winter squash pie

Wow!  I am finally finishing up this recipe.  I had made the graham crackers for winter squash pie and here is the rest of the recipe as I promised.  We actually need another and there has been a request for pumpkin ice cream.  I see more squashes in my future.  I just wish the plants in the garden actually had fruit on them!

Winter squash pie

1 small winter squash

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

2 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

12 ounces evaporated milk

Cut the winter squash in half.  Clean out the seeds and stringy flesh.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.  Let cool.  Scrape out two cups of meat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a 9 inch spingform pan.

In a bowl, mix the graham crackers, pecans, brown sugar, and white sugar.  Pour in the melted butter and mix together. 

This mixture will have a sandish consistency.

Press into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.

In a medium bowl, mix the squash meat, eggs, sugar, spices, and milk.  Mix well.   I would actually blend this to get a very smooth texture.

Pour into the pan with the prepared crust.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

This was just so good.  I do not really need to play with this recipe anymore because I truly like very simple.  But since we need another pie around here, playing is on the agenda!

I think I need a big smile here!

graham crackers for squash pie crust

I decided that I wanted a graham cracker pecan crust for my winter squash pie.  But I did not wish to buy gluten free graham crackers.  I decided to make them.  I did a rift on Gluten Free Girl's recipe for graham crackers.  I always tweak though and I think I will change these some more.  I was expecting something a bit sweeter and a bit more cinnamon.  For a slightly sweet cracker that will go well with cheese, like the Carr whole wheat cracker, this is good.

Slightly Sweet Graham Crackers

Note:  adapted from Gluten Free Girl

72 grams millet flour

72 grams brown rice flour

72 grams sorghum flour

72 grams teff

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup honey

4 tablespoons water

millet flour for rolling

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  I actually reground them in a blender together because the texture of rice can get to me.  Cut in the butter until the dough looks like sand (like the picture).  Mix in the honey.  Mix in the water.  Refrigerate for a half hour or longer.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet with a silpat or parchament paper.

Pat the dough down and dust with millet flour.  Roll out until about a 1/4 inch thick.  Score for where the crackers are to be with a butter knife (not a sharp knife).

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden.

These are crumbly but yummy.  They were disappearing off the counter and I had to hide some to make the crust.

I am going to tweak this recipe but it is good with cheese.

roasted winter squash seeds

We were at the farmer's market on Saturday and there were wonderful winter squashes there.  I have always liked pumpkin pie better then cake and decided I really needed a winter squash pie.

Even though the pumpkin killer (a huge knife my Beloved made) is stashed for sale, we cut this wonderful squash open.  The flesh was even more orange then appears here.  I took out the seeds to roast them.  I roasted them with olive oil, soy sauce, and worchester sauce.  It was lovely.  They really did not last long enough to cool once I roasted them.

Roasted Winter Squash Seeds

seeds from one winter squash, cleaned of all strings and meat, dryed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon worchester sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cover a baking sheet with parchament paper or a silpat.  Put the dry winter squash seeds.  Drizzle with olive oil, soy sauce, and worchester sauce.  Toss and mix well.

Put in the oven for about 25 minutes.  Stirring every ten minutes and checking five minutes before the time is up.  You do not wish these too toasty.

harvest cookie decorating

This last weekend, when I was very poorly, we had another cookie decorating party.  We were out of town on the weekend closest to Halloween so this became the Harvest party.  Not that there were really that many harvest cookie shapes.

Just lots of cookies, sprinkles, frosting, laughter, stories, teasing, soup, and bread.

And always, the creativity came out.

As I tell people, I make cookies.  I cannot decorate cookies.

But I have friends that can!

This way, there is potential that everyone can have pretty cookies.

Some of these you would swear came right out of a professional bakery.

And what are special about these cookies?  They are gluten free.  We have another friend who can no longer eat gluten.  That is two now.  My Beloved has also gone back to not eating gluten.  My Beloved would not eat many cookies anyhow.  They were really not his style.  But now we need both. 

I cannot tell you how well the gluten free cookies store because they did not last two days.  I made about two dozen.  Add the frosting and they disappear.  I took a recipe from Shauna over at Gluten Free Girl and the Chef and modified it to the flours I had in the house and did not use the gums.  I also changed the baking temperature and time to match the other cookie recipe I was baking.  Turned out well.  A little puffy so I modified the leavening here to what I would do next time.  Definitely a success.

Sugar Cookies

Note:  Adapted from Gluten Free Girl and the Chef

1/2 cup (68 grams) sorghum flour
1/2 cup (64 grams) arrowroot flour
1/2 cup (90 grams) potato starch
1/2 cup (56) almond meal
1/2 cup (60 grams) millet flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Cream butter and sugar together.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Add all the dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Refrigerate a couple hours or overnight (yes, I rush and do not do this step but it works better if you can).

Preheat oven to 400.  Dust counter with rice flour (or use two sheets of parchment paper).  Roll out dough to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3 to 6 mm) thick.  Cut out in your favorite shapes.  Put on baking sheet covered with a silpat or parchament paper.  Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges golden.

You may also roll the dough into a log, wrap with plastic wrap, and freeze.  When you wish a few warm cookies with your tea, slice off rounds in 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness, place on prepared baking sheet, and bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden

savory polenta (yellow grits) and quiet

I have been spending as much time here as I can this week.  I have been finding it hard to jump back into work and being in the city.  I must be running on mountain time.

While we were traveling, I was making savory hearty breakfasts.  My Beloved was forging and grinding on blades everyday and he had to get through.  The savory breakfasts seemed to work the best.  One of my favorites was polenta, or otherwise known as yellow grits, and bacon.  I sauteed hm some mushrooms for the top and my Beloved was so happy.  I will not say my polenta is healthy for you but it is yummy and will last at least until lunch time.

Polenta

1/2 cup polenta

2 cups hempmilk or almond milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

The night before, mix the polenta, milk, and salt in a very large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat and cover.  Let sit overnight.

The next morning, warm the polenta and cook off any of the liquid that is left.  Add the butter and let melt in.  Make it the consistency you wish.  I like thick polenta, you may not.

My polenta will stand by itself if you put it on a plate.

My Beloved got his with sauted mushrooms and bacon from the farmer's market.  He thought life was very good.  

Again, a bit of slowing down that I am having problems speeding up.  I must smile at myself.