Recipe: Pumpkin brownies

It was Eid al-Adha last Monday, and yesterday some of the Malaysian students in the Netherlands came to our lil city for celebration. We booked the bbq pit on campus, and brought lots of food (like always), and the guys started grilling the delicious sate and other marinated meat.

The food was awesome (thanks guys!) I even prepared brownies and pumpkin brownies for dessert. I had the pumpkin puree stored in the freezer, and I thought this would be the perfect time to use it since fall is coming *wohoo*!

The texture is like a mix of pie and brownies. It is dense and creamy. I love the touch of the spices in it along with the sourish taste of the cream cheese.

Choose the pumpkin variety suitable for baking. The one usually sold in the grocery store in the Netherlands is the variety suitable for making soup (less sweet, more watery). I bought several pumpkin varieties last year from a nearby farm, and I kept the leftover baked flesh in the freezer in case I feel like eating pumpkin pie one day haha.

Pumpkin brownies
[click for printable version]

Ingredients

800 g pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar*
5 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cream
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sunflower oil

For the cream cheese marble:
300 g cream cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar*

*adjust the sugar based on your liking

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C. Line a rectangular baking pan with a baking paper, set aside. 
2. Combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs, the spices and salt in a large bowl and by using the hand blender, mix until smooth. 
3. Mix the flour, cream, baking powder and oil with the rest of the ingredient. Mix using a rubber spatula and spread the batter into the baking pan.
4. Combine the cream cheese, egg, and sugar in another small bowl. Put a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto the batter, and by using the back of a spoon, spread the cream cheese with the batter to get the marbling effect.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies come out clean.

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Recipe: Pumpkin roll with white chocolate cream cheese filling

It is the pumpkin season and I bought lots of pumpkins a month ago in the neighboring town. I made lots of delicious food from the pumpkins, and this baby is one of them. I've been wanting to make one since watching a video by Divas Can Cook a year ago and I was so happy with the result. The cake was moist, and the combination of the cake with the white chocolate cream cheese frosting was sooo good.

The roll didn't come out perfect, I think I rolled it too tightly when it was hot, but hey....it looks gorgeous! The cake looks like spider web designed and great for the coming Halloween :D

Pumpkin roll with white chocolate cream cheese filling 

*adapted from Divas Can Cook 

[click for printable version]

Pumpkin cake

3 egg yolks 

3 egg whites

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder

1/4 teaspoon ginger powder

a pinch of salt

Filling

200 g cream cheese (60%) (or you can use light cream cheese)

100 g white chocolate

1-2 tablespoons milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 10' x 15' pan generously with butter and cover it with a parchment paper and grease it again with butter,

2. Beat egg yolks in a large bowl until pale yellow and thick. Combine sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, ginger powder and salt in a small bowl and mix the dry ingredients into the yolks. Fold in the pumpkin puree using a wooden spatula into the mixture.

3. Beat egg whites until soft peak form, and fold in the batter. 

4. Pour the batter in the pan and spread it into an even layer. Let it rest for 10 minutes and bake it in the oven for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

5. Once the cake is done, cover the cake with icing sugar and cover it with a kitchen towel and flip it slowly.

6. Take out the parchment paper slowly, and start to roll the cake (with the kitchen towel) tightly. Set aside until it cools.

7. To make the filling, combine white chocolate with milk in a medium porcelain bowl and put it in the microwave on High for a minute. Stir the chocolate and if it is not melting put it back in the microwave for 30 seconds or more until the chocolate melts. Let it cools to a room temperature and mix it with the cream cheese. 

8. After the cake has cooled down, spread the frosting on the cake evenly. Roll the cake and slowly peeling out the kitchen towel. Wrap the cake with an aluminum foil and plastic wrap and put it in a fridge overnight (this helps in developing the flavor). 

9. Dust the cake with icing sugar and slice it.

p.s: I recommend you to watch the video by the Divas Can Cook for you to have a better idea how to do it. Enjoy! :)

Owh, and Happy Deepavali and Maal Hijrah to all who are celebrating them :D

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Recipe: Kuih seri muka labu (glutinous rice with pumpkin custard layer)

Few months ago I wrote a recipe of my favorite kuih - kuih seri muka . Well, weeks ago I made a fusion version of my favorite kuih using pumpkin custard as the top layer (labu = pumpkin). The combination of sticky rice with pumpkin tastes great, and I was surprised how it turns out to be. It's like enjoying both of my favorite Malaysian and American desserts in one bite (I love the American pumpkin pie!).

Instead of using a microwave to cook the sticky rice I used a rice cooker, and I must say that I'm going to stick with using that from now on. It didn't create mess like what I had experienced before (it must be the springform pan...geez). Anyway, since now is the pumpkin season *yeay* why don't you just give this recipe a try. It's a great way to impress your family and friends ;)

Kuih seri muka labu
[click for printable version]

Bottom Layer (glutinous rice):
200 g glutinous rice (soaked for an hour, drained)
125 ml coconut milk + 125 ml water
1 tsp salt

Upper layer (pumpkin custard):
3 large eggs

500 gm pumpkin - roast until soften
1/2 cup coconut milk

5 tablespoons dark brown sugar (or to taste)
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder

1/4 teaspoons salt

Method:

1. Cook the rice in the rice cooker until set. Fluff up the rice using a fork and put it in a 24 cm springform pan which has been oiled and press the rice until compact, set aside.

2. Combine all the ingredients for the custard in a food processor and processed the mixture. Pour the custard layer on top of the rice layer and bake in the 180 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes or until the custard layer becomes brownish.

3. Let the kuih cools to a room temperature, and cut it using oiled knife.

p.s: This dessert tastes sooo good despite the look haha

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Pumpkin pie and cupcakes ordered by Sabrina

Sabrina requested pumpkin pie from me, and she asked whether I put cinnamon in it. I told her that I put it, and I could omit the spice if she doesn't want it since lots of Malaysians that I know don't like the taste. However, to my surprise she said she loves pumpkin pie with cinnamon. 

Then she messaged me again if it is possible to get 6 pieces of red velvet and 6 pieces of ying and yang cupcakes. Take note usually I don't take small number of cupcakes but since she already ordered the pie, so  I am okay with that.

I asked Sabrina for the feedback and she said she loved the goodies and would order more cupcakes in the future. She suggested I cook the pie for 5 minutes longer as what she did to make it perfect. Thanks Sabrina for the suggestion :)

Thank you Sabrina for the order, and I'm really glad that you love them :)

6 red velvet cupcakes with vanilla frosting: RM 15

6 Ying and Yang cupcakes: RM 24

9.5 inch pumpkin pie: RM 25

Total: RM 64

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Fresh homemade pumpkin pie

The last time I ate homemade pumpkin pie was on Thanksgiving 2007 and that was 5 years ago *gasp* Growing up reading Archie and Friends, I always wanted to try food that is common in the U.S which is difficult to find in Malaysia in those days. When I went to the US for my undergraduate studies, I didn't miss the opportunities to try all the food that I've been craving to try when I was young. Pumpkin pie was one of it. 

The first time I had a bite of it during freshman year, I totally fall in love with it. The texture of the pumpkin, the spices, the sweetness, all of that really complement the pie.

But one thing for sure, this is pretty uncommon in Malaysia so lots of Malaysians don't dare or like the taste. But if you are one of the people who likes to try new food, I would recommend this pie for you :)

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