Pumpkin Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is a bit fussy but I thought I would post it anyway. The idea was to create a cheaper and easier brioche using margarine (instead of Earth Balance which I think has a weird taste, or homemade vegan butter). The problem is that margarine does not firm up in the fridge the way butter does, so the final dough is tricky to work with. Also, you need to keep the ingredients cold so the margarine does not melt. The xanthan gum gives the dough some structure, and flouring the dough before rolling helps as well. Don't worry if the rolls look a bit sloppy before they prove, as you can see from the pic it will all work out in the end. If this sounds like too much trouble, just use vegan butter and forget the xanthan gum. 

INGREDIENTS

Sponge

- 2.25 oz bread flour

- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 4 oz lukewarm soy milk

Dough
- 8 oz very cold margarine
- 6 oz cooked pumpkin, cold (see note below*)
- 4 oz cold soy milk

- 16 oz bread flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp xanthan gum (optional)

Filling

- 2 tbsp cooked pumpkin, cold

- 1 tbsp margarine

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp ground ginger

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

- 1/8 tsp allspice

Icing

- 2 tbsp soy milk (more if needed)

- 1 1/2 c icing sugar

METHOD

Sponge
1. Mix together sponge ingredients until four is well hydrated. Cover and let sit for 45 mins.

Dough
1. Measure out the margarine and place it in the freezer. 

2. Add pumpkin, soy milk, flour, salt to the sponge and bring together into a dough with the paddle attachment. Let the dough sit for 5 mins. 

3. Using the paddle attachment on a mixer, add in 1/4 of the butter at a time, waiting until the previous amount has been fully incorporated before adding more. The final dough will be smooth, satiny, and very soft.
4. Switch to the dough hook and knead in the xanthan gum. The dough should gather in a ball around the hook.

5. Transfer dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

6. On baking day: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll/pat the dough on a well-floured surface into a 18" x 14" rectangle. Flour the top of the dough if needed. 

7. Whisk pumpkin and margarine together. Mix in sugar and spice. Spread on to the dough, leaving a 1" space on the long side. 

8. Roll up along the ling edge, ending at the 1" space. Cut into 12 1.5" pieces, tuck the piece of dough with filling on it to the bottom and place on the baking sheet. 

9. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise a room temperature for about 2 hours, or until about doubled in size. 

10. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 15-18 mins, until golden.

11. Make the icing. Mix together soy milk and icing sugar. It should be thick but able to be drizzled off the end of a spoon. Add more soy milk as needed. 

12. Let cool for 10 mins on the baking sheet, then drizzle the icing over the rolls. Let fully cool before eating. 

*NOTE: Microwaving is the way to go here. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down on a plate and microwave until flesh if soft and coming away from the skin. Allow to cool in the fridge before using, and keep the leftovers in a sealed container for other recipes. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

The sudden proliferation of pie pumpkins in the grocery store has let to some experimentation in the kitchen. Accuse me of jumping on the pumpkin spice bandwagon if you must, but these cookies are irresistible with their perfect blend of chewy and crispy. 

INGREDIENTS
Makes at least 24 cookies
- 75g minute oats
- 150g all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted margarine/butter)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 112g margarine or vegan butter
- 105g packed brown sugar
- 90g white sugar
- 3 tbsp cooked pumpkin (see note below)*
- 2 tbsp unsalted chickpea aquafaba
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup raisins


METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking pans with parchment paper.
1. Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Cream together margarine/butter with sugars in a separate medium bowl with an electric hand mixer. Add pumpkin and blend well. Add aquafaba and blend well, then blend in the vanilla. 
3. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in raisins
.4. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter on to the prepared baking sheets. This is a very wet dough, so a cookie scoop is the way to go. I use the 3/4 oz scoop. 
5. Bake in batches until golden, about 16-18 minutes. NOTE: baking time will be less on a dark baking sheet.
6. Let cool on the pan for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack until cool.

*NOTE: Microwaving is the way to go here. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down on a plate and microwave until flesh if soft and coming away from the skin. Allow to cool before using, and keep the leftovers in a sealed container for other recipes. 

Pumpkin Ice Cream with Candied Pepitas

Just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving comes this delicious ice cream that is filled with fresh pumpkin, and is lightly sweet and subtly spiced.  The creaminess and smoothness of the ice cream is complemented nicely by the sugary crunch of the candied pepitas.  The recipe for the pepitas comes courtesy of Isa--it is her sugared walnuts recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.  Thanks, Isa! The kids were not crazy about the seeds, so you can make it without them if you like.

INGREDIENTS
Pumpkin Ice Cream
- 2 cups diced pumpkin
- 1 cup soy milk
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/3 cup soy milk
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Candied Pepitas
- 1 cup raw pepitas
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4.5 tbsp maple syrup
- pinch of salt

METHOD
Ice Cream
1.  Place pumpkin, soy milk, cinnamon sticks, and cloves in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Cover and bring to bubbling.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Remove cinnamon stick and cloves and discard.  Add coconut milk, sugars, and nutmeg.  Blend smooth with an immersion blender, or in a blender.  Return to medium heat, stirring constantly.
3.  Whisk corn starch into the 1/3 cup of soy milk.  When pumpkin mixture is steaming, slowly add cornstarch mixture.  Keep stirring until mixture just begins to bubble.
4. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla.
5. Let completely cool in the fridge, then make as per the directions suited to your ice cream maker.  Fold in the candied pepitas at the last moment, then fully chill in the freezer before serving.

Candied Pepitas
1. Preheat oven to 275.  Lightly grease a piece of parchment paper.
2. Toast pepitas on a baking sheet for 8 mins, stirring the pepitas after 4 mins.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
2. Put sugar, maple sugar, and salt in a saucepan.  Bring to bubbling over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  Continue stirring for another 3 to 4 minutes, until thick and a deep amber brown.  Remove from heat and stir in pepitas.
3. Spread pepitas on the prepared parchment.  When cool, separate as best you can into individual seeds.  Place in the freezer until ready to go into the ice cream. 

Pumpkin Rolls (and Bread)

Tonight's post is kind of two ideas in one. First, adding pumpkin to just about any kind of bread is a good idea. I peel and seed the pumpkin, chop it, and boil it in water for about 30 mins until it is soft. I then drain it and blend it in a food processor until very smooth. I have found that this puree can be subbed in for water in bread recipes, almost cup for cup. Start by simply replacing the water with the puree, then add in more as needed. It gives the bread a wonderful light orange/yellow colour and makes it tender and moist.

Second, I give you mini buns. Not really a ground-breaking idea, I know, but hear me out. This year the boys' school changed to something called the equal day. Instead of two recesses and a lunch break, the kids get two 40 min "nutritional breaks," one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This makes packing food a little more interesting, but I have had great luck with these mini buns. The recipe is Peter Reinhart's Italian bread recipe from The Bread Baker's Apprentice: the starter is made as per the book, but the final dough is made with whole wheat flour, and the water is replaced with pumpkin puree. Each bun weighs 50 grams, is brushed with soy milk after rising, and is baked at 400 degrees for 14 mins. The great thing about these is that there is no crust to leave behind, so the kids gobble them all up, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I make 40 of them at a time (double batch of dough), freeze them, and pull them out as I need them throughout the week.

Perfect Pumpkin Custard

When I posted a pumpkin custard recipe a week ago I said I didn't have time to refine it any further. Well, I lied. My in-laws have come to visit and so I took the recipe for another spin. Further research on the interwebs revealed a recipe by Bryanna that used corn flour to thicken the custard and give it colour. I gave this a try and I also revised the method to make the whole thing easier.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 4 custard cups

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp ground ginger

- 2 cups plain soy milk

- 1 tbsp agar agar flakes

- 2/3 cup sugar

- 1/2 cup coconut cream

- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 1/2 tbsp arrowroot

- 1 tbsp corn flour

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Get a kettle of water boiling.

1. Grease 4 ramekins (with 1 cup capacity).

2. Place sugar in a saucepan over med-lo heat. While sugar is heating, mix soy milk and sugar in a saucepan and sprinkle agar overtop. Without stirring, heat sugar until it caramelizes (turns brown and liquefies). Shake pan to melt all the sugar. Add spices, quickly stir in, then quickly pour 1/4 of mixture into each ramekin to coat the bottom. Set ramekins aside.

3. Heat soy milk and sugar over medium heat. Bring to bubbling, stirring constantly, until agar is fully dissolved. Set aside. Whisk together coconut cream, pumpkin puree, arrowroot, corn flour, and vanilla. Whisk pumpkin mixture into the soy milk mixture until smooth. Pour into the four ramekins.

4. Place ramekins in a 9 x 13 pan, and fill pan with boiling water, no more than 1/3 the way up the ramekins. Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins, until top has browned and center has set.

5. Cool in the fridge until custard has fully set.

This recipe yields a more delicate custard than the first recipe. I found it tasted best at room temperature, but that it needed to fully cool (and get cold) to be able to hold its shape when inverted out of the ramekin. You may just want to skip the inverting part and serve it straight out of the ramekin itself.

Pumpkin Custard

The experimentation with year's batch of pumpkins has begun! Since Canadian Thanksgiving is next Monday, I am in the kitchen trying to plan out this year's meal. I wanted to make a baked custard with a caramel bottom, but the trick is trying to mimic the texture of an egg custard. I tried this recipe a few different ways, and this version is the best. It's not really like a "real" custard, but it is still really good. I'm also not sure if I am complicating the method a bit, but I have run out of time to refine the recipe further. In any event, the end result is still really good and is a great alternative for those who aren't crazy about pumpkin pie.

NOTE: I have revised this recipe here.

INGREDIENTS
Makes 4 custard cups
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger

- 2 cups plain soy milk
- 1 tbsp agar agar flakes
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp arrowroot

METHOD
1. Grease 4 ramekins (with 1 cup capacity).
2. Place sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Without stirring, heat sugar until it caramelizes (turns brown and liquefies). Shake pan to melt all the sugar. Add spices, quickly stir in, then quickly pour 1/4 of mixture into each ramekin to coat the bottom. Set ramekins aside.
3. Whisk agar flakes into soy milk and sugar and heat in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to bubbling, stirring constantly, until agar is fully dissolved. Place in the fridge to cool and set (about 1 hr).
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Get a kettle of water boiling.
5. When soy milk mixture has set, place in a food processor with coconut cream, pumpkin, vanilla, and arrowroot. Process until very smooth. Pour into the four ramekins.
6. Place ramekins in a 9 x 13 pan, and fill pan with boiling water, no more than 1/3 the way up the ramekins. Bake in the oven for 45-50 mins, until top has browned and center has set.
7. Cool in the fridge until custard has fully set.

To serve, place ramekin back in hot water, or microwave for 10-15 seconds to reheat caramel. Either eat the custard in the ramekin, or run a sharp knife around the edge and invert into a shallow bowl. If some caramel is left behind, heat ramekin again and pour caramel over the custard.

Let There Be Pumpkins!

We took a trip to the pumpkin patch on the weekend and loaded up with lots of orangey goodness. Here is Son #3 checking out the huge pile of pumpkins at the farm, scoping out the best one. So, while I figure out what to do with this year's batch, let's not forget about these great recipes from past years. First, start off your day with Hearty Autumn Muffins. For lunch, try my personal favourite: Pumpkin Soup. And, of course, what is soup without scones (or Rustic Pumpkin Bread)? For dinner, try Fresh Pumpkin Pasta with Sage Alfredo Sauce, or a stew with Savoury Pumpkin Biscuit Topping. If you have more time on your hands, the Roasted Pumpkin and Walnut Manicotti is superb. End it all with Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding Cake, or Pumpkin Spice Sweet Rolls.

Roasted Pumpkin and Walnut Manicotti

I almost didn't post a picture tonight because it looks so bad. I can assure you, though, that these taste great. The filling would also taste good in ravioli, I think. As I expected, Son #1 wasn't overly crazy about the filling, Son #2 liked it OK, but Son #3 gobbled down two servings.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 8 manicotti

- 1 lb chopped butternut squash

- 1 lb chopped pumpkin

- olive oil

- salt

- 1 cup walnuts

- 1 head of garlic

- 1 tbsp sage

- salt and pepper to taste

- 8 manicotti shells

- double recipe of Easy Sage Alfredo made with 1/2 the flour

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Toss squash and pumpkin in a bit of olive oil and salt. Roast in the oven on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for 20 to 30 mins (depends on how small you chop the squash), turning every 1o mins. Roast garlic head at the same time, for about 15 mins, until soft. Allow squash to cool.

2. Roast walnuts on a cookie sheet for 6 mins, turning after 3 mins. Allow to cool. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.

3. Mash squash, pumpkin, and half the head of garlic with a fork (save the other half for the Alfredo sauce). Pulse walnuts in a food processor until they resemble coarse bread crumbs. Mix into the squash mixture along with the sage. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Cook manicotti shells for 4 mins in boiling water. Drain, and stuff with pumpkin filling. Place in a large baking dish and cover with Alfredo sauce. Cover dish and bake for 45 mins. Remove cover and bake for 10 mins.

Savoury Pumpkin Biscuit (Topping)

In true Canadian fashion, I am going to whine about the weather. It snowed today! Man, did that make for a frosty bike ride into work! So, I was in the mood for some warm comfort food tonight. I made a version of my vegetable stew with biscuit topping, adding in some purple potatoes, roasted chestnuts, and butternut squash. Just look at those wonderful colours! For the topping, I added pumpkin and apple cider to the biscuit recipe for a delicous fall flavour.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp rubbed sage
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

- 1/2 cup apple cider

METHOD

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in nutritional yeast and spices. Mix in shortening with your fingers until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.

2. Whisk pumpkin, vinegar, and cider together. Add to dry ingredients and mix with a fork, then gently knead into a dough.

3. Roll out on a lightly floured surface. Either cut and bake as biscuits, or use as a topping for the stew.

Hearty Autumn Muffins

Vegan Mom and I have been looking for new things to serve the boys for breakfast to break the monotonous cycle of boxed breakfast cereal. These muffins are one answer. I used the Ginger-Raisin Bran Muffin recipe from VWAV as a starting point and went from there. They are filling, hearty, and filled with two of the wonderful things autumn gives us: pumpkins and apples. Plus, they have enough bran to get the mail moving in the morning . . . if you know what I mean.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 12 large muffins

- 1/2 cup raisins

- 1 cup apple, small dice

- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp allspice

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 3/4 cup wheat bran

- 1/4 cup oat bran

- 1 cup pureed pumpkin

- 2/3 cup soy milk

- 1/3 cup canola oil (or applesauce)

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Soak raisins in warm water. This will keep them plump and from burning in the oven.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, sugar, spices, salt, and bran in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, soy milk, oil, and vanilla until well-blended. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just moist (over mixing makes for tough muffins). Fold in raisins and diced apples.

3. Divide batter into muffin tins and bake for 20-22 mins, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Pasta with Easy Sage Alfredo Sauce

Tonight I made the pumpkin pasta I made last night. It cooked beautifully. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, the pasta only needs to be cooked for 1 min once the water returns to a boil. I wouldn't say the pasta had an overly pumpkiny flavour, but it did have a nice light orange colour. My plan was to make a creamy sage sauce for a nice autumn twist on a pasta dish, but wanted to make sure it did not taste like spaghetti with Thanksgiving gravy. I was worried the kids would not like it but they gobbled it right up. Son #1 even rejected his usual bowl of cereal at bedtime and asked for more pasta. I don't think that has ever happened before.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 lb pumpkin pasta (I made fettuccine)

- 3 cloves garlic, skins on

- 3 tbsp margarine

- 2 generous tbsp flour

- 1 tsp sage

- 1/4 tsp thyme

- pinch of nutmeg

- 1 tsp salt

- 2 cups soy milk

- 1 cup firm silken tofu

INGREDIENTS

1. Cook pasta in rapidly boiling salted water for about 60 seconds, until soft but still firm.

2. While water is heating, make sauce. Dry roast garlic in a pan until soft. Remove from heat, remove skins, and chop.

3. Heat margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and bring to bubbling. Add garlic and spices and mix, then whisk in soy milk. Bring to bubbling, whisking regularly.

4. Add tofu and blend with a hand blender. Adjust seasonings to taste. Mix with cooked pasta and serve.

Fresh Pumpkin Pasta

I have been meaning to experiment with a pumpkin pasta ever since pumpkins hit the store a few weeks ago. I finally got around to it tonight whilst baking bread. The recipe is super easy, though you need some strong wrists and a pasta roller and cutter. I have not cooked it yet (that will be tomorrow's dinner) but it rolled and cut perfectly. I have every reason to believe it will cook up nicely.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 1 lb of pasta

- 1 cup semolina flour

- 1 cup all purpose flour

- 1/2 tsp sea salt

- 1/2 cup pureed cooked pumpkin

- 1-2 tbsp water

METHOD

1. Mix together flours and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center. Put pumpkin and 1 tbsp of the water in the center. Slowly incorporate the wet into the dry, making a rough dough, adding more water if needed.

2. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth dough (5 mins). It's going to take some elbow grease. The dough should not break apart or crack, so wet your hands if the dough seems too dry.

3. Roll into a log and wrap in a damp towel. Set aside for 20 mins to let the dough relax. Roll and cut as per usual.

A Note on Cooking Fresh Pasta:

Fresh homemade pasta does not need to cook very long--1-3 mins, usually, depending on the thickness. Monitor the pasta closely and make sure you don't overcook it, otherwise it will be mushy.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding Cake

I really need to expand my dessert repetoire beyond many versions of pudding cake, but this is so easy and tasty that I would be happy to eat it on a very regular basis. This is a modified version of my chocolate chip pudding cake recipe and makes use of pureed fresh pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices. Chocolate and pumpkin really go well together, especially with cinnamon and nutmeg. What a great way to start the weekend!

INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp allspice

- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 cup pureed cooked pumpkin

- 2 tbsp soy milk
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 tbsp vanilla

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Get a few cups of water boiling in your kettle.
1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together pumpkin, milk and oil. Add to flour and mix with a spoon. Stir in chocolate chips, then spread into a 8x8 pan.
2. Whisk together white and brown sugar with cocoa powder and sprinkle evenly over batter. Gently pour boiling water over top (do not mix) and then add vanilla.
3. Bake for 40-45 mins, until top is dry and firm. Let cool a bit before serving. Cut into pieces and spoon pudding over top.

Pumpkin Spice Sweet Rolls

Here is the other pumpkin bread I am featuring during October at the bakery. This is a variation of the lemon currant rolls made with a sweet pumpkin dough and a filling reminiscent of pumpkin pie. I made a batch for Vegan Mom's Greening Committe meeting and they met with the approval of all in attendance. I have a feeling they will willing volunteer to test any future experimentations.

Makes 12 large rolls

DOUGH
- 2 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 3/4 c warm water
- 3/4 c firm tofu
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin

- 1/2 c plain soymilk
- 1/2 c non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)
- 7 c all purpose flour
- 1/2 c sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt

FILLING
- 1/3 c non-hydrogenated margarine, room temp
- 1 1/4 c brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp nutmeg

- 1/2 tsp allspice

- 1 tsp ginger

ICING
- 2 tbsp soy creamer
- 1 1/2 c icing sugar

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

METHOD:
1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl. Set aside to proof.
2. While yeast is proofing, warm soymilk, margarine tofu, and pumpkin gently on stove in a medium saucepan, until margarine is melted. Blend with a hand blender, or in a food processor until smooth.
3. Mix together flour, sugar, and salt in a separate bowl. Fold dry ingredients into liquid ingredients.
4. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Shape into a ball and place in a bowl greased with margarine. Turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size.
5. Make filling and set aside.
6. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle measuring 10"x 36".
7. Spread filling evenly over the dough and roll dough into a long cylinder along the long side (i.e. you will have a 36" cylinder.
8. Cut dough into 12 pieces, measuring 3" each. Place each piece in large muffins tins (you will need two tins).
9. Bake for 18-22 mins, until golden. Cool in tins on racks.
10. In a small saucepan heat soy creamer over med-lo heat. Add icing sugar and spices, stirring until sugar dissolves. Drizzle over slightly warm rolls.

Rustic Pumpkin Bread

I am featuring pumpkin in some of my breads this month at the bakery. Instead of making straight pumpkin bread, I decided to go with breads with pumpkin in them. This is a modified version of the rustic bread I made a while back, and it is delicious. The pumpkin gives the bread a soft texture and a light yellow-orange colour. This is the perfect bread to serve with a hearty vegetable soup, or with the pumpkin soup pictured below.

INGREDIENTS

Preferment:

- 3 1/2 cups bread flour

- 1 1/4 cups water

- 1/2 tablespoon salt

- 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast

Final dough:

- 2 1/4 cups bread flour

- 3/4 cup spelt flour

- 3/4 cup kamut flour

- 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten

- 1 cup pureed pumpkin (I boil pumpkin chunks in water, drain, then process)

- 1/3 cup water

- 1/2 tablespoon salt

- 1 teaspoon instant yeast

- all of the preferment

METHOD

1. Make the preferment: Put the yeast in the water and stir. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl and pour in the yeasted water. Mix until the flour is hydrated, adding a little more water if necessary. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave the pre-ferment out at room temperature overnight (up to 16 hours).
2. Make the dough: To make the final dough, combine all of the ingredients except the pre-ferment in a mixing bowl. Chop the pre-ferment up into small pieces and mix in. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 mins, until smooth and thoroughly combined. Dough should be tacky but not sticky, so knead in flour accordingly.
3. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp towel, and ferment for 2 1/2 hours, folding the dough at 1 hr, and 1:45. (To fold dough, take the dough out of the bowl, spread it out a little on a clean surface and fold it in thirds like a letter. Rotate it 90 degrees and fold it up again. Return the dough to the bowl and cover again.)
4. At the end of the fermentation, divide the dough into two pieces and preshape each into a ball. Cover with the towel and let each rest for 5 to 10 minutes before shaping into a loaf with tapered ends. Once shaped, place on a floured linen towel and cover the loaves with the damp towel. Let rise for 1 hour, gently rolling the loaves over after 30 mins.
5. Halfway though the final rise, begin preheating the oven and baking stone to 450 degrees. Place a cast iron pot on the bottom rack and fill with boiling water 10 mins before you start baking the bread.
6. Transfer to a floured peel, and slash the tops of the loaves with a razor blade. Bake for 25-30 mins, rotating the loaves 180 degrees after 12 mins so that they'll bake evenly. Crust should be a deep golden brown, and loaves should sound hollow when you knock on the bottom.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti and Strawberry Salad

Vegan Mom made this delightful dish from Veganmoicon tonight (the full recipe title is "Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized Onions and Sage Crumb Topping"). This one certainly gets the whole family's seal of approval. The creaminess of the cashew ricotta unites with subtle pumpkin undertones to create a flavourful dish that we all loved. My contribution to the meal was this salad--romaine, sliced strawberries, diced tomato, toasted pecans and bean sprouts drizzled with strawberry dressing (6 strawberries, 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, pinch of sea salt blended in a blender). We rarely eat salads (they seem kind of redundant to a vegan meal, don't they?), but this one looked really nice and tasted good, too.

Soup and Pumpkin Scones

Tonight was a case of when bad things happen to good meal. Somehow the salt got left out of the pizza dough, making the yeast go wild and ruining the whole batch. So, we had to whip up something at the last minute. Fortunately, Vegan Mom had made a vegetable soup for lunch. We fired a few meatless meatballs in for variety and baked these pumpkin scones.

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 cups all purpose flour

- 1 tbsp baking powder

- 3/4 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp allspice

- 1/4 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg

- 3/4 cup pumpkin (canned, or cooked fresh)

- 1/2 cup soy milk

- 3 tbsp oil

- 1 tbsp maple syrup

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl.

2. Whisk pumpkin, soy milk, oil, and maple syrup in a separate bowl. Add to flour mixture and mix gently until moist. Add a little more liquid if need be.

3. Place large spoonfuls of dough on a non-stick baking sheet.

4. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until browned.

TIPS FOR SOUP: Vegetable soup is easy to make and is a great way to cram in a variety of veggies. Saute onions and celery as a base, then add whatever suits your fancy. We like potatoes, corn, green beans, peas, eggplant, carrots, chickpeas, cannelini beans, tomatoes (plus some spaghetti sauce for flavour), and pasta (the kids like alphabets).

Pumpkin Soup and Scones

Today was one of those miserable fall days where the damp cold makes you shiver and huddle around a steaming cup of tea. In other words, it was the perfect day for pumpkin soup and scones. This is my grandma's recipe (well, she never used soymilk) so that means there is no real recipe. Measuring cups and teaspoons are just not her style (which means her baking leaves something to be desired). This soup, however, is awesome.

INGREDIENTS:

- one pie pumpkin

- non-hydrogenated margarine

- soymilk

- sugar

- salt

The amounts here are up to you, depending on what kind of soup you want. It can be thin or thich, sweeter or saltier. I like a thicker and sweeter soup.

METHOD:

1. Peel pumpkin. Cut in half and scoop out seeds. Chop up pumpkin into small pieces.

2. Boil pumpkin in water in a large soup pot until tender (about 25 mins).

3. Drain off water, add a lump of margarine, and mash pumpkin (or blend with a hand mixer).

4. Put back on heat. Thin with soymilk until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Heat until steaming, but not boiling.

Pumpkin Muffins

We had leftovers last night, so I thought I would post a link to a recipe for pumpkin muffins from Vegan Lunch Box. You can find it, and other great recipes, on the Schmooed Food blog. These muffins are spectacular with fresh pumpkin (I love the fall), but also work well with canned. I use regular chocolate chips--the PC semi-sweet Decadent chips are vegan. These are also pretty sweet, so feel free to cut down on the sugar.