Results tagged “pumpkin” from Bodacious Girl

I. L O V E. Fall.

And for the past many years I have been without. No colors changing, no pumpkin patches, no caramel apples, no hay rides or hot apple cider and smores while snuggling around a roaring fire.

Is it any wonder I went completely crazy and escaped back to the Midwest?

Especially for me who absolutely LOVES HALLOWEEN. I had a good 5 boxes of Halloween decor that came with me to Chicago. Including a life size skeleton which would have sat next to me for the 30 hour drive had I not been lucky enough to procure a co-pilot in Albuquerque... (The labor there is so CHEAP!) Sigh, I do regret not slapping him behind the wheel just for photo's sake...

So September came and went and then here came October and suddenly something in me clicked. I ACTUALLY get to enjoy FALL! I get to bake with pumpkin and not die of heat exhaustion when the 375 degree oven makes my AC turn on in October... I get to enjoy FRESH APPLES! No such thing as fresh apples in AZ... Unless if by fresh you consider 3 week old grocery store pithy vile things. My carved pumpkin wont ROT within 3 days from the SUNS GAMMA RAYS of DEATH. No more MICROWAVE smores... Yay!

But really, bottom line? Pumpkin pumpkin pumpkin!

In the coming weeks we plan on buying some pie pumpkins so we can roast our own and make fresh puree, but till then, to satisfy my cravings, I went and bought myself that old standby can of Libby's pumpkin and baked up some Scary Chocolate Drizzle Pumpkin Scones.

I call them "Scary" because you can easily eat the whole batch... and because unbeknown to me, I bought the last can of pumpkin in the tri-state area due to a "pumpkin shortage".

Gasp!! The horror...

The goods:

1 1/2 C All purpose flour
1/2 C Cake flour
2 T sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t allspice
1/4 t ginger
6 T butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1/3 C buttermilk
1/4 C maple syrup
1 t vanilla

The deal:

Preheat oven to 375°

Cut the butter into small pieces and chill out in freezer.

Cut the cream cheese into small cubes and chill in freezer with the butter. You want the cheese to be slightly frozen.

Mix together the pumpkin, buttermilk, syrup and vanilla until well blended and then also chill out in freezer. Of course as I am quickly learning, you could also just put it out onto your 32° window ledge if you happen to live in Chicago by the LAKE...

Now, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

Retrieve the butter and blend it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or your fingers. This mixture should look like coarse crumbs.

Now do the same with the cream cheese, only less vigorously. You want to see the cream cheese chunks. Do not pulverize them.

Okay, add the buttermilk mixture to the flour and mix just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix. Remember. Want to see chunks of cheese... Cheese good.

Dump this mixture out onto a lightly floured surface, knead a few times to form a flat circle about 1.5" thick and 7"- 8" round. (I tried saying "form a disc" but I kept typing in dick dick dick and I am TRYING, to almost no avail, to keep this site family friendly... god dammit...)

Now cut this circle into 8 pie slices and place on a cookie sheet and put that cookie sheet on top of another sheet so that the bottoms of the scones do not burn and slide it all into your oven...

Bake at 375° for approx 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool. (As opposed to leaving in the oven to cool which, yea, doesn't work...)

The Chocolate Crack Glaze

While the scones are cooling pour 4 oz chocolate chips into a glass bowl. Heat 1/2 c of heavy whipping cream to a boil. Pour cream over the chocolate and slowly stir until blended. Add one T of butter and stir till smooth. Drizzle over scones.

Lick spoon.

Lick bowl.

Fall into sugar coma.

Bribe your friends and family into doing anything you want with the mere promise of one of these amazing scones.

Oh it has been a rough one. The weather here has been so blah. Constant rain storms, dreary dark days, and almost freezing temperatures (Ok well 47 degrees isn't quite freezing but) have given me a nice end of autumn cold. Sniff sniff. So all these cool things I had planned for you, my wonderful groupies - has all but pooofed it's way into oblivion. At least - for now. Next week, we will talk about my favorite Christmas tradition in the whole wide world... so stay tuned.

But now, since I feel so icky ugh blah and even waaaa, I thought I would take this time to let you all in on one of my best kitchen remedies for when you have the sniffies, stuffies and the can-I-just-call-it-and-go-back-to-bed-ies.

We interrupt this recipe to bring you this news update! This just in - Congratulations go out to Jennifer R, Rachael G and Andrea P for their amazing prowess in slyly snatching all that mouthwatering Rocky Mountain Jalapeno Popcorn from my grasp. Sigh... it will be sorely missed. However, Jennifer was kind enough to accept only 14 bags of the 15, so that I can have one for little ole' me. Sniff - is that the spirit of giving or what? Thanks Jennifer, but I open one and then that becomes four, and then fifteen and then I am renting movies with your gift card. It could get ugly.

And now back to our regularly scheduled blog already in progress...

...Serve hot. Enjoy.

Kidding. Ha I am such a hoot, esp. when medicated. :-.

Seriously, here is my favorite recipe for "Tom Yum Make-my-Sniffies Goong Away" Soup. It is mmm so spicy in all the right places. Especially thanks to my gaggle of Thai chili plants out back.

(Makes 4 bowls)

Ingredients:

6 cups all natural - organic low sodium chicken broth (am I picky or what?)
5 lime leaves, crushed (Supposed to be kaffir, but key lime works just as well for me.)
2 stalks lemon grass, chopped. (Or 3 Tablespoons prepared lemongrass.)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
3 fresh thai chili - minced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced (Oyster mushrooms work GREAT here as well)
3 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup), plus more for garnish
3-4 Tablespoons fish sauce (to taste)
10 large fresh peeled shrimp
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro. (Oh I mean coriander for all you anti-cilantro-ites.)
Small handful fresh basil. (Or even Shiso if you can get your hands on it.)
Nam Prik Chili Sauce or Sambal Olek or other Asian chili sauce.
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
Prepared Rice Noodles

In large pot, bring chicken stock, lime leaves and lemongrass to a boil.

Reduce to medium and add the garlic, chili, mushrooms, lime juice and 3 T of fish sauce. Bring to gentle boil for about 5 minutes.

Add shrimp, green onions and tomatoes. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until shrimp are just done. Do not over cook, chewy shrimp does not do a body good. Nor do soggy tomatoes.

Once shrimp are cooked, remove from heat. Taste. If soup needs more salt add a little more fish sauce.

To Serve: In each of the 4 bowls, add some rice noodles and a teaspoon (more of less depending on your love of heat) of chili sauce. Ladle soup into bowls, top with generous amount of basil and cilantro I mean coriander. Serve with lime wedges.

This soup will clear you up, pick you up and give you the energy you need to get through the day when all you would rather do is curl up in bed and be one with daytime TV.

You are looking for a photo aren't you? Funny, me too. See in my head fog, I did not think to have a single charged battery. I blame Enzo.