Carrie Fehr

Kitchen Garden Food

Tag: Spices

Butternut Pumpkin Muffins


Super moist and bursting with fall flavor, these butternut pumpkin muffins are inspired by Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, a beloved local gem known for its artisanal pastry, cakes, and breads. This recipe has become a family favorite, enjoyed not only as muffins but as a travel cake when baked in a loaf pan. It’s perfect with tea, at breakfast, or as a dessert. 

Butternut Pumpkin Muffins

Adapted from Tartine, by Elizabeth Prueitt.

To make the travel cake variation of this Butternut Pumpkin muffin recipe, lightly butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Prepare the recipe steps for Butternut Pumpkin muffins and scoop the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 325˚F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups unbleached flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp allspice

1 cup + 2 tbsp butternut squash puree, see recipe below for butternut squash purée

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds for topping

Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake paper liners.

Directions:

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice into a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl beat together butternut squash puree, oil, sugar, maple syrup, and salt until well mixed.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add the flour mixture to the butternut squash and mix until smooth.  Do not over mix.

Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.  Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the top of the muffins.

Bake about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan before removing.

Butternut Squash Purée

2 pounds butternut squash

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut the butternut squash into sixths.  Put the butternut squash and water in a roasting pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil.  Bake about 1 hour, it should be soft.  Remove the seeds and skin, and purée in a blender until creamy.

Soft Glazed Gingerbread Cookies

Springerle IMG_0079Classic glazed gingerbread cookies with a hint of molasses and a peppery kick of spices —look like an absolute work of art!  These hand-pressed cookies are formed from a traditional Springerle wood mold that leave an impression of an artisan ceramic tile. A spice lover’s dream that will steal the show at every holiday treat table.

Springerle

Soft Glazed Gingerbread Cookies

Adapted from Elisabeth Prueitt’s Tartine cookbook.  Springerle cookie molds can be purchased from House on the Hill.

Ingredients:

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon white pepper

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

½ cup molasses

2 tablespoons rice syrup

Glaze:

Mix ½ cup confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon water until smooth.

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, white pepper, baking soda, and salt.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix butter until creamy.  Add sugar and mix until completely incorporated.  Add egg and mix well.  Add the molasses, rice syrup and then mix until combined.  Gradually add the flour mixture, and beat together until fully incorporated.

Remove dough and flatten it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate over night.

Springerle dough

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place dough on a floured work surface.  Using a rolling pin roll out the dough about 1/3 inch thick, then lightly dust with flour.  Using a cookie mold, press over the dough and trim the edges using a knife.

Springerle tiles

Set the cookie shape on the prepared baking sheet leaving about a 1-inch space between each one.  Bake 7-12 minutes, remove from baking pan and set on a cooling rack.  While still warm, brush the glaze over the cookies with a pastry brush.  Makes 24 cookies, 3×3- inch.