Pumpkin Week
We begin the week with chocolate chip pumpkin bread. We will probably end the week with chocolate chip pumpkin bread too, we love it so much. It’s full of anti-oxidants and beta carotene and all kinds of vegetable wonders. And some sugar and butter and chocolate, too. All things good for you. Chocolate chip pumpkin bread will make you smarter. It will make you younger. It will make you more beautiful. It will fill your house with aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg and pumpkin. You should make some right now. Then you should give thanks.
Of course, Pumpkin Week also includes pumpkin pie. Mmmmmm – warm, custardy pumpkin pie, with a cool dollop of whipped cream melting across the top. This is living. Pumpkin pie is one of the most special things about Thanksgiving. I only make it once a year, and I always use the recipe printed on the back of the can of Libby’s pumpkin. It’s a very reliable recipe.
Of course, reliable can be a little boring, so you’re free to personalize your pie any way you want. If you’re really fussy, you can cut out little leaves and acorns from the pastry and scatter them across the top of the pie. Or you can mix a little cinnamon into your whipped cream. But if you’re seeking a subtle, decadent way to make your pie the most delicious, satisfying pumpkin concoction you’ve ever served, try this:
And this:
Whiskey adds a nice little punch to pie crust. Just substitute it for the water. Toss it gently into your shortening and flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the pastry barely sticks together. You can use a little more liquid with this method because the alcohol helps keep the pastry from becoming too thick and heavy. A shot of whiskey equals a flaky crust, and surprisingly, lends only a smidgen of flavor to the finished product.
But the cream….oh, the cream. One year I found myself halfway through my pumpkin pie preparation, with no evaporated milk to be found in my house. You’d think I would remember this one very important, very specific ingredient. And I did remember it. I wrote it on my Thanksgiving shopping list, and I know I tossed a can or two into my grocery cart. But somehow it never made it home.
The day was saved when I found a carton of cream in my refrigerator,and substituted it for the evaporated milk. You should always keep cream around the house. A smidgen of cream where 2% milk normally goes launches so many foods into the stratosphere of deliciousness. A nudge of cream in my morning latte makes me feel loved. Cream makes mashed potatoes softer, gentler, kinder. And don’t even think of alfredo sauce without cream. It can’t be done. Just can’t. In a pie, cream takes standard pumpkin custard and turns it into a warm embrace. It wraps you in blankets of love. It compels you to give thanks for cows.
But, although pouring cream where you expect evaporated milk might be rich and satisfying, it is not particularly good for your cholesterol levels. So for good health, start your day with a cinnamon, gingery pumpkin smoothy.
Pumpkin, spices, vanilla yogurt, a splash of milk – all very healthy. Mix 'em up any way you like, then top it off with chopped spiced pecans. Then go for a hike. You’ll be glad you did. Happy Thanksgiving.
Here's the recipe for the best chocolate chip pumpkin bread ever:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
Beat together butter, pumpkin, eggs and water. Sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda, spices and salt, then stir in the chocolate chips to coat well. Combine the dry ingredients with the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Pour batter into loaf pans ( one 9x5 inch, or two small loaf pans). Bake for one and a quarter to one and a half hours. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. Bread should be very moist.
