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Pumpkin Pie

Every year I tell myself, that this year I am going to make a Pumpkin Pie myself. But every year I resolve to to a store-bought pie which is pretty good and so quick and easy. But if you make the pie crust ahead-of-time and store it in the freezer then it’s really not too much trouble making the pie yourself, not to mention, how wonderful this Pumpkin pie taste. The filling has an added wonderful orange flavor which really compliments the pumpkin and it is light in texture. I was contemplating making my own pumpkin puree as well but was concerned with getting the correct water content in the puree and possibly ending up with a soggy pie crust, so I opted for the canned puree, which is just fine. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie (serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

For pie crust (makes two pie crusts)

350 grams all-purpose flour ( 12.3 oz or 2 1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

226 grams unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (8 oz or 2 sticks)

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water (60-120 ml)

For the filling

15 oz canned pumpkin puree (425 grams)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoon grated orange zest

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons dark rum

Directions:

For the pie crust: Cut up butter and place in refrigerator until ready to use. Place flour, salt and sugar in a food processor, process of combine. Add cold butter to flour and pulse until butter is the size of small peas. Add 1/4 – 1/2 cup ice water in a steady stream through feed tube, only until dough starts to clump together when pinched. Careful not to overmix. Turn dough onto countertop and quickly work it together into a ball. Divide into two equal portions and flatten each portion into a 5 inch (12 cm) disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. At this point you can also freeze dough for up to 1 month. Defrost dough in refrigerator overnight before using.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit into a 9 inch (23 cm) pie dish. To prevent dough from sticking to countertop keep lifting and rotating dough. Roll dough onto rolling pin and lift dough into pie dish. Gently press dough into place, do not pull dough as this will cause shrinkage. Trim dough with a knife around the outer edge, fold excess dough inward to form an edge and crimp edge to create a scalloped look if desired. Chill dough before blind baking.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). After dough has chilled, place pie dish onto a baking sheet. Using a fork prick holes in the bottom and sides of dough. Line pie with parchment paper and fill 3/4 full with pie weights or dried beans. Bake crust for 15 minutes. Remove parchment paper and weights and bake for another 5 minutes.

For the Filling: Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, orange zest, eggs, cream, milk and rum,  making sure egg whites are broken up. Pour filling into pre-baked pie shell and cover pie edges with foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted 1 inch from outer edge comes out clean. Place baked pie on a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream. Store leftovers in refrigeator. Enjoy!

Source: Pie Crust – Joy of Baking. Pumpkin Filling – BarefootContessa, Foolproof.

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Blueberry-Pumpkin Muffins

Here in Virginia we get some of the most beautiful days from mid September to late October. The temperature have changed from hot to perfect, and it’s time for Fall colors, pumpkins and Halloween. And so we must have  a pumpkin recipe! I came across this recipe and at first I didn’t think blueberries and pumpkin would compliment each other, but they do, and the oat topping brings an extra layer of delish to these tender muffins. So if you like, give them a try and enjoy your Fall 🎃🍁

Blueberry-Pumpkin Muffins (makes 15 muffins)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (340 g)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup buttermilk (155 ml)

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (130 g)

1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (112 g)

1/2 cup sugar (105 g)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar (40 g)

2 eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup fresh blueberries (90 g)

For topping:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter (40 g)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar (40 g)

2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats (15 g)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3-4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Line muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda, set aside.

In a small bowl combine buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla, set aside.

In a large bowl beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at the time, beating after each. On low speed add alternatively flour mixture and buttermilk mixture in small increments. Beat just until combined, batter with be somewhat stiff. Fold in blueberries.

Drop spoonfuls of batter into muffin liners filling each 2/3 full.

For topping: melt butter in microwave and add to brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt. Stir well. Add flour and stir to thicken. Sprinkle topping over muffin batter.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in muffin baking tin on a cooling rack for 5 minutes before taking muffins out of baking tin. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy

Source: slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

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Chocolate Chili

Chocolate Chili

I have been improving on my chili recipe and I am really pleased with the outcome. I add just a tiny bit of soy and teriyaki sauce, but most importantly, I add chocolate which gives it a warm and slightly sweet background flavor. This recipe got big praises from my husband and son and it is now officially my “go to” chili recipe.

Ingredients:

2 lbs (0.9 kg) ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

15 oz (440 g) can tomato sauce

14 1/2 oz (428 g) can diced tomatoes

10 oz (295 g) can Rotel diced tomato and green chili, original

16 oz (473 g) can Navy beans, drained and rinsed

30-40 pieces (30 g) bittersweet chocolate chips

2 dashes soy sauce

2 dashes teriyaki sauce

a pinch of sugar

salt to taste

Directions:

Dice onion and green pepper, set aside. Puree diced tomatoes, set aside. Brown meat until almost cooked thru, drain fat. Add onion and green pepper, continue to cook meat until cooked thru. Add remaining ingredients, except salt, and cook covered for 1/2 to 1 hour. Season with salt as you go. Enjoy!

Source: My Danish Kitchen

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun

Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun

Pumpkin🎃 It wouldn’t be Fall without a pumpkin recipe. These Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns were soft and flavorful and super delicious served right out of the oven. No need to say that they were a huge hit here in our house.

Making Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

Making Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

The dough was a little sticky in the beginning, but after a quick kneading and adding in a little more flour, the dough was smooth as butter to work with. Once it came time to slicing the dough, it would get smooched by the knife, but no worries, just gently press it round again and place it onto your baking dish.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns  (makes 28 servings)

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 1/2 cup milk (12 fl oz or 3 1/2 dl)

1/2 cup sugar (100 g)

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp or 8 g)

1 cup pumpkin puree (250 g)

1/2 cup vegetable oil (4 fl oz or 1 dl)

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (610 g)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

Remonce Filling:

5.3 oz butter (150 g)

8.8 oz dark brown sugar (250 g)

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2.6 oz marzipan, grated (75 g)

Icing:

7 oz confectioners sugar (200 g)

2-3 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or if you prefer, grease a baking dish with butter and set aside.

Making the dough: Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt, set aside. Pour milk and sugar into a large saucepan and heat until between 100-110 degrees F (37-43 degrees C). Sprinkle yeast over milk and let sit for 10 minutes. Add pumpkin and oil, stir to combine. Pour liquid into bowl of stand-mixer and on low speed add dry ingredients in increments. Mix only until combined, dough will be sticky. Place dough into a bowl and cover with a clean tea towel. Place bowl in a warm location and allow to rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

Making the fillling: Melt butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and marzipan in a small saucepan, stir to combine.

Making the rolls: When dough has doubled in size, sprinkle work surface generously with flour. Give dough a quick kneading adding more flour just until dough is no longer sticky. Roll dough out to approximately 16 by 26 inches. Spread filling out over dough. Starting at the longest length, roll dough into a log ending with seam side down. Slice dough into 3/4 to 1 inch (2 to 2.5 cm) slices and place them on baking sheet or into baking dish. Cover with tea towel and allow to rise for another 20-30 minutes. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

Add water in small increments to confectioners sugar, stir to combine. Sprinkle icing over hot rolls and serve warm. Enjoy!

Source: inspired by Pioneer Woman

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Varm Chokolade Med Amaretto

Varm Chokolade Med Amaretto

When the weather turns cold there is nothing like a nice cup of hot chocolate to keep you warm. These days I like mine with a shot of Amaretto, just to warm my bones a little more. Adding Amaretto is of course completely optional, but chocolate and Amaretto is a pair made in heaven.

Homemade hot chocolate is not overly sweet, as the store-bought kind, and I love a dollop of whipped cream on top for extra creaminess. Or if you are serving it for children, marshmallows would be a lot more fun. 🙂 Stay warm out there.

Hot Chocolate With Amaretto (Makes 2 large servings)

Ingredients:

5 deciliter (or 16.9 fluid oz) milk

75 gram (or 2.6 oz) dark chocolate 60 %

2 shots Amaretto

whipping cream, optional, for topping

Directions:

If you want a dollop of whipped cream on top of your hot chocolate, whip then cream and set aside.

Chop chocolate finely. Heat milk to 85 degrees C (185 degrees F) which is hot, but not simmering. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. Stir until chocolate is dissolved. Add Amaretto and stir. Pour into serving glass and top with a dollop of whipped cream if desired, serve immediately or store hot chocolate in a thermos for later. Enjoy

Hot Chocolate With Amaretto

Hot Chocolate With Amaretto

Source: My Danish Kitchen

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Pumpkin Spice Bread

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Fall is finally here, my favorite time of year. I love Autumn here in Virginia, the sun is still nice and warm but the air is cool and crisp and the sky is the most brilliant blue color. The trees are showing off their beautiful Fall foliage, Pumpkins are everywhere and the evenings are for hot apple cider. What’s not to like. And to really get us into the Autumn mood, here is a delicious, soft and moist Pumpkin Spice bread which I lightened up a little by substituting some of the oil with applesauce. I promise that you can’t tell it’s a little on the healthy side. The recipe makes two regular loaves (9 x 5 inch pan) or 1 regular and 2 mini loaves (7 x 2.5 inch pan) or maybe you could make 4 mini loaves to give to friends and family. The regular size loaves bake for 60-70 minutes and the mini loaves bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Happy baking!

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Pumpkin Spice Bread (makes 2 loaves)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup applesauce

4 eggs, at room temperature

15 oz canned pumpkin

3 cups sugar

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9×5 inch loaf pans with baking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine oil, applesauce, eggs, pumpkin and sugar, mix well to combine. In a second bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. With the mixer set to slow speed, add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, while alternating with the water, mix until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Source: adapted from Taste of Home

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Orange Cranberry Bread

Orange Cranberry Bread

I have been looking to change-up the holiday table a bit. I am big on traditions but there’s always room for minor improvements. Cranberries definitely belongs on the table, but serving cranberry sauce which no one in our household seems very fond of anyway, just doesn’t make sense.  So I was looking for an alternative when I came across this wonderful recipe. The only minor change I made was to toss the chopped cranberries in a little confectioners sugar to take away some of the bitterness of the berries. The bread turned out sweet and tart with a subtle background flavor of orange and a little crunch from the walnuts, very delicious. A nice addition to my holiday table.

Cranberry Bread (makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients:

165 gram all-purpose flour (5.8 oz)

135 gram whole wheat flour (4.75 oz)

200 gram sugar (7 oz)

1 small teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

35 gram unsalted butter, melted (1.15 oz or 2 1/2 tablespoons)

1 egg, beaten

177 milliliter orange juice (6 oz or 3/4 cup)

1 tablespoon orange zest (zest from 1 medium orange)

50 gram walnuts, chopped (1/2 cup) – optional

160 gram fresh cranberries, roughly chopped (1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan (22 x 12 cm), line bottom of pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Give cranberries a rough chop, add confectioners sugar, stir to combine and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine both types of flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add melted butter, egg, orange juice and orange zest, stir until blended. Add walnuts and cranberries, stir until evenly distributed. Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Enjoy!

Source: adapted from Wild Yeast via Ocean Spray

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Delicious Æblekage

Delicious Æblekage

I am really enjoying this wonderful Fall weather we are having here in Virginia Beach. It’s raining, as I am typing up this blog post and I love the sound of rain drumming on the roof. What goes perfectly with a day like this? Danish Æblekage (Apple Cake) of course. And this cake is a perfectly wonderful, super delicious cake. It’s easy to make and it will fill your house with the aroma of baking apples and cinnamon. Bring on the season 🙂

Add apples, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour batter, add more apples, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake.

Add apples, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour batter, add more apples, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake.

I had to do a few minor adjustments to this cake. The original recipe called for a 28 cm (11 inch) spring-form pan which I did not have, so I used my 23 cm (9 inch) pan instead. The cake piled up nice and high but I had to adjust the baking time to make sure it was baked through. I also placed a piece of foil loosely over the cake the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent it from browning any further. It turned out fabulous.

Æblekage – Apple Cake

Ingredients:

250 gram butter (8.8 ounces), room temperature

250 gram sugar (8.8 ounces)

4 large eggs, room temperature

250 gram flour (8.8 ounces)

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 teaspoons vanilla sugar

6 large red apples

5 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Line a 9 inch (23 centimeter) spring-form pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Peel and core apples, cut into quarters and then slices, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until thick and smooth. Add eggs one at the time, beating well after each addition. Add baking powder and vanilla sugar to flour. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix only until combined.

Stir together the 5 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon, set aside. Line bottom of baking pan with 1/2 of the apples, sprinkle with 1/2 of the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Pour batter over apples and smooth batter to edges of pan. Add remaining apples on top on the batter. Sprinkle remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture on top of apples.

Bake cake for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until set in the center. I placed a piece of tinfoil loosely over top surface of cake for the last 10 minutes to prevent further browning. Let cake cool completely on a baking rack. Serve with a dollop with whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy!

Source: adapted from Beretninger fra et autentisk landbrug

Sweet apples

Sweet apples

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

The sweltering Virginia summer heat is finally over (for the most part) and Fall has officially arrived. This is my favorite time of year, when the air become crisp, instead of moist, and the temperature cools into the 70s and 80s. This time of year, Virginia displays some of the most brilliant blue skies and if your lucky enough to take a trip into the mountains, the Autumn colors are simply amazing. And lets not forget about Pumpkin…pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cookies and I could go on and on. This is pumpkin season! So I couldn’t wait any longer, I just had to make something with pumpkin and so here are some delicious pumpkin muffins. They have chocolate chips in them, which my husband is happy as a clam about. Me on the other hand, think the chocolate chips take away from the wonderful pumpkin flavor. So if you are a pumpkin lover, like myself, you may want to consider substituting the chocolate chips for some chopped walnuts or pecans. Or if your loved one is a chocolate-chippaholic then the chocolate chips will be perfect 😉

On another note, I wanted to share these videos with you. A couple of weeks ago, Joe and I went on a weekend getaway to Ocean City, Maryland to visit with family. On one evening, we had seen a fox in the dunes below the fourth floor condo we were staying at and when I got up at dawn to capture the sunrise with my camera, I was able to film a family of three foxes playing with one another. It was a magical moment to watch them play while the sun was rising. I never imagined that foxes would be living by the beach.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:

195 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

113 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup) (at room temperature)

200 grams sugar (1 cup)

2 large eggs (at room temperature)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

180 milliliter solid packed canned pumpkin puree (3/4 cup)

175 grams semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 177 degrees C (350 degrees F). Place baking rack in the middle of oven. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, spices and salt, set dry ingredients aside.

Using your stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Make sure to scrape down sides of bowl as you go along. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add sifted dry ingredients and pumpkin puree. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups evenly with batter. Place in the middle of oven and bake for 18 – 22 minutes, or until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of muffin comes out clean. Place on wire rack to cool.

Source: Joy of Baking

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Red Cabbage

With the holidays quickly approaching it’s time to revisit some classic Danish dishes. Rødkål is a side dish that is always on the table for Christmas dinners and luncheons but of course it is also served at other times. For me though, the sweet and sour aroma with a hint of cloves in the background reminds me of Christmas and it will perfume your house in the most warm and pleasant of ways. The dish itself is very quick and easy to assemble and the remainder of the time is spent simmering away on the stove.

Sliced red cabbage ready for cooking

I have been experimenting with this recipe for some time now and I finally got it right (that’s according to my tastebuds of course :)). The traditional way to make Rødkål is to use Ribssaft (Red Currant juice) but it’s impossible to find it in any of the stores around here, so I am substituting it with 100% Pomegranate juice.

The first time I made Rødkål the ratio of vinegar to pomegranate juice was off with too much vinegar. The second time I could not find any pomegranate juice so I used cranberry juice instead…bad idea. It left a really dry taste in my mouth. In the meantime, my parents came to visit and they brought real Ribssaft with them but it was confiscated going through customs. (Still unclear as to why they couldn’t bring it in, maybe the size of the bottle?) Anyway, two cabbage heads later and with real pomegranate juice and less vinegar, we finally have a winner!

Rødkål

Ingredients:

1 head red cabbage

1 deciliter apple cider vinegar (3.4 oz.)

2 deciliter pomegranate juice (or red currant juice = ribssaft) (6.8 oz.)

3 – 4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 tablespoon butter

Atamon for rinsing glasses

Directions:

Remove outer leaves of cabbage, cut into quarters, remove the tough white core and discard. Slice cabbage into desired thickness. Place cabbage  into cooking pot and add vinegar, juice, sugar, salt and ground cloves. Let it simmer covered for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. At the end of cooking time add the butter and gently stir until melted. If cabbage is to be used fairly quickly, simply just sterilize jars and lids with boiling water. If cabbage is intended for storing away, rinse jars and lids with Atamon. Store in cool, dark place. Enjoy!

Source: My Danish Kitchen

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