pumpkin cranberry mini bundt cake with nutmeg spiked cream cheese glaze

It's finally here.  Thanksgiving week.  And I am so. very. thankful.

We have had two days of cleaning the house, doing laundry, cooking, decorating for Christmas, watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel and packing for Indiana.  It is has been a perfect weekend.  This afternoon we will pull into home, and it will feel so good.

I'm not sure what I'm looking forward to more... playing games, laughing with the kids, reading magazines I've saved for the trip, cooking, eating... I love every bit of it.  Every last bit.  And I'm promising myself I will savor it all.  I'm very hopeful the time will go slowly and somehow expand into long, lazy days and cozy, comfy nights.

This week is as special as they come.  It's Daniel's and Popie's birthday week, and it falls on Thanksgiving day this year.  Popies' been gone over a year now, but there are still moments that catch my breath.  I see him in a picture, or come across a memento, and it's almost as if he never left.  I still wish I could have him one more day.  I wish I could see him and Daniel blow out their combined birthday candles one more time.  Oh, how I'd given anything to look up on the deck and see him sitting next to Ma, having the time of his life, watching us all play our annual Thanksgiving/birthday football game in mom's and dad's backyard.  I know he's as happy and joyous as he can be, but I'm selfish.  And I wish I could have him back once more to "hug his neck."  That's how he'd say it.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, because there is nothing better to me than sitting around a big 'ol table of wonderful food with the dearest ones in life. Family.

Thank you, God, for loving me first so that I could know how to love others.  You have given such grace and mercy, hope and joy, to my life.  For all that You've done I will thank You, for all that You're going to do.  For all that You've promised and all that You are, is all that has carried me through.  I thank You.  In Jesus, Amen.

Pumpkin Cranberry Mini Bundt Cake 

with Nutmeg Spiked Cream Cheese Glaze

makes eight mini bundt cakes or two 9x5 loaves

printable recipe

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

For the glaze

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3-4 tbsp milk
• freshly grated nutmeg

1. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon three times; set aside.

2. Combine oil and sugar in a second bowl and mix well; blend flour mixture into oil mixture.

3. Add eggs and pumpkin; mix well.  Stir in cranberries.

4. Spoon into mini bundt cake molds or 2 9x5 greased and floured loaf pans.  If cooking mini cakes, cook at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  If loaves, cook at 350 for one hour.

5. Meanwhile, make glaze by beating cream cheese until very fluffy.  Add sugar and vanilla and mix well.  

6. Add milk until desired consistency is reached.  Grate nutmeg to taste.

5. Remove cakes/loaves from oven and cool.  Turn cakes loaves onto cooling rack.

6. For easy clean-up, place a piece of aluminum foil under cooling rack.  Pour or spoon glaze over cakes/loaves. If desiring a thicker glaze, spoon glaze mixture into baggie, snip off corner, and "pipe" glaze over cakes/loaves.  

Cake recipe adapted from Gooseberry Patch Comfort & Joy. 
Glaze recipe from The Lazy Daisy Kitchen.

  

over-the-top pumpkin waffles

I have not yet tired of pumpkin this season at all.  I'll admit it.  Some years I do.  I don't know what is different this year.  Maybe I haven't had as much of it, or maybe I'm just changing in my preferences, but I'm still drawn to it even half-way through December.  

I know I've mentioned on the blog how much our family loves breakfast, and we really love it on a Saturday morning.  It's so nice to lazily begin the day in my dilapidated well-loved moccasins and pj's, hair in a top-knot and drinking a mug of coffee while playing around with whatever is in the fridge or pantry.  There's rarely a plan on Saturdays.  

Actually, there's rarely a plan any day, but I digress.  

Anyway… especially Saturdays, everyone has to go with the flow when it comes to meals.  

So when I decided to do pumpkin waffles a while back, and then while digging through the freezer stumbled upon some Pumpkin Maple Swirl Butter and Honey-Glazed Pecans, my typical lazy approach to breakfast suddenly switched into high gear.  I couldn't WAIT to try all of these flavors together and found myself describing them upon first bite as "over the top."  Each square indention of the waffle held the melted butter, syrup and pieces of pecans beautifully.  Every single bite was a joy.  

So, I suppose I just answered my own question regarding my continued interest in pumpkin well into December.  Seriously.  I say with recipes like this one, here's to pumpkin 'til May!

Over-the-Top Pumpkin Waffles
makes 4-5 servings

• 1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin, pureed (or 1 can pumpkin)
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• Honey-Glazed Pecans for topping waffles
• Pumpkin Maple Swirl Butter

~ Heat waffle iron according to directions.

~ In large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients until fully incorporated.  

~ In another bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar, adding in puree, yogurt, milk and 

    butter.

~ Pour pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients, stirring gently with rubber spatula just until 

    combined.  

~ Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into batter.

~  Spoon onto heated and greased waffle iron.  Keep warm in 250 degree oven, directly on 

    rack until ready to serve.

~ Plate topped with pecans, butter and syrup as desired.

Waffle recipe from the Food Network.

flavorFALL - one ingredient pure pumpkin puree

Two words for this recipe.  

Easy. Peasy.  

In fact, I don't even know if it qualifies as a recipe, because I think recipes probably have to have more than one thing in them, don't you think?  Actually, I've looked up the definition since typing that last sentence.  For those scholarly ones who care to know, according to Webster, recipe is "a list of instructions given to prepare a dish and includes the ingredients."  

Well, in this case, INGREDIENT.  

A real recipe or not, all I know is that now that I've done this version of pumpkin puree, I don't think I'll ever, ever go back to the can.  This is the perfect 'recipe' for this series and a must-have staple for many Falls to come.  The result is so sweet without a thing added to it!  I wish now I had grabbed more Sugar Pie pumpkins (I just love that name) to make a lot of this to store up and freeze.  Next year I'll know… and now, so will you!

Happy weekend, friends!

one year ago: autumn chicken stew, black-bottom pumpkin pie, daniel's potato soup
two years ago: butternut squash soup

Pure Pumpkin Puree

Are you ready for this?

• 1 pie pumpkin

~ Line crockpot with aluminum foil.  Prick pumpkin with fork, multiple times, and place

    in crockpot.  

~ Cook on Low 6-8 hours or until pumpkin is soft.  

~ Cut open pumpkin, scoop out seeds, and scrape out flesh.  Puree with blender or hand 

    blender (not pureed in picture).

pumpkin maple swirl butter

Waiting for word on whether or not school is out with fingers and toes crossed.  You'd think after two full weeks of vacation for the holiday, I'd be OK going back.  But, oh my.  These sweet moments with family are hard to let go.  And the mornings... how I love the mornings of lazy days.  Especially when they're not planned ones.  

I'm visualizing a mid-morning breakfast following my first cup of coffee (Sumatran Reserve, to be exact), biscuits and gravy, country ham, eggs (scrambled for Daniel, over-easy for John), Luke's pancakes...

And this butter.  This butter, I adore.

Last year I blogged about my Berry Butter.  At nearly 40,000 hits, it has - by far - been the most popular post of the blog.  I really have meant to come up with another one before now, but good things are worth waiting for, right?  

Complete with a dash of Kosher salt and swirls of pure maple syrup, this creamy pumpkin treasure is smooth and balanced.  I've thoroughly enjoyed it on the Pecan Wheat Bread I featured in my last post, but it's also a wonderful accompaniment to pancakes, sourdough, yeast rolls, you name it!

I hope everyone stays warm and safe over the next few days.  Stay tuned to the blog... more great posts coming your way!

Pumpkin Maple Swirl Butter
makes one cup

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

~ Whip butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

~ Gradually add pumpkin, scraping sides periodically.  Cream until fully incorporated.

~ Add syrup, spice and salt.  Mix well.

~ Seal in airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks or freeze up to 

   three months.

black bottom pumpkin pie

Trivia question of the day:  What do you get when you cross a blogger with a downed server?

Answer:  Nothing.

I had two posts ready for you that I was so excited to share last week, but I couldn't because of multiple days of internet difficulties.  I will make up for it this week.  Promise.

Now that it is officially past Halloween, my mind is on all things Thanksgiving.  It's my favorite holiday.  The colors are warm.  Everyone is eagerly planning get-togethers and readying for the Christmas season.  And food is at the center of it all.  

I am usually not a big fan of messing with really wonderful holiday food traditions.  And I definitely think the stars of the Thanksgiving table have remained that way for a reason.  The stuffing, creamed corn, mashed potatoes...  They don't need a lot of adjusting.  And it's not like I went out looking to alter the pumpkin pie either.  But - oh, my.  I am glad I messed with this one. 

Requiring a bit of a process, indeed, the Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie - to me - is worth every single step.  I do believe I could have sat with a spoon and eaten just the maple whipped cream and been totally satisfied.  Let's not even talk about the fabulous crust made of cinnamon graham crackers and gingersnaps (genius), the bottom chocolate layer, the caramel toffee layer, and - of course - the many-spice goodness so many of us dearly love in pumpkin pie.  

For your upcoming holiday spread, this recipe is stunning (my picture does NOT do it justice), and completely over-the-top.  Just what the guests, soon to be around your table, have ordered!

my favorite way to make pumpkin pie
one year ago: butternut squash soup

Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie
makes one 10-inch pie
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup cinnamon graham crackers
• 1 cup crushed gingersnaps
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
• 2 cups whipping cream, divided
• 2 (1.4 oz) chocolate-covered toffee candy bars, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8-10 

    minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.  Cool 10 minutes.

~ Stir together graham cracker crumbs, next 2 ingredients, and toasted pecans until

    blended.  Press crumb mixture on bottom, up sides, and onto lip of a lightly greased

    10-inch pie plate (being in temp housing, I did not bring this pan with me, so I had to 
    opt for a tin one to get me by).

~ Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Transfer to a wire rack,

    and cool completely (about 30 minutes)

~ Microwave 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels and 1/2 cup whipping cream in a small

    microwavable bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring at 30-second intervals.

  

~ Spoon chocolate mixture over bottom of pie crust; sprinkle candy bars over chocolate

    mixture.  Cover and chill 1 hour or until chocolate mixture is set.

~ Meanwhile, whisk together sugar and flour in a heavy 3-qt. saucepan; add eggs, egg

    yolks, and milk, and whisk until blended.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly,

    8-10 minutes or until a pudding-like thickness (this is very important to follow

    exactly!).  Mixture will begin to bubble and will hold soft peaks when whisk is lifted.

~ Remove from heat, and whisk in pumpkin, salt, spices, and vanilla.  Transfer to a bowl.

~ Place heavy-duty plastic wrap directly on warm filling to prevent a film from forming; 

    chill 30 minutes.

~ Spoon pumpkin mixture over chocolate; cover and chill 8 to 24 hours or until filling is

    firm.

~ Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream at high sped with an electric mixer until foamy; 

    gradually add syrup, beating until soft peaks form.  Spread over pie.

Recipe from Southern Living.