Easy Homemade Pumpkin Butter

11 / 1 / 2011 / 1 / 20

I’ve always found it interesting when things are called “butter” that don’t contain any actual butter. Cocoa butter. Apple butter. Peanut butter. Almond butter. What is it about the word butter that conjures up the idea of something creamy, rich and indulgent? When something is labeled “butter” I’m expecting something smooth, something that melts in my mouth, something that makes everything taste better. Real butter always delivers on these promises. But what’s cool about these “other” butters is that they deliver all that creamy richness without a lot of the fat of real butter. So if I’m craving a piece of toast in the morning, chances are I’m going for this Easy Homemade Pumpkin Butter.

The flavors are all about fall – cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and – duh – pumpkin itself. And the texture is all about butter – smooth, velvety and rich. But, bonus – no fat! Pretty cool. And I had always kind of assumed that making my own pumpkin butter would be similar to making my own apple butter – pretty easy for the most part, but an all-day wait for the butter to be ready. And it probably would take all day if we were using fresh pumpkin in this Easy Homemade Pumpkin Butter, but we’re not. I really don’t think we need to, and I don’t think you will either, after you taste how good this stuff is.

Tis the Season for Pumpkin

All you need to get things started is a can of pumpkin puree. I stockpile canned pumpkin during the fall and holiday seasons because I use them in so many different recipes, from sweet to savory, from appetizers to side dishes to desserts. Pumpkin is super easy on the belly too. In fact, if any of our dogs ever get sick, the vet always recommends a dinner of pumpkin puree and rice to calm their bellies. If you have an issue with dairy but still crave something with that satisfying creaminess, pumpkin butter may become your new best friend.

And because we’re using pumpkin puree (which means that the pumpkin is already cooked), whipping up a delicious batch of this Easy Homemade Pumpkin Butter takes no time at all. In fact, it comes together in only about 30 minutes on the stovetop. Of course, if you have more time, I would suggest allowing it to simmer on the stove so the flavors can develop even further for as long as you can. But it’s not necessary.

How will you use your Pumpkin Butter?

Regardless of how long you let it simmer, the result is a rich, velvety smooth, aromatic spread that’s delicious on a simple piece of toast, incredible when stirred into a bourbon cocktail, and amazing as part of a seasonal cheese board. I love pairing it with burrata on my Pumpkin Burrata Toasts w/ Fig & Crispy Sage. It’s super versatile and keeps for a while in the fridge. So get at it and make some Easy Homemade Pumpkin Butter! Enjoy!

2 cans pumpkin puree
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. clove
1/8 tsp. allspice

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, at least 30 minutes or up to one hour.

Shells with Creamy Blush Sauce

2 / 10 / 20

It’s no secret that winter is my least favorite season, but I’ve learned to appreciate and almost enjoy it – largely due to food. Winter is the perfect excuse to be cozy, a little more lazy and a lot more indulgent. I look forward to snow days where we can all just slow down for a short while, gather in front of the fire, watch a movie or play a game, and eat delicious comfort food. I make these Shells with Creamy Blush Sauce at least once a winter. This is one of those dishes where after the first bite it’s not uncommon to make an audible “mmmm” sound. Your eyes may roll back in your head for a second, and that’s okay. It’s really that good. It’s velvety smooth and a bit smoky with just the right balance of tomato and cream.

This Creamy Blush Sauce is not a vodka sauce, although it has a similar color. This sauce is made with dry white wine instead that you’ll allow to reduce down a bit and then simmer along with the cream. I like to crush up whole fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle in order to release the full force of its flavor. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can pulse the seeds in a food processor until they are ground up.

These Shells with Creamy Blush Sauce also finish with a little bit of heat from crushed red pepper. You wouldn’t believe how much heat you get from just a quarter teaspoon of crushed red pepper. If you prefer less, use only 1/8 of a teaspoon, or you can leave it out completely. The sauce is flavorful enough without it.

It takes no time to whip up these Shells with Creamy Blush Sauce – one pot is all you need. Cook the pasta and drain, then make your sauce in the same pot before adding the pasta back in. Enjoy a glass of white wine out of the bottle you’re using for this recipe and before you know it you’ll be ready to eat. I hope you’ll try these Shells with Creamy Blush Sauce the next time you need a winter warm-up. Enjoy!

1 lb. shell pasta
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 small yellow onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. whole fennel seeds, crushed or pulsed in a food processor
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup half and half
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
6 strips cooked bacon, diced

Cook and drain the pasta. Return the pasta pot to the stove and add the olive oil, onions and garlic. Cook over medium heat until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fennel, salt, pepper and red pepper. Continue to cook until fragrant, about 3 more minutes.

Raise heat to high and add the white wine. Bring to a boil, then add the cream, half-and-half and tomato paste. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the pasta back into the pot and stir to coat with the sauce. Fold in the diced bacon. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Slow-Cooked Apple Butter

11 / 10 / 1910 / 13 / 20

When I was a kid, a jar of apple butter in the fridge was a sure sign that fall had arrived. My dad was the only one who ate it and, as with most other things, he was methodical about it. Every morning he would toast a piece of white bread, sit down at the kitchen table with the toast, the jar of apple butter and a cup of hot tea, and carefully spread it onto his toast. He’d eat it one bite at a time, slowly and quietly, taking time to savor each bite. Eventually I jumped on the bandwagon and ate it the same way, although probably not as slowly.

Years later, when I’d go home from college on a weekend while the fall foliage was in full force (say that 3 times fast), I’d always stop at this little roadside farm stand to pick up a jar of apple butter. The smells and the feels really remind me of childhood and of home. This Slow-Cooked Apple Butter lets me savor those delicious memories all day long – cause that’s how long it takes to cook!

Not to worry, it’s your slow cooker that does all the work. Your prep time is minimal. Just chop up your apples, throw in the spices, and let the aromas of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg fill your home for the rest of the day. It’s totally awesome. By nightfall, you’ll have a big ol’ crockpot of smooth, sweet & tangy apple butter – plenty to give as gifts and to keep for yourself. Stored in an airtight container, this Slow-Cooked Apple Butter will last all season in the fridge.

These days, I have gotten a bit more creative with my canvas for apple butter (although my dad still sticks to white toast or saltines). My favorite things in the world to spread apple butter on are the Double Cinnamon Scones that you’ll also find on the blog. This killer combo is like an autumn party in your mouth, and you’ll never want it to end. I’m pretty addicted. Can’t wait to hear what you think. Enjoy!

6 lbs. apples – peeled, cored and sliced (my favorites are Winesap, Gala, Macoun)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground clove
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
juice of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl, then pour into the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 hours, until thickened and dark brown. Turn off heat, and use an immersion blender to puree the apples until smooth. Alternatively, pour cooled contents into a blender in batches. and puree until smooth.

Transfer the apple butter to airtight containers and store in the refrigerator.

Basil Pesto Sauce

10 / 17 / 1910 / 17 / 19

Italian food is brilliant in so many ways, but my favorite thing about it is its simplicity. The greatest Italian dishes I’ve had in my life – especially the ones I’ve had in Italy – are made with just a few, simple ingredients. When thoughtfully prepared and of the highest quality, you really only need a few ingredients to make something really special. This Basil Pesto Sauce is the best I’ve ever had, and its been in my family for generations. I have tried dozens of variations of pesto sauce in my life, and I will forever come back to this one. Basil, EVOO, quality parmesan and garlic. It’s not rocket science, it’s just simple perfection.

My grandparents lived in a row home in West Philadelphia where the ice cream trucks came up and down the streets every day in the summer, kids threw their outgrown sneakers up onto the telephone wires and basil grew tall in pots on my grandmother’s front porch. The neighborhoods back then were a 50/50 split of Jewish and Italian – you were either one or the other. And the only real difference between them was what they were cooking. Everyone’s door was always open, and flavors and recipes were generously shared and traded amongst neighbors. Although we have always considered this basil pesto sauce to be our grandmother’s, no doubt it likely originated in one of her neighbors’ kitchens and she – um – borrowed it and claimed it as her own.

This sauce has become part of the fabric of our lives. Pesto pasta was the first meal I cooked for my college roommates as a “grown-up”. “Pesto pasta” was among both of my childrens’ first words, and I have vivid memories of them picking up little pieces of elbow macaroni coated in this bright green sauce between their tiny fingers as they sat in their high chairs. And now, as the basil grows high in my garden as it once did on my grandmother’s porch, I make this pesto sauce in huge batches all summer long. It freezes beautifully, and also makes a lovely gift when jarred, tied with a bow and accompanied by a pound of fresh pasta.

I have reduced the amount of extra-virgin olive oil down from what my grandmother used, so this basil pesto sauce is more of a paste. Brush it onto salmon, chicken or veggies before grilling, or mix it into butter or cream cheese for a flavorful spread on crostini. Tossed with hot pasta, this recipe will generously coat one pound. Feel free to add more olive oil to suit your taste.

It couldn’t be simpler to make this flavorful, bright, earthy sauce. Make extra. Freeze it, gift it or keep it all to yourself. I know you’ll want to. Enjoy!

Pesto

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Puree all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pour over 1 lb. of cooked, drained pasta. Serve.

Parmesan Frico

1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp flour

Whisk cheese and flour together in a bowl. Warm an 8-inch nonstick pan over medium heat. Heap 3 tbsp of the cheese mixture into the center of the pan and then quickly spread it out into a thin circle with the back of a spoon. The shape does not have to be exact. Cook 1-2 minutes until the edges start to brown. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pan.