Pumpkin Fudge

‘Tis the season for all things pumpkin! I have friends who seriously get obsessed with pumpkin anything this time of year. I’ve never been that person, though I am noticing myself ordering more pumpkin spice latte’s and being drawn to pumpkin treats. I’ve always loved pumpkin pie, but that was it for pumpkin-anything until my recent adult life.

I figured this year I would expand my baking endeavors and include a couple unfamiliar pumpkin recipes. So, this weekend I stocked up on my Libby’s canned pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie mix) and got to work in the kitchen.

First up: pumpkin fudge. I have to admit that my baking repertoire has historically centered around pies and cookies, so this fudge thing was new to me. I’d made basic chocolate fudge in the past, but made sure to find easy recipes with minimal steps. The results were always fine, but nothing that blew me away. This fudge, however, did in fact blow me away.

I was skeptical, because when I think of fudge, I think of milk or dark chocolate. I seem to always forget about white chocolate since on its own, it isn’t a flavor I love. But, the use of white chocolate in this pumpkin fudge recipe is perfect.

Unlike the easy fudge recipes I’ve made in the past, this recipe seemed to be a true candy recipe, and allowed me to break in the old candy thermometer. It’s more involved than some recipes, but SO worth it! I brought the fudge to work today and it’s already gone. Definitely a hit!

Enjoy

Pumpkin Fudge
Yield:  about 3 lbs

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar (I almost always use dark brown sugar instead of light)
¾ cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup or 5-ounce can evaporated milk
½ cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I didn’t have this, so I just used cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice – I didn’t measure either – just shook a little of each)
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped pecans
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides for easy removal.

2. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, pumpkin, butter and spice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 10 to 12 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 234° to 240º F (soft ball stage).

3. Stir in the white chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, pecans and vanilla extract. Note: have these things ready – you have to work pretty quickly at this point! Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until the chocolate chips are melted. Immediately pour into the prepared pan. Let stand on wire rack for 2 hours or until completely cooled. Refrigerate tightly covered. To cut, remove from pan, remove foil or parchment paper, and cut into 1 inch pieces.

(Recipe adapted from Christmas Candy Recipes)

Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Bacon Frosting

It might sound strange, but this is the best cupcake I’ve ever had in my entire life! (And trust me, I’ve had A LOT of cupcakes in my lifetime.)

I made these pancake cupcakes with maple buttercream frosting for a baking day I was having with some of girl friends. We picked a fall day to spend in the kitchen baking some of our favorites. Among these were pumpkin scones and pumpkin cheesecake. Mmm…pumpkin

Sorry, I digress…

Because I’m a product of my mother and grandmother, I felt the need to have a treat available for my friends when they first came over. My mother would have bought something from Whole Foods, but my grandmother would time it perfectly to have some baked good coming right out of the oven. I chose to follow in Grandma’s footsteps.

I follow a number of food blogs, so figured I’d search them for a good late morning recipe. I didn’t want breakfast, but didn’t necessarily want overly sweet either. The result was these incredible cupcakes! They married breakfast with dessert, which is an automatic winner in my book.

Thanks Brown Eyed Baker for the recipe (pasted below)! The only thing I remember changing was adding more maple syrup to the frosting. Everything else is perfect as is (to my palette, anyway)!

Pancake Cupcakes with Maple-Bacon Buttercream Frosting

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 10 minutes

For the Cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups whole milk
2 eggs
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Frosting:
8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with liners and then spray the liners with non-stick spray (important step!).

2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; set aside. In a separate medium bowl whisk together the milk and eggs, then stir in the melted and cooled butter. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk together until just moistened and combined. Like pancakes, lumps are okay! Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake until puffed and firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. To make the frosting, use the whisk attachment of a stand mixer to whip the butter on  medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, waiting until it’s mostly incorporated before adding more. Once all the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the maple syrup and the vanilla and whip for another minute or so to incorporate. Add the bacon and mix to combine. Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting on the cupcakes. Top with additional crumbled bacon if desired.

(Pancake batter adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman)