heaped 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
Heaped 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Two pinches of ground cloves
2 1/4 cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour
To Finish
1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan or coat it with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs and sugar until smooth. Sprinkle baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves over batter and whisk until well-combined. Add flour and stir with a spoon, just until mixed. Scrape into prepared pan and smooth the top. In a small dish, or empty measuring cup, stir sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle over top of batter.
Bake bread for 65 to 75 minutes until a tester poked into all parts of cake (both the top and center will want to hide pockets of uncooked batter) come out batter-free, turning the cake once during the baking time for even coloring.
You can cool it in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove it or cool it completely in there. The latter provides the advantage of letting more of the loose cinnamon sugar on top adhere before being knocked off.
Cake keeps well at room temperature. Deb keeps hers in a tin with a piece of foil or plastic just over the cut end and the top exposed to best keep the lid crisp as long as possible. I've left it out on a cutting board with a piece of foil over the cut edge. Truth be told, once you start eating it, it won't be around very long:)
I think it's safe to say everyone loves cookies. Just ask the cookie monster! So, what could be better than pumpkin cookies? These are so easy to make and are so good. I've made these several times, and they are always a hit! This recipe is from Delish, and they are just that, delicious!
Pumpkin Cookies (courtesy of Delish)
Utensils
Ingredients
1/2 c. (120 g.) pumpkin puree (pure pumpkin)
1 1/2 c. (180 g.) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. (160 g.) packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. (100 g.) granulated sugar, divided
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1. Spread pumpkin onto a plate in an even layer. Press with paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Repeat 3 times with clean paper towels.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and 1 tsp. cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 c. granulated sugar until creamy. Add egg yolks and beat until combined. Add pumpkin and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add dry ingredients and beat on medium-low speed until just combined. Don't overmix as that can make the cookies tough. Just combine until there are no visible streaks of flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure there are no pockets of wet or dry ingredients.
4. Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 Tbsp.), scoop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 2" apart. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix remaining 1/4 c. sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Roll dough in sugar mixture and return to baking sheet.
6. Bake cookies until edges are just set and centers are still soft, 12 to 14 minutes. These will flatten and wrinkle slightly. Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Recipe Tips
Press the puree dry. Drying the pumpkin might feel like a tedious step but will make such a big difference in the cookies. Pumpkin has a lot of moisture in it and that is what causes a lot of baked goods to feel cakey. Great in a cake, not so much in a cookie. Pressing it with a few paper towels is quite easy and the least messy way of doing it. Having tried other methods, this is the easiest and best.
Save the egg whites. Since only egg yolks are used for the recipe, I don’t want to waste perfectly good egg whites, and since there are only two, the best way to use them is to add into scrambled eggs or an omelet. I myself like egg white omelets so it's easy to add into that.
Chilling the dough before rolling them in the cinnamon-sugar makes it a little less messy. You only need to chill about 30 minutes before you roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Most of us have been to the Cheesecake Factory. It is always a dilemma as to what to order. I have tried so many of their varieties, but I have to say that their pumpkin cheesecake is outstanding. Of course, if you asked for the recipe, you would never get it, but the Food Network had a very good idea. They bought the cheesecake, reversed engineered it and came up with this copy. I think it's very close, if not identical. Try it and see what you think!
Almost Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake (courtesy of the Food Network)
Utensils
Dallas Caramel Sauce (optional)
Ingredients
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 3/4 cups sugar
Salt
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
6 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups sweetened whipped cream
1/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
Brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter with the crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack, then wrap the outside of the springform pan with foil and place in a roasting pan. (make sure you wrap tight so no water from the water bath seeps in)
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt and the spices and beat until just combined. Pour into the cooled crust.
Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out) and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake until the outside of the cheesecake sets but the center is still loose, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door briefly to let out some heat. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from the roasting pan and cool on a rack. Run a knife around the edges, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
Bring the cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Unlock and remove the springform ring. To finish, place a dollop of the whipped cream on each slice and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.
You can also take this up a notch by serving it with a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Either way, delicious!
So, there you have it. There are so many more recipes for pumpkin, and I'll do another post in the next couple of weeks. But for now, I'm cutting myself a slice of Deb Perlman's outrageous pumpkin bread, fixing a cup of Good Earth Sweet and Spicy Tea and calling it a day!
Until next time🎃
Liz ❤️
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