sweet miscellany

seasonal vegetarian recipes

autumn

Cardamom Peach Muffins

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There’s nothing like baking up a batch of warm, cardamom-scented muffins to ease the mind and the soul.  Measuring, mixing, pouring.  It all seems so methodical and calming.  It was good to see dirty bowls in my sink and cooling muffins on the counter.  All is right with the world.

These muffins were a sort of farewell to summer and a welcome to fall.  I used some late summer peaches that will surely stop trickling into markets soon, and spiced up the muffins with a good bit of warming cardamom.  The scent of cardamom always seems to be reminiscent of cooler temperatures, steamy mugs of tea, and leaves strewn across the ground.

This recipe was inspired by Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain which is a must for your cookbook collection.  It is a wonderful book filled with endless inspiration so don’t be surprised if there are other posts in the future that mention it.  Kim suggests eating these muffins right away, and I completely agree.  But, if you can’t eat them all the day you make them, keep them in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for up to 2 days.
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Autumn Love: Spiced Pumpkin Butter

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When I was younger, one of my favorite things about Halloween (besides choosing a costume and eating candy) was carving pumpkins.  I loved scooping out the stringy pumpkin guts studded with seeds.  After completely gutting the pumkpin, I would start carving it while my mom washed and then roasted the seeds in the oven.  Dare I say they were more delicious than the candy that came home with me after a night of trick-or-treating?

I have always had a love for anything pumpkin which I can only imagine is somehow linked to my childhood fascination for carving pumpkins.  I think it also has to do with the fact that with pumpkins comes warm and comforting spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.  Since I already made some pumpkin scones, I decided to go a different route and make a thick and creamy spiced pumpkin butter.

Pumpkin butter is similar to apple butter, except it uses pumpkin puree and takes a lot less time to make.  If you are a fan of pumpkins, you will love this butter and find yourself thinking of things to slather it on.  The recipe makes enough to fill about 2 half pint (8-oz.) jars.  Make sure the spices you use are fresh or else the butter won’t have quite as pronounced of a flavor.

Spiced Pumpkin Butter

1 heaping cup of all natural pumpkin puree (I used close to 1 1/4 cups)
1/4 cup of apple juice (or apple cider if you have it)
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 cup raw sugar
fresh lemon juice (about 2 or so tsp.)

In a medium saucepan, combine the pumpkin puree, apple juice, spices, and sugar.  Stir the mixture well and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.  After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer it on low for about 30 minutes or until the mixture thickens.  Make sure to stir the mixture frequently or else it will begin to burn on the bottom.  At this point, you can taste the mixture and adjust the spices to your liking.  Stir in the fresh lemon juice and let the mixture cool completely before putting in jars  or an airtight container.  The pumpkin butter should be kept in the refrigerator when you aren’t busy slathering it on everything in sight.  Enjoy!