The Pumpkin Carriage
A riot of fiery reds, honeyed ambers, burnt orange, and earthy russet, autumn brings a spectacular show of colour with its chilly winds and golden sunsets. It’s also a time of harvest – apples ripe for pie, wild blackberries and mushrooms to forage, and rich purple figs plump with juice. And of course, the pumpkin and its appearance mark the coming of fall.
This versatile squash can be puréed into a creamy soup with sage and brown butter, roasted until tender with a splash of olive oil and a few sprigs of thyme, or encased under layers of flaky puff pastry with dots of gorgonzola cheese and slices of pear. Its deep golden flesh is a welcoming warm hue to any dinner table on a cold evening.
I’ve always been fascinated with America’s obsession with the pumpkin pie during Thanksgiving. It’s not a particularly great dessert. Masked by copious amounts of condensed milk and sugar, you don’t actually taste much of the actual squash. But what I do love is the classic pairing of pumpkin with cinnamon, ginger, clove, cardamom, and nutmeg.
Since I couldn’t get my hands on a can of Libby’s pumpkin purée, I used a Taiwanese varietal that is poetically named Kikushima’s Flower or ‘Island of Chrysanthemums’. With a misty white shell and saffron-coloured flesh, this is an exceptionally hardy squash. Mine was sitting on a shelf for about six weeks, serving as part of the décor for Christmas. (Yes, I procrastibake and procrastinate baking.)
The flavour of pumpkins deepens and sweetens when roasted. I tend to cook them till just slightly burnt, this lends a depth of nuttiness and caramel. Although the canned versions aren’t too bad, making your very own pumpkin purée from scratch packs a bigger punch of flavour. Throw in a blend of spices and you’ll have a vivid, velvety paste ready for pies, crème brûlée and cakes.
I might have been late to celebrate this beloved squash in its peak season, but just like Cinderella, I managed to get on the carriage at the very last minutes. Just in time to appreciate the changing winds, the turning of foliage and the unassuming pumpkin.
Pumpkin & Maple Muffins, Brown Butter & Pumpkin Seed Streusel, Maple Whipped Cream
These muffins conjure the flavours of autumn with pumpkin, maple syrup and spices. The brown butter in the streusel adds an intensely nutty, almost toffee-like aroma. While it’s not essential to make the Maple Whipped Cream, I think it adds a lovely dollop of richness to the fluffy cakes-in-disguise. Toast them for a few minutes the next morning and breakfast is good to go.
Adapted from The Good Book of Southern Baking by Kelly Fields
Makes 12 muffins
Takes about 1 hour
Notes
You can use plain flour for the muffins.
If you’re not keen on doing the streusel, simply top the muffins with a simple maple syrup glaze and some toasted pumpkin seeds.
Taste the pumpkin purée and adjust the level of sweetness to your liking. Simply add more sugar if your squash isn’t that sweet.
Fresh pumpkin purée can be made the night before if making.
This can also be made into one loaf cake (9in x 5in x 3in). The loaf bakes at 170°C for 75 minutes.
Ingredients
For the muffins
240g cake flour (T45 / Type 405)
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cardamom
200g canned or fresh pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
110g vegetable oil
35g maple syrup
110g sour cream
65g caster sugar
For the streusel
44g hulled pumpkin seeds
88g plain flour (T55 / Type 550)
20g light brown sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
84g unsalted butter
For the whipped cream
65g whipping cream (35% fat)
20g maple syrup
¼ tsp kosher salt
Directions
Prepare the maple whipped cream the night before. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, reduce the maple syrup by half until you get 10g. Boil the cream in another saucepan and then add the reduced maple syrup. Mix well. Leave to cool in a small mixing bowl to room temperature before covering it with clingfilm (the film should come in contact with the surface of the cream) and refrigerating overnight.
If you’re making your own pumpkin purée, you’ll need 1 medium pumpkin (you can use Kabocha, Sugar or Butternut). Preheat your oven to 205°C. Cut the top off to remove the stem and halve the pumpkin. Remove the seeds and fibres inside. Lightly oil the pumpkin halves with olive oil and place them cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes until tender, you should be able to pierce with a fork easily.
Peel the skin off and transfer the flesh into a food processor. Blend on high until you get a smooth paste. Fresh pumpkin puree can be quite watery, so line a metal sieve with cheesecloth and let the pumpkin purée drip for about 15 to 30 minutes.
In the meantime, make the streusel. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter until golden brown and strain through a fine-mesh to remove the sediments. Let it cool in the refrigerator until solidifies, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 170°C. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a foil-lined baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the seeds with flour, brown sugar and salt. Add the brown butter and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Leave aside until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease your muffin pan generously with vegetable oil.
Sieve and whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the pumpkin purée, eggs, oil, sour cream and maple syrup until you get a smooth and airy batter.
Turn the mixer down to the lowest speed, add the flour and sugar in three stages, beating well after each addition. Stop the machine early and stir any remaining dry ingredients with a rubber spatula (avoid over-mixing to prevent gluten development).
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. It should come up three quarters. Top with the streusel.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until the toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack and cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully remove from the mould and finish cooling on the rack.
Take the prepared cream out of the fridge. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment, add salt to the cream and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Serve the warm muffin with a spoonful of maple whipped cream and dusting of ground cinnamon.