Project Food Blog #8 - Spiced Pumpkin Rocky Road Cake

Voting for Round 8 of Project Food Blog is now open. Please visit Foodbuzz to cast your vote! Thank you for your continued support!

It's the holidays - time to get wild.

I think one of my favorite things about the holidays is breaking rules.

I get to graze the buffet of food at family and friends houses nearly nonstop for days without being bothered. I can stay up late visiting and enjoying time with family, then sleep in late and blame it on an overdose of all the delicious food.

And who said pumpkin desserts have to be orange? Instead of showing up at someone's door with the same ole pumpkin pie, I show up with a cake that has its own gravitational pull. I do enjoy breaking food rules.

Also, fresh pumpkin purée is easier than the canning gods would have you believe. Just cut, scoop, and roast. My local co-op was selling organic sugar pumpkins, or pie pumpkins, for only 99 cents a pound. I was able to make 4 cups of organic pumpkin purée for $4 and roughly 10 min of physical work. And the rest of the cake was simple as well. In fact, if you put it together in steps over a few days, it will feel like you barely did any work at all. You'll be able to show up at any holiday shindig and just smile sweetly while enjoying a piece of this delicious cake listening to people gush about all your "hard" efforts.

Plus, in the spirit of the holidays, I'm going to share with you the secret to cooking with pumpkin purée, fresh or canned - drain it. Pumpkins contain a lot of water, which is rarely accounted for in recipes. To ensure the dish you're making is not watery or overcooked, drain the purée in several tea towels or a bundle of paper towels (preferably some tea towels though since they can just be washed rather than thrown away). The first time you do this step, you'll realize how important it is to your recipe's success in both the consistency and taste.

Pumpkin and chocolate are quite the edible pair. I love how the fresh pumpkin is not overwhelmed by the dark chocolate; instead it brings a complimentary sweetness to the dessert. The trifecta of spices makes it feel like a pumpkin pie might be hiding in the cake somewhere, but the chocolate siren already has you transfixed into a state of bliss with her familiar song. The familiar flavors come alive in a fresh new way in this cake with each mouth watering bite. It's complete bliss at the best time of the year. Cheers.

How To Roast A Pumpkin
Printable Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400*F.

Clean the pumpkin well. Using a large knife, cut the pumpkin in half.

Use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds (save the seeds for an upcoming recipe!).

Sprinkle the pumpkin flesh with a pinch of kosher salt. Use a baking sheet with a lip and place the pumpkins face down on parchment paper. Rub the skin with olive oil to help the flesh pull away more cleanly once baked. Roast in the oven for 45 min.

Allow to cool for 1 hour.

Then scoop out the roasted pumpkin. Then use a food processor to blend the pumpkin for 3 min into a smooth purée.

Store in tupperware temporarily in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 6 months.

To drain the pumpkin purée for use in recipes, take the needed measurement of purée and place it between several layers of tea towels or paper towels.

Press down gently on the purée to level it into a flat disk and ensure most of the water is drained from the purée before adding to a recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Marshmallows

Printable Recipe

1/2 cup filtered water

3/4 cup turbinado

1/2 cup raw honey

1 1/2 tbsp agar agar or 1 tbsp guar gum*

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup pumpkin purée

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp clove

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Butter a 9x9 glass baking pan, layer parchment paper to include the sides, then butter the parchment paper. Sprinkle several tbsp of powdered sugar over the buttered paper and smooth with your hand to ensure the pan is covered. Set aside.

In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the water, turbinado, and raw honey. Bring to a boil and, using a candy thermometer, allow the mixture to reach 235-240*F. Do not stir and do not cook for more than 8 min, or it will begin to burn.

Remove from the heat and add the agar agar. Allow the mixture to sit on the stove for 15 min.

Using a stand mixture, add the egg whites to the chilled mixing bowl and beat for 3 min on high speed. Next, slowly drizzle the stove mixture into the whipped egg whites in small batches, which will take approximately 5 min.

Keep the beater on high speed and add the pumpkin purée in small spoonfuls. Then add the spices and vanilla at the very end and only mix until combined.

Use a spatula to smooth the marshmallow into the 9x9 pan.

Using a sieve, top with several tbsp powdered sugar. Refrigerate for at least 4 hrs, but preferably overnight.

When ready, flip the marshmallow out of the pan onto a smooth surface covered with parchment paper, topped with more powdered sugar. Use a pizza cutter to cut the marshmallow into desired pieces; or use any cookie cutter - remembering to dip it into powdered sugar between each cut to prevent the marshmallows from being sticky (::ahem::). Marshmallows can be stored in an air tight container on the counter for several days.

~Yields 48 1" marshmallows.

~Original by Brie.

*Guar gum can be used to thicken the marshmallows, but will leave a distinct flavor that cannot be covered up with other ingredients.

Chocolate Pumpkin Ganache
Printable Recipe

24 oz 60% cacao chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 sticks butter, cut into 1 oz pieces
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
1 tsp cinnamon

Place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a heat-proof bowl over a small pot of simmering water on the stove. Stir occasionally until fully melted.

Remove from the heat and, in 4 oz increments, whisk in the butter until fully incorporated.

The ganache will need to sit at room temperature for at least an hour before it will cool and be thick enough to spread onto the cake. The ganache can also be temporarily stored covered in the refrigerator, but will need to come to room temperature to be spreadable.

~Yields 6 cups ganache.

~Original by Brie.

Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Cake
Printable Recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cup cocoa
4 tsp baking powder
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups pumpkin purée
4 tsp vanilla
3 sticks butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups turbinado
6 large eggs
2 egg yolks

First, butter four 9" round pie pans. Cut out circular pieces of parchment paper and lay them on the bottom, buttering the top of the parchment paper once it's in the pan. Preheat the oven to 375*F.

In a large bowl, stir together the ingredients of flour through salt. Then sift the ingredients together well to ensure the dry ingredients are mixed thoroughly and does not contain lumps.

In a second bowl, stir together the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla. Set both bowls aside.

In a large mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars for 1 min. Then add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time until fully combined. Then add the dry and wet ingredients into the mixer in thirds on low. Stop the mixer and scrap down the sides, then mix for a few seconds on medium speed to ensure the batter is fully incorporated.

Using a spatula, spoon the batter evenly into all pans and smooth down. Bake in the oven for 25 min. Allow to cool for 10 min, then transfer to a cooling rack to allow the cakes to reach room temperature.

Once completely cooled, use a long knife to smoothly level the top of each cake (you can also use this time to slice each layer in half if you would prefer thinner layers of cake or just to show off the fact you have an eight layer cake).

Use your hands to feel the top of the cake to ensure it is smooth and flat.

~Yields 4 cakes.

~Adapted from Country Living.

Putting the Cake Together

2 cups chopped walnuts
1/4 cup 60% cacao chocolate chips
1/2 cup Pumpkin Pie Marshmallows

Place one cake on the serving platter. Use three strips of parchment paper and place under the cake in a triangle pattern to prevent the ganache from touching the platter while icing.

Using an icing spatula, place 3/4 cup ganache onto the cake and spread until flat. Continue to top with another cake and ganache until all cakes have been placed.

Use most of the remaining icing to smooth the sides of the cake.

With the remaining icing, rewarm over a small pot of steaming water on the stove to melt the ganache. Pour over the top of the cake and allow to drip down the sides of the cake.

Then top with the walnuts, chocolate chips, and marshmallows.

~Yields 8 large slices.

~Original by Brie.

Project Food Blog #3 - Luxury Dinner Party

 You're cordially invited to the Autumn Potato Feast!

In the third challenge for Project Food Blog, I was so excited to have the fortune to throw a Luxury Dinner Party. I love entertaining and cooking for family and friends. I normally cook any dish that sounds tantalizing and do not worry too much about a theme or intricate decorating since I'm more focused on the time with people and delicious flavor of the food. However, I love a challenge and developed a theme and plan on how to throw a luxurious dinner party everyone would enjoy.

I love autumn and the new feelings this time of year brings. The air becomes crisp and cooling, and scenery anew with a speckling of color from the changing leaves. The house is normally filled with the smells of apple cider and spices from baking comforting cookies and apple butter. It's a happy time of year that comes out often through food.

Since the potato harvest is soon upon us, the market is beginning to fill with all kinds of potatoes. Growing up with a tasting of Native American recipes often included potatoes, so this is a vegetable my siblings and I thoroughly enjoy. I decided to use potato in every course at dinner and use more delicate recipes to showcase many of the capabilities this humble vegetable can perform.

Throwing my sisters a luxurious dinner party could not have come at a better time. My middle sister, Kate, just moved into a new place and my youngest sister, Autumn, just turned 18. I wanted to throw them a dinner to celebrate their new chapters and celebrate being together. Since I live several hours north, we do not have opportunities to spend time together like we used to. Although my ingredients may not evoke feelings of luxury, the time spent with my sisters was priceless. The ability to sit down as adults together and share a home cooked meal and catch up about the events in our lives is what defines luxury for me.

A successful dinner party begins with planning ahead. By mapping out a meal plan and executing it in sections will ensure everything is ready in time without being rushed, and allowing time for the unexpected. Following a theme is usually easier to account for seasonal ingredients and the amount of time you have to dedicate overall in preparation. When the party is over, your guests will be left with its memory - make sure you've planned well enough to make it a great one, no matter how simplistic or elaborate the party may be. Below is my plan for this dinner party which can be adopted for any dinner party you're throwing:

Three Days Before

• Prepare a final meal plan and go shopping

Two Days Before

• Prepare the gnocchi dough and store in the refrigerator
• Cook & store the windowpane potatoes in a tupperware on the counter; store the aioli sauce in the refrigerator

One Day Before

• Cook & store the cheesecake in the refrigerator
• Iron the linens & set aside the dinnerware to be used (or set the table if possible)

The Day of the Party

• Cook the gnocchi and sage sauce
• Prepare & cook the hasselback potatoes
• Prepare & cook the red potatoes
• Prepare the martinis
• Leave time to get ready!

Some of these recipes take time and attempting to do them all on the same day is overwhelming. Plus if anything goes amiss, you'll have time to start over or make adjustments without becoming stressed. You should also enjoy the party as much as your guests!

My sisters joined me in the kitchen for some of the final touches to the meal. They kept ogling the new items to eat and complimented how amazing the kitchen smelled. The aioli sauce caught their attention from the garlic lingering in the air. Guests at your party often like to feel helpful, so it's nice to have something small but interesting for them to help with if appropriate. I was able to teach my sisters new recipes by sharing the final touches some dishes with them. It helped start and keep the conversation going, plus I learned new things about them at the same time.

We had a wonderful evening enjoying each course, catching up with each other, and our childhood friend, Krissy. And thank you to Alex, Kate's boyfriend, who stayed behind the scenes to help take pictures during dinner.

I think honesty is important between family, and they happily said each dish was amazing. Even though every item, including the vodka, was made from potatoes, the flavors were unique enough not to be monotonous or dull. The martinis especially (even the non-alcoholic version for Autumn) put everyone in a fall mood. We even had time to make some holiday plans over dinner - and everyone expects to see some of these dishes make a second appearance at the dinner table this year. The cheesecake will have an encore presentation for certain.

From the Far Left: Autumn, Kate, Brie, & Krissy

Good luck throwing your own dinner party - just remember it's your celebration, too.

Brown Sugar Vodka Martinis

Printable Recipe

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

4 tbsp butter

2 oz vodka

2 oz apple cider
cinnamon sticks

In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar and spices. Melt the butter over low heat, then pour into the bowl and mix thoroughly. 

Place 2 tsp of the sugar mixture in the bottom of each martini glass. Pour in the vodka and apple cider. Garnish with a cinnamon stick in order to stir the drink together before enjoying. (Can also be made with just apple cider for a non-alcoholic drink.)

~Original by Brie.

Windowpane Russet Potatoes with Aioli Sauce

Printable Recipe

Potatoes

2 large russet potatoes

fresh herbs - cilantro, dill, Italian parsley, sage

butter

Wash and dry each potato. Use a mandoline on the thinnest setting, preferably at 0.5mm (I actually use mine in the locked position for this recipe). Slice the potatoes lengthwise to get long, paper-thin slices. After both potatoes have been sliced, place several slices at a time on a tea towel to cover, press, and dry.

Preheat the oven to 400*F. Butter a baking sheet and lay as many slices down as possible without any touching. Place a spring of dill or another herb leaf down per slice, then top with another potato slice and press gently to ensure no air is in the center. Top with parchment paper, a second baking sheet, and a heavy pan. Cook for 20 min until lightly brown and crispy.

Aioli

1 large clove of garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 tbsp mayonnaise

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the pieces of garlic into a paste. Add the olive oil and mix well. Add the salt, pepper, and mayonnaise and stir together. Serve in the mortar.

~ Adapted from Cooking Light.

Purple Potato Gnocchi in a Sage Cream Sauce

Printable Recipe

Gnocchi

kosher salt

28 oz purple potatoes

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour + extra for shaping

In a large pot filled with water over high heat, bring to a boil and add 2 tbsp kosher salt. Add the purple potatoes and allow to boil for 45 min.

Remove the purple potatoes from the pot one at a time with a slotted spoon. Using a small knife, cut in half and peel off the skin. Feel for any knots on the ends or from the eyes and cut off. Once all the purple potatoes have been peeled, use a fork to scrap the potatoes and deconstruct them, trying to avoid mashing them.

Shape the potatoes into a mound with a well in the middle. Crack the egg in the center and pour 1 cup flour over the potatoes. Begin mixing together and once the flour has been incorporated, add the other 1 cup flour, adding more until it is no longer tacky.

Separate the potato dough into six pieces. Roll each piece into a log and cut into squares no bigger than 1 inch. Sprinkle flour over the pieces before moving them aside so they do not stick together. 

Once the pieces have been cut, use a gnocchi board or a fork to shape the distinct ridges into the gnocchi. (Store on a baking sheet in the refrigerator if not cooking right away.)

Sage Cream Sauce

2 tbsp butter

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

1 cup white wine

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sage, finely chopped

In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the shallot. Cook for 5 min until browned, then add the pecans and cook for 2 min stirring occasionally. Then add the white wine, heavy cream, and sage and stir well. Allow it to simmer over low heat while cooking the gnocchi.

Cooking the Gnocchi

When ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to boil with 2 tbsp kosher salt. Carefully add the gnocchi in batches of 25 pieces. The gnocchi are ready to remove when they float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the sage cream sauce and stir. Continue until all the gnocchi are cooked and well blended in the sage cream sauce. Serve immediately.

~Yields 6 servings.

~Adapted from 101 Cookbooks & Epicurious.

Yukon Gold Hasselback Potatoes

Printable Recipe

4 Yukon gold poatoes

4 large garlic cloves

olive oil

kosher salt

black pepper

butter

Wash and dry each potato. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice very thin sections from one end of the potato to the other. Go slow and hold the potato steady. Do not allow the knife to reach the cutting board. Use a mandoline set on the thinnest setting, 0.5 mm, to slice each garlic clove very thinly. Place a slice of garlic between each potato section.

Once all the potatoes are sliced, heat the oven to 425*F. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then top with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven for 30 - 35 min. The skin should be crispy, but the inside still soft. Once removed from the oven, top each potato with 1 tbsp butter and serve warm.

~Yields 4 servings.

~Recipe by Seasaltwithfood.

Roasted Red Potatoes & Crimini Mushrooms

Printable Recipe

4 large red potatoes, chopped

8 crimini mushrooms, chopped

1 small yellow onion, chopped

olive oil

kosher salt

black pepper

capers

Preheat the oven to 425*F. Place the chopped vegetables on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 - 25 min. Remove from the oven and plate, then top with capers.

~Yields 4 servings.

~Adapted from Simply Recipes.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Broiled Marshmallows

Printable Recipe

Crust

35 ginger snap cookies

1/4 cup pecans

1 stick butter

Cheesecake

3 8oz packages cream cheese

3 eggs

2 tbsp maple syrup

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp clove

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp flour

1 cup sweet potato (1 large sweet potato)

Topping

1 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

3 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp brown sugar

+ jumbo marshmallows

First, preheat the oven to 450*F and bake a sweet potato for 45 min.

For the crust, grind the ginger snap cookies into a powder in the food processor. Then add the pecans and pulse a few times until incorporated. Pour into a large bowl. Melt the butter over medium heat on the stove, then add to the cookie mixture and stir until fully combined. Press into the bottom of a buttered 9x9 glass baking pan and set aside.

In a mixer, add the ingredients of cream cheese through maple syrup and combine until smooth. Then peel the baked sweet potato and add the flesh to the cream cheese mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Some small pieces of sweet potato may remain which is okay. Pour onto the crust and bake for 45 - 55 min at 325*F until just the center remains a little wobbly.

While the cheesecake bakes, combine all the topping ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Store in the refrigerator until the cheesecake has cooled for 30 min, then smooth on top. Allow the cheesecake to cool for at least 4 hours before serving, although overnight would be best.

Before serving,  place a few jumbo marshmallows on a baking sheet and broil for 15 - 20 seconds until brown on top. Use a fork to transfer to the tops of each piece, then serve.

~Yields 9 servings.

~Adapted from Homesick Texan.