The Pajama Chef

Pumpkin Biscuits

October 24, 2011October 23, 2015 Sarah

Classic meets seasonal fantastic in this amazing biscuit. Pumpkin biscuits are buttery and flaky; everything a good biscuit should be but with a hint of sweetness and pumpkin flavor, enhanced by a smattering of cinnamon and nutmeg.

These biscuits are perfect for dipping into thick soups and stews on cold nights. The pumpkin flavor is not overwhelming by any means, but it is unmistakably present. When I first made these biscuits, I planned on making only one batch. However, I accidentally poured a full cup of milk into the pumpkin and maple syrup mixture and as a result, had to make a double batch so as not to make waste–and boy! was I glad I did that. A couple weeks later and we still have a few leftover in the freezer, bagged and ready to toss into weekday lunches. They are so delicious that I think I’ll make more when we run out. And they are super easy to mix up so that will be no problem at all! Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Pumpkin Biscuits

Servings: 6 biscuits
Time: 25 minutes
Print

from Sugarcrafter

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter, very cold [I cut the butter into quarters and stuck it in the freezer for a few minutes.]
3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter.

In another bowl, whisk together pumpkin, milk, and maple syrup. Then, pour mixture into dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Gently knead together on a floured countertop. Roll out and then cut into circles with a biscuit cutter. Place on prepared baking sheet. Alternatively, simply scoop out with a large spoon and drop onto baking sheet.

Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Menu Plan

October 23, 2011October 23, 2011 Sarah

Week of October 24

Monday: Lemon Poppy Seed Chicken with Green Pea & Mint Couscous

Tuesday: class for me, Ben’s making wings

Wednesday: Peppercorn Pork with Wine Sauce

Thursday: Potato Soup

Friday-Sunday: out of town

Breakfast, Pancakes, Recipes

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

October 20, 2011October 19, 2011 Sarah

Since it might not be obvious from the recipes I post here, I thought I should let you know a couple things about me that are 110% true. Yes, exactly 110%. I am a) aware that there are other fall flavors besides pumpkin and b) actually quite a big fan of these other flavors.

Like apple. Oh, fall apples. They are absolutely the best. My favorite way to enjoy apples is actually just freshly sliced up–sometimes plain, sometimes with peanut butter, and sometimes with Brown Sugar Fruit Dip. But… sometimes, I have to cook with apples. You see, they combine so perfectly with cinnamon. And they are just so good warm.

Enter Apple Cinnamon Pancakes. These little babies combine everything I love about apples–their fruity fall flavor, their warmth, their tendency to pair well with cinnamon, their hearty crunch with a restaurant-quality light and fluffy breakfast treat. I made these for dinner one recent evening and was so excited to see that we had a few leftover for breakfast the next day. Usually, I pass off leftovers to Ben without a second thought, but these were leftovers worth fighting for. They’re delicious served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, so don’t be hindered by constraints of time–make these fall pancakes as soon as possible!

Reader Question ~ How do you enjoy your apples? What’s your favorite kind?

I personally am obsessed with Crisipin! They’re hard to find but when you do, they are so sweet/tart, crispy, and refreshing. Totally worth a trip to the apple orchard for them!

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes [from What Megan’s Making]
printable version

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2 tablespoons canola oil or melted butter
1 apple, peeled and chopped [I used Granny Smith]

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, sugar, and baking powder. In another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: milk, applesauce, and oil. Next, fold the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until barely combined. Stir in the chopped apples–mixture will likely be a little lumpy.

Let batter rest for 10 minutes while the skillet is heating over low-medium heat. Add a little canola oil to the skillet and once hot, pour about 1/3 cup of batter to the pan. Cook until surface is bubbly, then flip and let the other side cook until golden brown.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 14-16 pancakes.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Mini Muffins

October 19, 2011October 18, 2011 Sarah

So, these are still my most favorite muffins of all time, not to mention the treat that got me addicted to pumpkin in the first place, but you know me… I just had to try another recipe. I had to see if there *might* be some other pumpkin muffins that compare. And let me tell you, these muffins are fantastic.

These light and springy Pumpkin Spice Mini Muffins are so flavorful and addicting. What really makes these fall treats pop is the swirl of pumpkin pie spice in the mix, mingling with a pumpkin and banana-laced batter.

I know making your own pumpkin pie spice blend is the hot thing to do these days, but personally, I swear by Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice. I love how this blend includes more than the typical cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves–mixing in lemon peel and cardamom takes a typical fall flavor palate from simple to sophisticated. I know I could buy my own cardamom and ground lemon peel and make my own mix, but at $1.99 per jar, my buddy T.J. can’t be beat.

Dipping the warm muffins in a mixture of pumpkin pie spice sugar [like cinnamon sugar, but way better] after they come out of the oven takes these muffins over the top. They’re almost reminiscent of tiny little pumpkin spice doughnut holes that no one can resist, including me. I think I need to go make another batch right away!

Pumpkin Spice Mini Muffins [from Iowa Girl Eats]
printable version

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 of a medium sized banana, mashed
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two mini muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. In a smaller bowl, mix together banana, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk until well combined.

Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients gently. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove

Meanwhile, mix together white sugar and 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.

Cool in tins for 3 minutes, then remove muffins, dunk in melted butter, and roll in pumpkin pie spice sugar. Serve warm.

Time: 30 minutes [15 minutes active].

Yield: 36 mini muffins.

Bars, Desserts, Family, Recipes

Pumpkin Brownies

October 18, 2011September 14, 2015 Sarah

So I have totally been slacking on Pumpkin Month. 😦 But don’t despair! I have some great pumpkin recipes to share this week that I am so, so excited about to make up for it. First up is one of my absolute favorite fall desserts… Pumpkin Brownies. Normally I am a brownie purist, but this time, I’ve made an exception. Pumpkin is a fun add-in to any recipe, so why not experiment with pumpkin in my brownies?

I first made these brownies last fall, but they disappeared before I ever got a photo. That is just a tiny glimpse into just how delicious they are, because this happened several times. Making the same recipes over and over again is just not something that I do–there are too many good recipes out there so it is very rare!

Needless to say, I was incredibly excited about fall this year so that I could have an excuse to enjoy these festive fall treats. These brownies are rich, fudgy, and chewy–everything a perfect brownie should be in my book. Combined with layers of spiced pumpkin cake, Pumpkin Brownies make the perfect festive seasonal treat that even the non-pumpkin obsessed can love. [If you read regularly, you’ll know that I’m referring to my husband as one of the members of that club. :)] Slivers of these brownies are delicious any way they are served–warm out of the pan, at room temperature, or chilled from the fridge, though I have to say that room temperature is best.

If you’ll excuse me now, I’m going to go hobble off and lament the fact that we don’t have any of these brownies freshly baked. They would be the perfect recovery fuel for the Columbus Marathon on Sunday. We’re still feeling the soreness of the day, but we finished and had fun running together. I’m so proud of Ben finishing his first full marathon! Even if it’s his first and only marathon, he did an awesome job pushing through the pain and helping me run through some unfortunate knee pain that I’ve never experienced before. If he hadn’t been there, it would have been easy to give up, but instead we kept at it and crossed the finish line hand in hand. It was a great experience that I loved sharing with my husband. 🙂

Reader Question ~ What’s one of your most recent proudest accomplishments?

Pumpkin Brownies

Servings: 24
Time: 60 minutes
Print

from anecdotes and apple cores

Ingredients:

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
15 tablespoons [2 sticks – 1 tablespoon] butter, melted
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 eggs
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 1/8 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, combine melted better, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time and then fold in flour slowly until completely incorporated. Divide the batter in half evenly into two bowls.

In one bowl, stir in cocoa and chocolate chips. In the other, stir in pumpkin and spices.

Spread half of the chocolate batter into the bottom of the dish. Pour half of the pumpkin batter on top. Repeat the layers and then drag a knife through the layers gently to marbleize it. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares.