Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
Makes 1 cup (I made a double recipe for the cake)
5 Tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
Pinch of cayenne pepper to taste
1½ Tbsp canola oil
Preheat oven to 200°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat shelled seeds for just a few minutes.
In a medium bowl combine 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar melts and pumpkin seeds begin to caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds. Transfer to bowl with spices, and stir well to coat. Let cool. These may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 3-ounce package cream cheese
¼ cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsp orange juice
In a mixing bowl beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Spread over cooled cake; sprinkle with chopped nuts or seeds (see my recipe above for sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds). Cover and store in refrigerator. I made approximately 3 batches to cover the entire cake and fill.
Pumpkin Molasses Cake
2 tsp grated orange peel
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup canned pumpkin
¼ cup molasses
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Grease and lightly flour two nine inch rounds. Place precut 9-inch parchment paper rounds in the bottom of pans and then lightly grease and flour that, too.
2. Combine the first 6 ingredients. Beat butter about 30 seconds.
3. Add brown sugar and beat until well combined.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each.
5. Combine buttermilk, pumpkin, and molasses.
6. Add dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture alternately to beaten mixture, beating after each addition.
7. Pour batter into pans about half to a little more full.
8. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 to 45 minutes or until done.
9. Cool on a wire rack.
10. Cut each round in half and begin layering and filling each layer with cream cheese frosting. Stack each round on top filling each layer as you go.
11. Once the cake is stacked frost the entire cake and then garnish with pumpkin seeds around the entire outside edges of the cake. Sprinkle some seeds on top and then finish with more frosting in a piping bag to make clean bottom and top edges.
Chip, Walnut, Chocolate Cookies
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups freshly milled soft white pastry flour
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