Sugar Pumpkin Hand-Pies with Ginger Snap Crust

We've had a bit of an Indian Summer in Philadelphia. As Fall has fallen, the 80 degree weather hasn't stopped me from craving some of my favorite Fall harvests. When I saw sugar pumpkin on sale at market, I was giddy to break it down and make the most of it. I think people generally have only ever carved a pumpkin for Halloween to let it rot on their stoop. However there is so much goodness waiting inside! With one pumpkin I made Pumpkin Curry, a Pumpkin pie, half a dozen cupcakes and a whole mess of Cinnamon toasted Pumpkin seeds! I'll assume you're an expert at cutting open the pumpkin, you can tackle it the old fashion way and cut the top and scoop the guts out, or you can halve it and have easier access. I can't tell you what a difference using fresh pumpkin was in this recipe as opposed to the canned variety. Pumpkins also have a great shelf life of around 2 months! So stock up on these fall goodies, throw them on the table or stairs as a festive reminder of the season and use them as you get to them. 

Sugar Pumpkin Hand-Pies with Ginger Snap Crust

makes about 24 hand pies 

Filling- 

2 cups fresh sugar pumpkin, peeled and quartered

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoons salt

2 whole eggs

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon good cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground clove, caramon

Peel & quarter pumpkin. Steam for about 5 minutes, or until tender and mash. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Beat eggs and pour over pumpkin mash, add dry ingredients. Stir in cream and blend till combined. Set aside.

Ginger Snap Crust- 

2 cups gingersnap crumbs, homemade is best (Sweetzels of Philadelphia is my favorite store bought brand)

1/4 cup brown sugar

a dash flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick butter, melted

Combine all dry ingredients and slowly stir in melted butter. In two cupcake pans with liners, press crumb mixture to the bottom of each liner, about a tablespoon. Pour about a 1/4 cup of filling into each cup. Bake for roughly 20 minutes or until a knife comes out from the center clean. Let cool. Top with whipped cream, pumpkin seeds or ice cream!

Bison Shepard's Pie

As we head into the cool months my bones ache for hearty & filling meals. This delicious Shepard's pie or cottage pie, is a wonderful and easy way to use up those potatoes you've had sitting around or make use of the new abundance of squash from market. I originally used ground turkey for this recipe, but I really like the lean flavor of the bison. Beef or lamb are also great choices. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand and this pie also makes great leftovers!

Bison Shepard's Pie

• 2 lbs potatoes (3-4 big ones)
• 1 acorn squash
• 5 tablespoons butter 
• 3 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs ground bison
• 1 cups stock (veg, beef, etc, homemade is best)
• 2 cups chopped veggies such as carrots, squahs, peas, & mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt & pepper

Peel & quarter potatoes & squash and steam for about 15 minutes, or until tender. In a large bowl smash steamed potatoes & squash with butter. Set aside.

In a large cast iron skillet or oven safe pan, heat a table spoon of oil with a pad of butter. When the butter is done bubbling, the pan is hot enough. Sauté onions until translucent and add the carrots and mushrooms. Add ground bison and and cook until brown(about 5-10 minutes). Add a cup of stock and cook uncovered on low for 10 minutes. Add peas. Season to taste. Cover with prepared mashed veggies and cook at 400 degree until the mash is golden. Garnish with chives and enjoy!

No-Bake Coconut Blueberry Pudding

Chia seeds are one of the most amazing health foods around. Yes, the once chia pet seeds also pack a real dietary punch! Rich in omega 3 fatty acids and fiber, chia has many benefits in one tiny seed. The interesting thing about chia seeds is when moisture is introduced, wether it be water, milk or kombucha they expand and become gelatinous. This makes chia seeds useful for vegans who miss jello and other such animal products. One of my favorite recipes I stumbled upon on the back of a trader joes package was to mix chia with coconut milk and create a rich pudding like dish. Simply combine coconut milk and chia seeds and allow to firm up in the fridge for a minimum of an hour. I experimented with different preparations, adding macerated fruits and honey. My favorite was this recipe but try any and all of your favorite summer fruits!

No-Bake Coconut Blueberry Pudding

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup chia seeds

2/3 cup maple syrup/honey

Handful mashed or puréed blueberries/summer fruit

Dash cinnamon

Combine all ingredients. Stir until chia seeds are completely covered in milk. Refrigerate for one hour or until firm.

Blueberry Hand Pies

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I've always been a huge fan of portable food. Personal sized treats are always a crowd pleaser, and when I decided to sell a baked-good for a fundraiser for Caravan, I was set on making hand pies. A good friend of mine is a bit of a pie aficionado and when we teamed up for this fundraiser, I knew I had to have her help me develop a sinfully delicious hand pie recipes. Well two days of prep, countless test recipes, three different fillings, and hours of baking later, we came up with this wonderful sour cream based crust. We filled them with her signature jersey blueberry filling and sold over 80 of these bad boys at The Barbary. This recipe is great for summer fruits (peach, apricot, nectarine) but is also great for savory fillings too- We tried vegan chorizo and turkey with summer squash and they were all a hit, you could even go ahead an call them empanadas if you're feeling festive. 

Blueberry Hand Pie

Makes roughly 18 Hand Pies

Sour Cream Crust

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, cut into 1/2" cubes

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1 8-ounce container sour cream

1 to 2 tablespoons cold milk, optional

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and mix together. Put the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes. On a clean dry counter roll out the dough, flattening butter into flour. Knead the dough until butter is throughly mixed into the crust and return to the freezer for an additional 5 minutes. Repeat once more and freeze for 10 minutes. If mixture becomes dry add milk. Fold in sour cream and combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.

Blueberry Filling

2 cups sugar

3 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup water

6 cups fresh blueberries

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes or until mixture reduces and thickens. 

On a floured surface, roll out dough until about 1/8 inch thick, an empanada press makes this easier. Cut dough into a 6 inch circle with a cutter or round bowl. Add 2 tablespoons mixture to center and fold dough over mixture, and sealing edges with a few drops of cool water. Cut a 'V' shaped vents in top and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Strawberry Lavender Tarte Tatin with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

I'm still strawberry obsessed. My cabinets are full of preserves, I am still drinking gin with strawberry shrub and on father's day I was asked to bring dessert. Strawberry preserves it is! Knowing my ma' always has puff pastry in the freezer, I knew I could whip this up lickety split. Like I have said in the past, pre made puff pastry is a great way to be fancy, without all the elbow grease. If you're like me and like a challenge every once in awhile by all means make your own puff pastry. It is one of those things you should make a lot of in one go and stock up on for future meals. For this recipe I simplified it by using preserves I had already made prior, but the fresh stuff will do just fine if you want to make it from scratch.  I love the lavender in these strawberry preserves, it offers a wonderful aromatic quality to the berries, that is delicious with the flakiness of the puff pastry and the sweetness of the berries that is mellowed by the whipped creamed. Now this recipe is for a crowd, simply half it for a smaller serving though its hard enough to share!

Strawberry Lavender Tarte Tatin 

Enough for 12 or more

2 10 x 15 sheets puff pastry, frozen or fresh

3 half pints Strawberry Lavender Preserves, recipe follows

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream, recipe follows

METHOD

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 2 18 x 13 (standard cookie tray) sheet trays and lay parchment paper atop. Set aside.

Take prepared puff pastry, frozen or fresh, and lay out 2 10 x 15 sheets. Cut each sheet into thirds and lay atop parchment paper. With a fork, gently pierce dough creating slight holes throughout each sheet. Crinkle edges of dough to ensure that preserves stay put while baking. Pour preserves atop and bake until crust is golden brown, around 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool and top with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Strawberry Lavender Preserves

Makes 6 half pints

5 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

3 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh lavender  

METHOD

Wash & clean berries. Hull berries and slice in half. Cover with sugar and stir. 

If canning prepare sanitized 1/2 pint jars and a water bath for jars. 

When the juices are released from the fruit, pour into a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a rapid boiling and add lemon and lavender, stirring often for around 10 minutes or until the juice begins to run thick. Remove from heat and funnel into sanitized jars or set aside. 

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract  

1 vanilla bean

METHOD

In a large bowl or mixer, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Gently half vanilla bean and scrape seeds from inside. Beat in vanilla extract and bean inners until peaks form. If hand mixing, use extra cold bowl and whisk.

Feel free to add a tablespoon of confectioners sugar to your whipped cream. I prefer mine without, since I am normally enjoying it with something sinfully sweet=] 

Fun Fact

Did you know vanilla bean is actually from orchids of the genus Vanilla?