Titan Recipe Series: Pumpkin
The team at Titan loves to help you with your health related issues but they also love good food! Each month we will have the team at Titan Project pick a recipe and create a dish using a specific ingredient or theme. For last month we decided on pumpkin to fit in with the October and Halloween vibe. Read below to see what our team came up with!
Pumpkin Cheesecake by Alex
Ingredients
The Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, from about 12 whole graham crackers (or be lazy like me and buy graham cracker crumbs)
6 Tbsp 3/4 stick melted, unsalted butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
The Filling:
24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
19 oz can of pumpkin puree*
4 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp real vanilla extract
* the original recipe called for a 15 oz can of pumpkin pie mix, I liked the puree, more pumpkin-y, it does make the recipe a bit more liquid though and I added a Tbs or so of white sugar(to taste) to the batter to compensate for the sugar in the pumpkin pie mix.
Optional Toppings:
1 cup cold heavy cream beat with 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp rum or vanilla
Pumpkin pie spice to dust
Toasted pecans
Instructions
How to Make the Crust: Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 6 Tbsp melted butter. Transfer into a 9-inch springform pan with 3" tall walls and use a large spoon to press crumbs into the bottom of your springform pan, and going about 1/2" up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350˚F for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temp.
How to make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling: Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the 3 packages of softened cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups brown sugar on med speed until light and fluffy and without lumps (5 min), scraping down the bowl once to make sure you don't have chunks of cream cheese. Tip: brown sugar is considered "packed" when it holds it's shape as it comes out of the measuring cup.
Have a taste of this cream cheese frosting. It would make a super yummy frosting actually! Just don't eat too much. You need it for your cheesecake.
In a separate bowl, using a whisk, stir together 15 oz pumpkin pie mix, 4 large eggs, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp flour, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Add this mixture to the cheesecake filling and continue mixing on low speed just until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Transfer filling into pre-baked crust and bake on the middle rack at 350˚F for 1 hour. Turn off heat, prop the oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon and let cheesecake sit in the oven another 45 min. Then remove from the oven and let cool to room temp before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. Serve when fully chilled (at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight).
Before serving, carefully remove cheesecake from springform pan by running a blunt knife along the sides of the cheesecake to release from the springform mold. Add desired toppings (see list above) and serve.
I made 2 different cheesecakes, one in a water bath and one not. The pros to the water bath are that it caused no cracks in the cake, but you don't get as crispy of a crust and you have to bake it a bit longer than this recipe calls for.
For original recipe please see: https://natashaskitchen.com/pumpkin-cheesecake-recipe/
Pumpkin Muffins by Mark
Ingredients
⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup maple syrup or honey (I used honey)
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup pumpkin purée
¼ cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice or cloves)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
⅓ cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray
In a large bowl, beat the oil and maple syrup or honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs, and beat well. Add the pumpkin purée, milk, pumpkin spice blend, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt.
Add the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). If you’d like to add any additional mix-ins***, like nuts, chocolate or dried fruit, fold them in now. (I used crushed pecans)
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with about a tablespoon of oats, followed by a light sprinkle of raw sugar and/or pumpkin spice blend if you’d like. Bake muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. These muffins are delicate until they cool down. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan. In my case they popped out really easily.
These muffins taste even better after they have rested for a couple of hours! They’ll keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They keep well in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months (just defrost individual muffins as needed).
For original recipe click here. Thanks Cookie + Kate!
Cams Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup pumpkin butter, homemade or store-bought
1 egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 ounces semi sweet or dark chocolate chunks
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar
Instructions
1. Add 1 stick butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat, cooking until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stick in the freezer to chill, 10-15 minutes, but no longer.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the remaining 1 stick butter, the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and sugar until combined. Beat in the pumpkin butter, egg, and vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and chocolate chunks.
4. Roll the dough into 1 tablespoon size balls and then generously roll through the cinnamon sugar and place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 1-2 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
For original recipe click here. Thanks to Half-Baked Harvest!
Tyler and Zoe’s Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients
1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée (I use Libby's)
1 large egg
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon molasses, such as Grandma's Original
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with knife, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter
**The original recipe also had a pumpkin glaze but Tyler and Zoe did not use it. Please see original recipe if you would like a little extra to your scone.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, egg, heavy cream, molasses, and vanilla. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Process for about 20 seconds to combine; be sure no lumps of brown sugar remain.
Cut the cold butter into 1/2-inch chunks. Add to the food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal – it should look unevenly crumbly with some pea-size chunks of butter within. Add the pumpkin mixture and pulse just until the mixture comes together. The dough will be very sticky, and you should still be able to see some pea-size clumps of butter.
Lightly flour a countertop or work surface. Dump the sticky scone dough onto the floured surface and dust the top lightly with more flour. Using your hands, gently knead the dough until it comes together into a smooth ball. Divide the dough in half. Dust your work surface with flour again and form each half into a 5-inch circle, about 3/4-inch thick. Using a sharp knife dusted with flour, slice each circle into 6 even wedges (cut each circle in half, then cut each half into thirds). If the dough starts to stick to the knife, dust the knife with more flour. Place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the scones for 12 to 15 minutes. To see if they are done, peek at the bottoms; they should be slightly browned. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Confectioners' sugar, pumpkin, water, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg until smooth. The glaze should be thick.
Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the glaze over each scone, letting it drip a bit down the sides. Wait about 30 minutes for the glaze to set, then serve.
For the original recipe click here. Thanks to Onceuponachef!
