Age Old Rituals: Pumpkin King Cake

Today is Shrove Tuesday.  A day in which we are "to shrive" or, for those who speak modern English... a day of celebratory penance.

Traditionally, Shrove Tuesday has been set aside as a day to confess one's sins, receive absolution, and thus, free one's self from sin and guilt... before entering into the somber and penitential season known within the Christian and Catholic churches, as Lent.

At some point, we interpreted this to mean... "drink as much alcohol as humanly possible and show your breasts to strangers, in order to collect cheap beads and trinkets."

What?  You don't see the connection?

God is... so proud of us.

If flashing a neighbor is out of the question and confession isn't really up your alley... try a King Cake.  Pumpkin style. (There are lots and lots of King Cake recipes out there, and this one, is a conglomeration... but surprisingly, I didn't find a single one, which included pumpkin! So there you go.)

What you'll need:

For the cake/pastry
1/2 Cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Package active dry yeast
1/3 Cup warm water (110*F/45*C)
1/4 Cup white sugar
1 Egg
3/4 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon nutmeg
2-3/4 Cups flour

For the filling
1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 Cup pecans (chopped)
1/4 Cup flour
1/4 Cup melted butter
1/2 Cup pumpkin puree

For the icing
1/2 Cup confectioners sugar
1-1/2 Teaspoons water
Colored sugar
A bean of your choosing

Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.

When yeast mixture is frothy, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the egg. Stir in the remaining sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

While that's doing its thing, combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, and 1/2 cup flour. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.  Add the puree and stir.

Roll dough out into a large rectangle (approximately 10x16 inches or so). Spread the filling evenly over the dough and roll tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the widest side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form an oval shaped ring. (Mine lost it's oval-ness, but tasted just fine.) Place on a greased or parchment covered cookie sheet. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.  Preheat your oven to 375*.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push a doll or a bean into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the powdered sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.  Sprinkle with colored sugar, according to your preference.

Cut a piece while it's still warm, and Oh. My. Gosh.  You'll know then, what it is that you shall "shrive." 

Blessings to you this Shrove Tuesday...

Glamour Shots: Pumpkin Rangoons

I'm sitting here, watching the Golden Globes... 

Beauty, brains, fabulous dresses, gainful employment, success.  ALL THINGS I WANT.

Those are in no particular order, by the way.

But did I mention the dresses?
















I'm a bit distracted by her unkempt eyebrows...but who am I to judge?  I haven't shaved my legs in three months. 

Brett is a lucky, lucky man.

And then there was this one.... simple, elegant, beautiful. 

The glasses are overkill... but it's Hollywood.  What do you expect?  And yes, Claire, we get it... you're cool.

Anyway, for this fancy affair, I made Pumpkin Rangoons (baked, not fried, like any good starlet).

What you'll need:

Wonton papers (found in Asian speciality stores)

1 Cup pumpkin puree

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Teaspoon honey

1 Teaspoon powdered sugar

1 Teaspoon cinnamon

1 Teaspoon nutmeg

Dash of ginger

2 oz. or 2 Servings of light cream cheese

Preheat oven to 325* and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut wonton papers into even squares.  Most packages come in 8x8 sheets, allowing you to make four wontons out of each sheet.  Mix all ingredients together and please note, that you can be overly generous with your spices... this is not rocket science.  Or like sitting through Meet Joe Black. Which might just be, the most tedious, longest, most inane movie ever made.  In 1998. 

I'm a little old school.

Dollop a rounded spoonful onto each wonton paper, which has previously been cut into even squares.  Wet your fingertips and scrunch those suckers together so they look like little elegant, drawstring, evening bags. Place them gently on your baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes.  They'll start to brown, so keep a watchful eye one them.  Take them out and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before serving.  Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

And don't let this happen: 

Eeeeeeeverybody wants to be a star.

Anyway.  Devour.

Love.

And call your publicist.  You're gonna have some 'splanin to do in the morning.

Eat My Words: Pumpkin Toaster Strudels

Disclaimer: Our computer died on Thanksgiving night.  That's why I'm so late in updating.  I was grieving.

So, I had to go and make a snide little joke about getting an unfortunate headcold, before my big day of walking.

And guess who got herself a headcold?

I sneezed so many times, I started to loose bladder control.  Only other women will know what I'm talking about here.

Then today, I coughed so hard, I'm pretty sure I cracked a rib.  No joke.  I can't bend over, lay down, or sit in a chair.  I've gotten very comfortable standing, while I eat dinner. I'm still a little uncomfortable doing other things while standing. But I won't go there.

Anyway, all that's to say... I did not do the 5k.  (Hangs head in shame.)  I know.  I felt horribly... while I stayed warmly tucked into my sweatpants, my family braved the 14* morning to exercise.

Here's my husband, parents, and Aunt...

Apparently, something on my Aunt's hiney was very interesting.

While Brett and my Dad were off trying to keep up with my Aunt and my Mom... I made Pumpkin Toaster Strudels.  Oh.  My.  Yummy.

What you'll need, to feel the desire to lick your fingers, like so (hey, he earned it!):

Pumpkin Butter (find the recipe here)

Puff Pastry

Powered Sugar

Half and Half

Thaw your frozen pastry for about 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375*.  Cut into 4x10 strips.  Ladle approximately two tablespoons of Pumpkin Butter onto one half of the strip, and fold the dough over on  itself.  Crimp the edges really good with a crimper or a fork.  Bake for 35 minutes or until beautifully gold and flaky.  

While their baking, take about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and a tablespoon or two of half and half (any milk or even water, will do just as well) and mix to make a runny, glaze-ish, type icing.  When the pastries come out of the oven, plate them up and drizzle the icing on top.

Still can't believe I wasn't able to walk the 5k (you'll notice I've dropped ALL launguage that involves running, jogging, or otherwise exerting massive amounts of energy). 

Maybe next year. Yeah.  Next year.