A New Holiday Tradition

I think I must currently be inspired by my recent acceptance to my dream cooking school, because yesterday I created something truly inspired. Pardon my immodesty. 

It began with the leftover pumpkin. 

I initially thought to make pumpkin puree to make my favorite pumpkin muffins. Then I thought to make pumpkin banana bread. And that is just what I did. With that I candied the pumpkin seeds in a sauce pan and made a brown cinnamon syrup to pour over the top. The result was fantastic. I had quite a bit of pumpkin puree so the bread was more of a bread pudding consistency, but with the syrup and pumpkin seeds it was a sight to behold. The whole apartment smelled like Christmas, and it made me so happy. Plus, it was delicious. 

I've thought to include the recipe if any of my very limited blog followers feel so inclined as to make it themselves. The recipe will require a bit of eyeballing since I invented it without proper measuring. 

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

perhaps about 4 c or more of pumpkin puree, maybe around 2 cans

1 c sugar (more if you would like it sweeter, I used the syrup as the sweetener)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

approximately 2 cups of flour. Eye ball for the consistency you desire. Mine was of a muffin batter-type consistency.

2 Tbs pumpkin pie spice

1-2 Tbs molasses

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 400 for 35 - 40 minutes. The knife will come out mostly clean. It will be a little gooey on the inside, but the whole cake should retain its shape and integrity when touched.

Brown Cinnamon Syrup

1 c Brown Sugar

3/4 c Water

1 Tbs molasses

2 - 3 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan and slowly reduce to syrup consistency of choice.

Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Butter a sauce pan and add desired amount of pumpkin seeds. For two or three good handfuls add 1 c brown sugar

  2 tsp cinnamon

  1 tsp molasses

Stir and reduce the sugars until the pumpkin seeds are very sticky. Lower heat and continue to stir until seeds pull away from the pan and are no longer sticky. Let cool. Delicious. 

Bon Apetit!