Category Archives: Pumpkin

Flourless Pumpkin Almond Cake

When I crack open a can of pumpkin purée, I want to make sure to use it all up instead of letting it get weird in the fridge. With the exception of the iconic pie, pumpkin recipes tend to call for just a small amount of the actual squash to achieve their texture and color, so there’s nearly always some leftover. And that, my internet friends, is how we’ve ended up with three pumpkin recipes in a row.

I mean, you can freeze leftover pumpkin purée, but wouldn’t you rather have a wedge of Flourless Pumpkin Almond Cake?!

This simple cake is a seasonal spin on a classic Flourless Almond Cake. It begins with blanched almond flour, brown sugar and pumpkin spice, then gets some richness from egg yolks, pumpkin purée, and melted butter. The cake gets its moist, springy texture because it’s lifted with whipped egg whites (and the tiniest spoonful of baking powder for extra stability).

It bakes up thick and rustic, with a crumb that is somehow both airy and pleasantly damp (a weird but accurate descriptor). I find it to be somewhere between cake and a pumpkin pie filling, just without the crust. It’s a perfect non-pie dessert for Thanksgiving (or any fall occasion), and has the added benefit of being gluten- and grain-free. I will always love a dessert that can feed more of my people, especially if it involves copious amounts of fresh whipped cream.

On a separate note, I’m feeling a little more consistent in my baking and blogging as we get toward the holidays, so expect to see more of me. I’ve been sharing my daily baking adventures (the highs and the lows) over on my Instagram stories. I’ve been loving the feedback and learning what y’all want to see from me. It’s all fall Maine content for this weekend, but I’ll be back in the kitchen next week. Come follow along, if you like.

Flourless Pumpkin Almond Cake
makes 1 8-inch round cake, about 8-10 servings

4 large egg whites, room temperature
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/3 cup pure pumpkin purée
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (measured by spoon & level)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt

For serving:
whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8-inch round pan. Line the bottom with parchment and grease again. Set aside.

Separate egg yolks from whites. Reserve 3 egg yolks for this recipe; set 1 egg yolk aside for a different use. Reserve all 4 whites in a very clean, dry bowl, for whipping.

Combine almond flour, light brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer on low speed to mix the ingredients together—this will take all of 15 seconds. Add 3 egg yolks, pumpkin purée, melted butter, and vanilla, then mix until combined. The mixture will be very thick.

Wash and dry mixer attachments, along with a medium mixing bowl. I also like to wipe down the equipment with vinegar, just to ensure that everything is completely clean before I add the egg whites. There is no way to salvage this recipe if the egg whites are contaminated with oil, yolk, or even water.

Transfer 4 egg whites to the very clean, dry medium mixing bowl. Use the very clean, dry electric mixer to whip them until stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.

Stir 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the almond mixture. Gently fold half the remaining egg whites into the mixture, followed by the other half.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Scatter sliced almonds over the top. Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until firm in the center and not visibly damp.

Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes before running a thin, flexible knife around the edge of the cake. Invert cake onto a clean plate. Remove parchment. Revert onto a serving plate or cakestand. Let cool completely before slicing. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Leftover cake will keep covered at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to five. It tastes good on the first day, but the flavors deepen over time.

Pumpkin Spice English Muffin Bread

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One great thing about excellent base recipes is that with a little finesse, you can take them in any direction you like. Blondies are one that I mess with often, as is my cream cheese sugar cookie dough, as are so many other things.

Take my English Muffin Bread, for instance. It comes together in one bowl and two loaf pans, requires exactly one rise, and bakes up tall in half an hour. When sliced thick and toasted, it’s soft inside and crispy-craggy on the edges, just like a really excellent English muffin. And that’s fantastic—no notes. But sometimes the creative urge overtakes me and I just have to mess with perfection.

Today, we’re starting with that excellent formula and giving it a little autumnal twist. With a hefty scoop of pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, and just enough brown sugar for flavor (not overwhelming sweetness), this Pumpkin Spice English Muffin Bread makes a cozy, delicious breakfast.

It’s got enough pumpkin flavor to fulfill a seasonal craving without overwhelming whatever is spread over and nestled into all those craggy bits. I kept my toppings classic here with just a little butter, but honestly, Pumpkin Spice English Muffin Bread makes the best Cinnamon Toast. Heck, you could even sub some of the cinnamon sugar for pumpkin pie spice sugar and really drive that autumnal vibe home.

No matter what you do to it though, this bread is fantastic. Like I said: no notes.

Pumpkin Spice English Muffin Bread
makes 2 loaves

For the pans:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3-4 tablespoons cornmeal

Bread Dough:
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or bread flour)
4 tablespoons granulated sugar or packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
4 1/2 teaspoons (2 packages) instant yeast
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pure pumpkin purée
1/2 cup whole milk (warm to the touch, not hot)
1 2/3 cups warm water

For proofing:
plastic wrap
oil, butter or cooking spray

For serving:
butter
jam
honey

Grease 2 9x5-inch loaf pans with butter. Add cornmeal and rotate pans so that the entire insides are coated in a thin layer. Tap out and discard excess cornmeal.

In a medium-large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt and instant yeast.

In a large liquid measuring cup (or other vessel) whisk together melted butter, pumpkin purée, warm milk, and warm water. It should be warm to the touch (90-110F) but not hot.

Whisk/stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients in two installments. Stir until a sticky, shaggy dough forms and flour is coated, then stir an additional 30 seconds to make sure things are saturated.

Grease your hands, then divide dough into prepared pans. Grease 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Lay them loosely over the top of each loaf pan.

Place pans in a warm, draft-free environment for 45-60 minutes, or until the dough has risen just above the tops of the pans. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 400F.

When dough is ready, gently peel off and discard plastic wrap. Dough may seem a bit wet and jiggly. Gently place pans in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden all over. The interior temperature should be at least 190F.

Immediately turn bread out onto a rack. Let cool completely so crumb structure can set. Do not slice into bread until it is completely cool.

Slice and toast before serving. Leftovers will keep well-wrapped in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Pumpkin Waffles

Sweetened Condensed Milk Pumpkin Pie

Sugar Cookie Pumpkin Pies

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During my blog sabbatical, I made a mental list of all the things I wanted to make last year but never found the right moment. These little sugar cookie pies were on it, and I’m so happy they’re on here now, not least because it means we can all both dream about and eat them anytime we want. Having this kind of power could be dangerous, but I’m willing to risk it.

I mean, look at these things. They’ve got thick cookie crusts and plenty of smooth pumpkin filling—a perfect two-bite dessert for when you can’t decide between pie and cookies. Why not both, you know?

Sugar Cookie Pumpkin Pies begin with a batch of Pumpkin Spice Spread. If you’ve yet to try it, it’s exactly what it sounds like: spreadable pumpkin pie filling perfect for toast, s’mores, or putting in pumpkin baked goods. It’s made with pumpkin purée, sweetened condensed milk, a couple of egg yolks, and pumpkin pie spice, and comes together quickly on the stove. It will need to be made ahead so that it can be easily dolloped into the crusts before baking. And yes, the batch makes enough for you to sneak a few bites right out of the jar!

The sugar cookie crusts are the same graham cracker-spiked base I used in my Key Lime Linzers. It comes together pretty quickly and doesn’t need a chill or anything—just press heaping tablespoons into the bottoms and up the sides of your muffin tin to create little crust shapes, then fill and bake! I tested this recipe with with my Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie dough and it worked just as well, but the graham cracker crumbs give these a hint of pie crust flavor that I really love.

The pies bake up in just under twenty minutes—you’ll know they’re ready when the filling has puffed and the cookie crusts are beginning to turn golden. The centers will relax as they cool, and before long it’ll be time to dig in!

Sugar Cookie Pumpkin Pies would be great for a bake sale, a Friendsgiving, or an autumnal tea party, but I made them just because I could. Highly recommend.

Sugar Cookie Pumpkin Pies
makes about 2.5 dozen little pies

Pumpkin Spice Spread:
1 cup pure pumpkin purée (I use Libby’s)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
pinch of Kosher or sea salt

Cookie Crusts:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make the Pumpkin Spice Spread. Place pumpkin in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until slightly drier and a tiny bit darker in color. Remove from heat.

Fill a small pot with 1-2 inches of water. Set a heatproof bowl over the top, ensuring that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Remove bowl and bring water to a simmer.

In the heatproof bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Whisk in pumpkin purée. Place bowl over simmering water, creating a double boiler. Let cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes (it will thicken further as it cools). Remove from heat and let cool for 20 minute before transferring to a heatproof container. Press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface. Let cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to bake, place the oven racks in central positions. Preheat the oven to 350F. Put cupcake liners in two muffin pans. Set aside.

Make the cookie crusts. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Cream in granulated and light brown sugars, followed by the egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients in 3 installments, combining completely after each. Dough may appear crumbly, but should hold together very well when pinched.

Scoop dough in 1 1/2 tablespoon increments and roll into balls. Working with one ball at a time, press it into the bottom and about halfway up the sides of one of the cupcake liners in the pans. This should create a little crust shape with a place in the center for the filling. Repeat the process with remaining cookie dough.

Remove Pumpkin Spice Spread from the refrigerator and give it a stir. Spoon a scant tablespoon into the center of each cookie dough crust. When this is done, wet your finger and smooth out any peaks.

Tap full pans on the counter 5 times to release any air bubbles. Bake sugar cookie pies for 16-18 minutes, or until puffed in the centers and turning golden at the edges. Let sugar cookie pies cool in their pans for 10 minutes before removing to cooling racks to cool completely. Once cool, you may peel off cupcake liners.

Sugar Cookie Pumpkin Pies will keep at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5.

e2 bakes brooklyn

sweets & sass from a baking brooklynite.