Tag Archives: Pumpkin

Pumpkin Cheesecake bars with caramelized Pecans

This Fall it’s all about Pumpkin cheesecake bars, these are the perfect mix of a pumpkin pie and a cheesecake, conveniently portioned into individual bars.

All the cozy fall flavours are combined into this spiced cookie bottom pumpkin cheesecake delight. The crunchy caramelized pecans on top are so so good, they would make a perfect snack on their own. The caramel for the base and topping, is made out of nut butter, maple syrup, rice syrup and vanilla and turns into a delicious fudgy consistency when cooked together.

The cookie base is a mix of oats, nuts, pumpkin spice and the fudgy caramel. The filling is pumpkin puree and cheesecake with one egg yolk to bind and some more cozy spices. The perfect treat for Fall.

For the base and crumble topping.
Ingredients:
3 cups (300 gr) oats ground to flour with a pinch of salt
3/4 cup (180 ml) almond butter
1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral oil or butter
1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
1/4 cup (60ml) rice syrup
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. (2.5 gr) Pumpkin spice
1/4 cup (25 gr) pecans broken into pieces or very roughly chopped

For the Pumpkin cheesecake filling.
Ingredients:
1 cup (250 gr) pumpkin puree, home made or canned* (see note).
3/4 cup (200 gr) cream cheese at room temperature
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (2.5 gr) pumpkin spice
1 egg yolk at room temperature

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 160C/ 325F
Place the oats in a food processor and blend until flour consistency. Tip into a large bowl.
In a medium thick bottomed pot, melt the nut butter, the oil, the syrups, vanilla and spice until completely melted and smooth and just beginning to bubble. It will resemble a bubbly fudge. Remove from heat. Reserve 1/4 cup of the syrup ( leave in the pot) and keep over very low heat to keep it soft.
Pour the remaining fudgy caramel over the oat flour and mix until crumbly. Reserve about a cup for the crumbly topping.

Grease and line a square 8″ (20×20 cm) pan with parchment paper. Tip in the crumbly oat base and press into the tin with the back of a spoon or with slightly damp hands. Pierce several times with s fork. Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile mix the creamcheese in a mixer with the pumpkin puree, spice and egg yolk until smooth.

*Note: depending on which kind of pumpking puree you are using, place puree in a tea towel lined collander for 30 minutes. Then gather the tea towel and squeeze out as much liquid from the pumpkin mash as possible. Some canned pumpkin is already quite dry so you will not need to do this, however homemade puree can often be a bit wet.

Tip the pecans into the soft fudgy caramel and stir to coat. Keep slightly warm until ready to use or it will set.

After ten minutes remove the base from the oven, turn the heat of the oven up to 180C/350F.
Spread filling over the base and sprinkle over the crumble for the topping.
Then drizzle over the caramel pecans (the best you can because it’s very sticky and gooey).
Return to oven for another 12-15 minutes or until top is golden perfection.
Remove from oven and place on rack to cool.
Leave to cool for a few hours before cutting into bars.

Enjoy!

Smoky Chili con Carne with Pumpkin

9 Replies

Smoky Chili con carne with Pumpkin is a hearty family favourite full of flavor!

This Chili con carne with Pumpkin is slightly spicy and also has a smoky flavor that makes you want to take just one more bite each time.
A true crowd pleaser that freezes well and even tastes better the next day. The recipe can be easily doubled so you can keep some in the freezer. You can also serve this over a tray of nachos or in tacos. Or how about in a bun? The possibilities are endless…
The recipe itself is a no-brainer, although the ingredient list may seem long it’s put together in minutes. I started off with browning the beef in a heavy based pot, then added the onion and garlic. Then basically you add the remaining ingredients up until the corn meal and just leave it to simmer for about an hour and a half, or until 30 minutes before you want to eat. Finally you add the beans and pumpkin and Voilà…chili. The pumpkin adds a seasonal twist.

Prep time : 15

Cooking time : 90 min

Serves : 6 – 8

INGREDIENTS;

1 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1. lbs. ground beef
1 tsp. salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, peeled and grated or chopped
2 tsp. ground Cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried Thyme
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. sweet smoked paprika
1 – 2 tsp. chopped chipotles in adobo (depending on how hot you like it)
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp. Liquid Smoke (you may leave out)
2 tsp. sugar
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
2 C. beef stock
2 tbsp. cornmeal (for thickening)
1/4 C. Chopped Coriander reserve some more for serving
1 cup diced peeled pumpkin
1 (15-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat a large casserole or pot and add the olive oil. Once hot add the beef and fry until brown, add the onion and stir for a few minutes , add the garlic.
Add the spices; cumin, oregano, thyme, chili powder and smoked paprika. Keep stirring
Add the chopped chipotles, the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke and the sugar, stir and add the crushed tomatoes.
Add the cocoa and the half cinnamon stick and the beef stock. Simmer for an hour and a half.
Add the drained kidney beans and pumpkin and the chopped coriander, reserving some for serving. Add these about 30 minutes before serving.
Thicken the chili if necessary with some corn meal.
Serve in bowl with avocado slices, sour cream, grated cheese, chopped onion and nachos if desired.

Enjoy!

If you make this recipe please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you. And please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!

Cozy Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with crunchy Maple Pecans

6 Replies

….Pumpkin n spice and all things nice…

We love a warm breakfast especially when it’s getting a little colder outside. This Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal will keep you going until lunchtime for sure. It’s super comforting and filling and full of Pumpkin goodness.
Everything is there, the fresh pumpkin puree, the caramelized Pecans, the maple syrup the warm spices, seriously delicious

⏰ Prep time : 10 minutes
🍝 Cooking time : 2 x 10 minutes,
🍴 Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. frozen or fresh cubed pumpkin
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk, or soy milk
• 1/4 teaspoon (Himalayan) salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice OR (1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, dash of nutmeg and ginger)
• 2 cups quick cooking oats (not instant )
• 1/2 cup pecan nuts + 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• Maple syrup for serving

Directions:

Put one pound of frozen or fresh pumpkin cubes in a large pot with about ½ cup of water and steam on medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Fresh pumpkin may take a little longer.
Drain and let it steam off.
Mash the pumpkin with a hand held blender until smooth. You should have about a cup.
Meanwhile heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the pecan nuts and toast them, tossing them about constantly so they don’t burn.
Add the maple syrup and quickly coat all the nuts.
Keep a close eye on the nuts now and remove them from the heat as soon as it has caramelized and turned dark amber. About 1 to 2 minutes tops.
Transfer them to a pierce of parchment paper and try to keep each nut separated from the other because they will stick to each other and form clumps, you don’t want that.
In large saucepan over medium heat bring the water, milk, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to a gentle boil.
Add the oatmeal. Turn the heat down and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir often.
Once the oatmeal is cooked , serve in bowls drizzled with maple syrup and the caramelized pecan nuts on top.
Enjoy!

Myra XO

Pumpkin Beer Bread

9 Replies

Everywhere I look, it’s Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins… and I’m loving it.
I can’t get enough of Pumpkins, I eat them all year round (thanks you frozen pumpkin).
But since I’ve been thinking a lot about Pumpkins lately (no surprise there), I wanted to find more ways to use them. And today I am sharing with you my Pumpkin Beer Bread Loaf. Just like a normal whole grain loaf but with Pumpkin in it, and a little something extra… beer!
The result is a soft textured loaf, hearty with a hint of sweetness and a nice crispy crust.
I’ve kept it plain and simple so you can eat it with anything from cheese to Nutella. Don’t worry you can’t actually taste the beer.
The color of the bread needless to say, is beautiful.
So those of you who are still looking for a new Pumpkin adventure, make this Pumpkin Beer Bread, you’ll love it 🙂

⏰ Prep time: 15 minutes
🎃 Cooking time: ca 30 minutes
🍴 Makes: 2 Loafs

_______________________________________
INGREDIENTS:

4 – 4 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
1 package instant dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup light beer,
2 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree, freshly made or canned
a small handful of Pumpkin seeds
more flour for rolling out dough

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl mix the two flours with the salt.
2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the beer, the sugar, oil and 3 cups flour. Add the pumpkin puree. Beat until smooth.
3. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.
4. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
5. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Shape each into a loaf. Place in two greased 9×5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes. Brush with a little milk and sprinkle with the Pumpkin seeds.
6. Bake at 375 F for 30 – 35 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
7. Remove from oven and place on wire racks to cool.

Enjoy !

Myra XO