cooking |

It’s Halloween Week! (yes, week) so we’ve got the perfect pumpkin recipe from the scarily beautiful Bountiful…

ROASTED-PUMPKIN ICE CREAM

MAKES ABOUT 1½ QUARTS (1.5 L)

It seems as if just a few years ago it was almost impossible to find pie pumpkins, even in October, but now we are seeing them everywhere. Yay! Roasting a pumpkin for puree is one of the most minimal-effort-for-maximum-gain-over-store-bought things you can do in the kitchen. Make sure to use pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins, not the jack-o’-lantern behemoths—those big boys don’t have the best taste or texture. If you are roasting a large heirloom pumpkin, cutting it in half and roasting it on an oiled sheet pan, cut side down, will shorten the cooking time.

INGREDIENTS

1 small pie pumpkin (makes about 2 cups / 480ml puree)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¹⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ cup (55g) packed brown sugar

1 quart (1L) of store-bought vanilla ice cream

(see Note)

NOTE: There is a long way and a short way to make this ice cream. Go crazy and make your own vanilla rum ice cream, stirring the puree and spices into the ice cream just after you finish churning. Or for the short version, let a container of your favourite vanilla ice cream soften up, then stir in the pumpkin and spices.

DIRECTIONS

1 Turn the oven to 375°F (190°C); you do not need to preheat.

2 Place the pumpkin on a sheet pan and roast for about 1 hour, until it feels soft when you press its sides. Remove it from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

3 Split the pumpkin open and remove all the seeds and stringy bits, then scrape out the flesh. Puree the flesh in a blender or food processor until smooth.

4 Stir the vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and brown sugar into the puree.

5 Allow the ice cream to soften and stir in the puree. You may either serve the soft ice cream immediately or allow it to harden up in the freezer before serving.

We’re spooked by how much we’re drooling over this right now!

Bountiful, 9781617690488, STC, October ‘13, £21.99

For those wanting to try something more than lemon & sugar today (classic as it is!) Try our The Ultimate “Puffy” Pancakes from Yvette Van Boven’s Home Made Summer!

The Ultimate “Puffy” Pancakes

FOR A BIG PILE OF 20 PANCAKES

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (20 g) baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp (1 envelope) vanilla sugar, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
7 tbsp (100 g) butter, cut into chunks, plus more for the pan
1½ cups (350 ml) milk
2 large eggs, beaten

FOR SERVING

½ pint (200 g) raspberries
¾ cup (200 g) crème fraîche
superfine sugar for garnish

In a big bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and the plain and vanilla sugar (if using extract, add it later). Combine the butter and milk in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the vanilla extract, if using.

Pour the warm milk-butter mixture into the flour mixture in the bowl while stirring, then whisk until all the lumps are dissolved.

Beat in the eggs.

Heat 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium heat and pour three ladlefuls of batter into the pan, slightly apart so you have three small pancakes.

Cook for about 3 minutes, or until small holes break out on the surface, then flip and cook them for 2 minutes on the other side. Repeat with more butter and the remaining batter. Keep the cooked pancakes warm on a plate covered with foil in a low oven while you cook the rest.

Serve with raspberries, crème fraîche, and a sprinkle of superfine sugar.