Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread to Acknowledge That Autumn has Truly Arrived

"No. I don't want you. Get back in your closet. I don't care if you used to be my favorite. I'm not ready for you!!" I heard myself wailing those words last week, like a toddler having a tantrum.

With a sigh, I said good-bye to the sun and braced myself for the 7 straight days of wind and rain as forecasted by my weather page. Autumn has always been my most cherished season of the year. But not this go around. Maybe it's because our summer here in the Northwest didn't really start until the beginning of August. Maybe it's because due to the ages of my children, we can actually have fun on our summer vacations nowadays. Maybe it's because I'm still hoping those little green peppers are going to grow bigger and turn red. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and it takes me longer to recover from the previous school year and hence, I wasn't quite ready for this school year to start. And since I'm still not recovered from the previous school year, how am I possibly going to get through the impending holiday season? Whatever the problem, I was not ready to usher in my favorite season of the year with open arms.

But, autumn is here whether I'm ready for it or not. Funny how that works. So, I tried to drum up some seasonal spirit and put a sprinkling of fall decor around the house. A string of lights. I spent an afternoon raking the leaves off my front lawn. Breathing in that cool, crisp air. I turned on the heat and pulled out my favorite pink wool sweater to wear in the evenings. After school one day, to the surprise and delight of my children, I set down mugs of hot apple cider topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Saturday morning found me, huddled under umbrellas, with my mother and father. A fleece blanket draped over our laps. Hooting and hollering as my 11-year old and his football team fought their way into the playoffs. And so, you could say, I was going through the motions to embrace the season upon me. But it was after the football game, during a seemingly "non-moment", that I found myself unable to resist autumns charms.

There, sprinkled on the deck of the parking lot, was a kaleidoscope of color. Leaves in all shades of crimson. And the shear beauty of those leaves laying there in the rain against the stark contrast of the pavement made me catch me breath.

Smiling, I hopped into the car and drove up through the fog toward home. Into the kitchen, I went. Bowls and mixers making all kinds of racket. Vince Guaraldi coming through loud and clear on my speakers. My sweetie passing through and casually tossing out the comment, "Do you ever stop producing?" And me, singularly focused on baking a loaf of pumpkin bread with chocolate chips. It was time to properly welcome in autumn.

So here I sit, after the frenzy of the holiday weekend and the baking extravaganza. Warm in my favorite wool sweater. A cup of tea and a plate of crumbs from the slice of pumpkin bread I had for breakfast next to me. A sick child upstairs. My voters pamphlet in front of me. All thoughts of going back to bed, long since silenced. Out the window, brilliant reds and yellows played out against a backdrop of creamy, white fog. And me thinking, "Okay, okay, I'm glad you're here my favorite friend."


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Adapted from Pumpkin Bread, The Joy of Cooking

So, yes, as I mentioned above I had a bee in my bonnet about needing to make pumpkin bread over the weekend. I combed the internet high and low, pulled out cookbook after cookbook, searching for the perfect pumpkin bread recipe but every time I found one, the recipe would call for at least 3 CUPS of sugar, if not more. I just couldn't, in my right mind, add 3 cups of sugar to a single loaf of bread. So, in a last ditch attempt, I pulled out a ladder and hauled down Irma's masterpiece, The Joy of Cooking, from the highest point in my kitchen in a last ditch attempt to find a recipe. There it was on page 774. And only a bit more than 1 cup of sugar needed. In my effort to try to "healthify" (I just made that word up) my recipes, I did throw in some whole wheat pastry flour and since one of my guys is allergic to nuts, instead of the handful of walnuts I would have like to have used, I tossed in some chocolate chips to spice it up a bit. I found it to be incredibly delicious, all warm, straight from the oven, but left to sit a day or two, the flavors mellow and mingle giving it an even richer flavor.

Ingredients:

1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar plus 1/3 c packed light or dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c dark chocolate chips (or walnuts or raisins or all three.)


Directions:

Bring out all of your ingredients so they can be warming to room temperature. Next, position a rack in the middle of your oven and then, preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. (I used butter.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine your milk and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat your butter until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add in your sugar and beat for 3-4 minutes. Next, beat in your eggs, one at a time. Add your pumpkin puree and beat on low speed just until blended.

Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 parts, beating on low speed or stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Fold in your chocolate chips.

Pour into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let your loaf cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes before taking out of the pan and allowing to cool completely. Enjoy.

Yield: One loaf.

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

Pumpkin Pie to Mark Some Firsts...and Some Lasts.

"Mom! Mom! Wait for me!" His shoes slip ever so slightly on the gravel. His backpack, almost half his size, swings from side to side. Up the hill he scrambles. "Mom, wait! I have a treasure for you." In his tightly closed fist he holds four dandelions. All in various stages of blooming. He gallantly presents then to me, smiles and then, runs off to catch up with his older brother.

Not before long, he stops again. A twig. A heart shaped stone. A 3-leaf clover. Queen Anne's Lace. "Do you like when I give you treasures Mom?", he asks, this littlest one of mine. "I love when you give me treasures." And then, having asked hundreds of times before and already knowing the answer, the same answer I gave his brother before him, he asks again, "What do you do with the treasures?" "I tuck them in my pocket to keep them safe and then, when I'm missing you, I pull one out...and think of you." He smiles again. Pleased with his good deed, he runs off in search of more tiny treasures.

Not but 3 weeks ago, I dropped this littlest one of mine off for his first day of Kindergarten. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. A little happy. A little sad. While his older sister is always representative of firsts, he represents, lasts. Last diaper. Last binky. Last sippy cup. Last one to entertain all day. Last one to curl up on my lap. Last one to be at home with me. Last one to hold my hand.

"How was your first day of Kindergarten?" I had asked him when I picked him up. "Good.", he replied. "And what did you do?" Like a true boy, he responded, "I did recess and PE." Then, letting go of my hand, he ran off hollering, "Can I play on the playground?" Apparently taking the whole thing in stride. Not knowing that this "first" for him was a monumental "last" for me.

With backpacks stowed beneath the bench and lunch boxes emptied, I place a slice of pumpkin pie and a mug of warm chocolate milk down for each boy. Our annual fall ritual. Pumpkin pie to mark the beginning of October. The midst of fall. The countdown to the holidays. Eating pumpkin pie when it can truly be enjoyed. Savoured for the seasonal treat that it is. Not shoved in after a long, heavy meal.

I get up to clear my plate and I feel my throat catch as I glimpse the Queen Anne's Lace hanging out of my pocket. Myriad of "lasts" start flooding my mind....last pumpkin pie to mark the Kindergarten year, last one to ask me to come closer so he can whisper in my ear, last one to throw stones in the stream wishing for his kitty to come back...but then, I shake my head and tell myself, "Don't do this." Concentrate on the firsts.

First one to go to Kindergarten without tears. First one to make his own breakfast before the age of 10. First one to organize his own social life before Junior High. First one to watch PG-13 movies before the age of....6. First one to know that if the Lego store or Santa doesn't have it....eBay will. First one whose first day of Kindergarten marked my first day to reacquaint myself...with myself. Who am I now? What will I do now? Where will this new chapter in my life take me now? And that first...is kind of exciting.

Pumpkin Pie
Crust by Martha, Filling by Carrie

You probably have a "go to" recipe for Pumpkin Pie but in the off chance that you don't, keep this one handy for the upcoming holidays or like me, keep it handy to make one...just because. Every Thanksgiving, my daughter is in charge of pumpkin pie and a few years ago she and I did a pie bake-off to try-out different crusts....all butter, all shortening, half and half...and we decided that Martha Stewart's all-butter Pâte Brisée recipe was the best. Not only does it taste delicious but you can make it in advance which means less time in the kitchen on the big day. The filling recipe I've been using since the pre-kid San Francisco years. It was passed on to me by my friend, Karna, and I tinkered ever-so-slightly with her spice amounts to arrive at the recipe I use today. In terms of using real pumpkin versus canned pumpkin, I've done both and I feel that the difference in taste is barely perceptible so I say, keep it simple and use canned.

Martha's Perfect Pâte Brisée - Pie Dough Crust

The recipe that I've linked to is Martha's recipe for two 8-10 inch single-crust pies or one 8-10 inch double-crust pie but the one I like to use is her "Large Quantity" Pâte Brisée (1 and 1/2 times the "linked to" recipe) which gives me some playing room with the dough.

Ingredients:
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 c chilled, unsalted butter (3 sticks), cut into cubes
1/2 to 3/4 c ice water

Now, the following directions are for making this dough in a food processor and as much as I don't care for washing a food processor, I highly recommend one for making this pie dough. That being said you could use a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingers but if I were you, I'd go with the food processor.

First, put your flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of the food processor and process for a few seconds to combine. Next, add you butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Then, with the machine running, add your water in a slow and steady stream through the feed tube, just until it starts to hold together. About 30 seconds max.

Even if there are a few bits that haven't been completely incorporated, go ahead and pour your dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Quickly gather it into a large ball. Then, divide it in two. Flatten each  half into a rounded disk. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and place in the refrigerator for an hour before using. You can also put the dough in a ziploc bag and then, put it in the freezer for up to a month. If you've frozen it, you can defrost it in the refrigerator overnight or by letting it stand at room temperature for an hour.

Right before mixing up your pie filling, roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface to about 13 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick or so. Gently place it on your pie plate. Using kitchen scissors, trim the dough so it hangs over the edge about 1/2 inch. Tuck that extra dough under the dough around the rim. Then using your thumb and pointer finger on one hand and your thumb on the other, push those fingers toward each other, crimping the dough, around the entire circumference.


Pumpkin Pie Filling

3 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 c pumpkin or 1 15-oz can pumpkin (organic is fine to use)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (heaping is fine)
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 12-oz can evaporated milk

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and spices together. Then, blend in your milk. Pour your mixture into your waiting pie shell. I always put unbaked pie on a cookie sheet before putting it in the oven in case it spills over.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes and then at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow pie to cool completely before serving. I always serve my pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream but keep on hand a can of whipping cream since my kids find it necessary to do the little squirty thing whenever we have pie. I also tend to serve this to my kids for breakfast. Pumpkin is a vegetable after all. Enjoy....

Yield: One pie



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

Nourished by a Spicy Pumpkin Soup and So Much More

Although out-of-breath and with quivering legs, I managed to brace myself against the wind. I had made it to the top of the dune, aptly named, "8-minutes of Hell." I have to admit that with the sand packed down by the winter rains, it wasn't nearly as trying of a climb as in the summer when the sand gives way at every point of pressure. So, perhaps for just that day, it should have been called, "6-minutes of Hell." I yanked my hood up and drew tight the draw-strings. The wind was blowing so hard up there it was howling. Whistling through my ears even.

I steadied myself and breathed deeply. My eyes cautiously peered over the edge of the sharp cliffs of red rock that plunged straight down to the ocean only a hop away from where I stood. Those cliffs that make-up Cape Kiwanda. My eyes then followed the beach northward toward Tierra del Mar. I took in the great expanse of sand. I took in the waves. So forceful. Unrelenting. Letting me know my place in the world.

Carefully, I turned around to face the wind. To face where I had just been. The beach I had walked on. The climb I had made. No sun today. Just low gray clouds and bits of rain. But, there, off in the distance, growing smaller and smaller as they walked away from where I stood, I could see them. These women. These women that I have grown so fond of. I watched as they walked in groups of 2...3. I watched as one would splinter off and they would regroup into 4. Walking. Talking. Sharing. Pondering. I thought about how each of us, so different from one another, were brought together years ago due to our shared love of books.

Each year we gather for a weekend to plan our year of reading. We come loaded down with books, reviews, notes. And while the books are the catalyst for our gathering...we really come for much more than that. We come bearing food. Lots and lots of food. Homemade soups - a white bean and ham, a vegetable, chicken, a spicy pumpkin - served with warmed ciabatta bread sprinkled with kosher salt. Salads of baby greens topped with nuts and dried berries, smoked salmon and goat cheese - all tossed with homemade vinaigrettes. A decadent crab and artichoke dip. Breakfast brings freshly baked chocolate chip scones, blueberry muffins, a sinful coffee cake, scrambled-up eggs and even, an apple pie. And, of course, for dessert, these chocolate chip cookies, which we moaned over and debated whether or not they are the perfect chocolate chip cookies. Do they have the correct "crunch to goo" ratio? We share our wine, our clementines, our tins of nuts. And, while we eat, drink, read, and walk, we also share stories...about ourselves, our families, our lives. And somehow, this sharing of stories...of taking the time to listen and of being given the chance to be heard...nourishes us. Nourishes us differently from the food. This sharing allows us to go home feeling...peaceful and yet reinvigorated about our role as a mother, friend, daughter, wife.

I recently came across a quote by author Sue Monk Kidd that struck a chord with me about women and the way we group together, whether over books, food, wine, or tupperware, to share our stories. She wrote, "The truth is, in order to heal we need to tell our stories and have them witnessed...the story itself becomes a vessel that holds us up, that sustains, that allows us to order our jumbled experiences into meaning. As I told my stories of fear, awakening, struggle and transformation and had them received, heard, and validated by other women, I found healing. I also needed to hear other women's stories in order to see and embrace my own. Sometimes another woman's story becomes a mirror that shows me a self I haven't seen before. When I listen to her tell it, her experience quickens and clarifies my own. Her questions rouse mine. Her conflicts illumine my conflicts. Her resolutions call forth my hope. Her strengths summon my strengths. All of this can happen even when our stories and our lives are very different."

When I return from one of these weekends and am at home, carrying on with life as before, I find myself thinking warmly about what was said. What we laughed over. What we spoke earnestly about. What brought tears. And, I go on and carry around the bits of wisdom given freely to me by these women. And, for that, I am a better person.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

About a month ago, my dear friend, Christine, served me this spicy pumpkin soup she had made. I have not been able to stop thinking about it and told her I just had to have the recipe...she kindly fulfilled my request. This soup is definitely savory. Not as sweet as the butternut squash soup I posted here. And, definitely spicy. I would put the S & P on the table when you serve it, though, as some people might like to spice it up even more. The beautiful thing about this soup is you probably have all of the ingredients hanging around in the pantry right now. It's so easy to put together and yet, it's so...elegant.

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

2 medium onions (yellow or white), chopped

2 tsp, minced garlic

1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp ground coriander

pinch of ground cayenne pepper (or up to 3 pinches if you love spicy food.)

3 15-oz cans 100% pumpkin

3 14 1/2 oz cans chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)

2 cups milk

salt & pepper to taste

Optional toppings:

pepitas

a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream

some diced, cooked, thick-sliced bacon or pancetta

Melt/heat butter and olive oil over med-high heat. Turn the heat down to medium low or even low and add onions and garlic and saute them stirring from time to time. Cook until softened, approximately 4 minutes or up to 10, if you like your onions to take on some caramelization like I do.

Add dry spices and stir, about 1 minute.

Add canned pumpkin and 5 cups of broth. Bring soup to a boil and immediately reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add milk and stir until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let cool a bit and then, if desired, transfer in batches to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Or, like me, pull out your 18-year old hand-held blender and run that around the pot a couple of times.

Ladle into bowls and top with a small dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkle of pepitas you may have left-over from this recipe. Crack the pepper-mill a couple of times and then...enjoy.

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010