Sunday, November 21, 2010

The Gardener Shares His Family Recipe for Pumpkin Souffle'

I married a man who loves to cook - (sigh~~~)





The Gardener has agreed to share his cherished family recipe for what we now call "pumpkin souffle" with all of my blogging friends.
The first time he made this for me - I thought I had died and gone to heaven. He uses fresh pumpkin or butternut squash - (either one works great - and the taste is the same). We eat this with our meal as one of the side dishes - but in truth - we then ALSO eat more and call it dessert! (the day we took these photos our entire house smelled fabulous with the aroma of the baking - after we took the photos - we ate almost the whole thing for our supper!)
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The Gardener is taking it from here for the rest of this post~~
(so show him some blogging love!)




This started out as a recipe for ‘Sweet Potato Pie’, probably my mother’s but I really don’t remember. I always hated to throw away all those Halloween Pumpkins so I tried this and we all loved it… Sort of a veggie/sort of a dessert. Not for the faint of heart if you are on a low-fat, low-carb diet - but every now and then, why not!

STUFF YOU NEED………………..

Dry: 2 Cups sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon Baking powder

Liquid: 4 Large eggs
1 Cup evaporated, canned milk (NOT condensed -- evaporated)
1 ½ tablespoons Vanilla

6 Cups of cooked Fresh Pumpkin or Butternut Squash

1 stick margarine or butter

Set aside for topping: Ground cinnamon, additional sugar, additional margarine



(The sign of a well loved recipe~~)



Prepare the pumpkin /squash


I prepare the pumpkin in various ways depending on availability AND sometimes I use butternut squash or Kershaw, or any other orange, winter-type squash. If it is fresh then cut it into convenient sizes (halves for the butternut) and microwave covered until the skin can be easily pierced and the flesh scooped out easily.


Today I used frozen chunks of a very large butternut that I had cut and peeled earlier. I had frozen it without cooking. Microwaved those chunks until it was easy to smash and then cooled until it was easy to handle.


NOTE that it will not be a puree but will still be a little stringy. BOTTOM LINE: cook it anyway you like including boiling in a water bath or cooking and smashing before freezing it, as long as you drain it very well and smash it up into a fairly uniform, slightly stringy texture. Puree might be OK but I think the texture would not be as nice. If you try it, let me know…




Prepare pumpkin (as described above) and mix the warm pumpkin with a stick of cut-up margarine until margarine melts.


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Combine all the dry ingredients and mix together well.
Beat eggs lightly then combine all liquid with the eggs and whisk until well mixed.
A
dd dry ingredients to mixed liquids while whisking until this combination is well mixed.

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Then add the prepared pumpkin and whisk until all the ingredients are well mixed. Pour into oven-safe baking dish(es) filling approximately ¾ full.

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Dot surface with pats of margarine to taste~~



Sprinkle top with additional sugar and cinnamon to taste.



Bake for 50 minutes - and using a straw to check in the center - the straw should come out clean.


STUFF YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW………………………..

No I didn’t forget the spices that you might expect to go with pumpkin. Although they might make a nice variation - only vanilla and the cinnamon for the topping is used for this recipe.

The amount of pumpkin is not critical. More makes a denser texture, less a little more custard-like texture. I personally like a bit more. When you are mixing it if you see any large chunks that didn’t smash up, just crush them with the mixing spoon -- or not. They cook up OK either way.

The recipe calls for 1 cup of the evaporated milk. That works really well, but I never knew what to do with the remaining 1/2
cup. Answer: Just add it to the mix if you don’t have any other use for it.

I like a bit more vanilla so I
usually use 2 tablespoons plus whatever I spill while measuring.

This makes a LOT, so you might want to halve the recipe if you have a small group or you can divide the full recipe into separate baking containers and make two or more smaller portions.

In the deep dish we used today, 50 minutes is just a starting point and usually is about half the time needed. Depends on how deep your baking dish is and other things. If the squash is really dry/drained and you don’t use the extra milk, it might be done then, but usually it is not for me unless I divide it into a shallow dish or into smaller baking dishes for sharing.


Just add more baking time in 20-minute intervals until it is no longer bubbling out the sides and then allow about 10-minutes more. A straw should come out clean from the middle. Sometimes it takes two hours if you are baking it in one deep dish. Not to worry it will just make the house smell wonderful while it is cooking! Also if it is a little moist it still tastes great just not as firm when you dish it out. Today’s dish took about two hours because of the extra milk and deep dish.

This is a recipe that is not really critical about exact amount of ingredients or cooking time and after Halloween, large pumpkins are almost free (50cents at Wal-Mart last week!)

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do…



(OK - I'm back. Stole the post back from the Gardener~~~)

If anyone has any questions - just send me an email - I will make sure it gets to the Gardener and HE will answer ALL emails personally. (my email address is found on the sidebar of the blog).
This is truly one of our most beloved family recipes. When we have Thanksgiving dinner with our families - this is always our contribution to the dinner - it is expected - they would not let us walk in the door without it!


From our house to yours~~ Happy Thanksgiving!
Vicki (and the Gardener)

26 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for your lovely words at my blog.....
    This looks delicious to me ;)
    Fine new week

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  2. It looks delish! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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  3. Sweet Jesus ... what time is dinner???????? This sounds like a delicious side dish and/or dessert and I'm up for either. Not cooking this Thanksgiving so am tucking this aside for another year. Thanks for sharing!!!

    PS - absolutely LOVE the cupboard doors!

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  4. Great recipe! Cute Gardener...sharing BOTH? LOL! Happy Thanksgiving...many blessings!

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  5. Yum! That looks & sounds wonderful, especially to one who hasn't eaten breakfast yet. How nice of him to share :-)

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  6. Gosh, Vicki, A good cook AND a Gardener! And, I can tell he's a very nice man too. You did luck out!
    You two have a delightful Thanksgiving!! pat

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  7. Hi Vicki and The Gardener,
    I have never made a pumpkin pie..I know ,I'm a big cheater I go to Costco..
    I think I might have to try making your Pumpkin Souffle. It looks amazingly good! and I love anything pumpkin. I don't think anyone should diet during Thanksgiving or Christmas, its the time to enjoy all the wonderful foods. Thank you for sharing your family recipe.
    My husband loves to cook too and we do cook together..but guess who has to go back and clean up after him.LOL...Yep that would me!
    Have a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.
    Hugs~Elizabeth

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  8. Well, Mr. "the Gardener", what a wonderful post! The "sidesert" looks sooooo yummy. I love pumpkin-y things. I bet my son would love this as well. (My husband is not a big pumpkin person.) I cannot wait to give it a try. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

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  9. We LOVE dishes like this! The recipe sounds delish! I'll have to save this one for Christmas company since I'm not cooking this Thanksgiving either. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.

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  10. Going to make this for Thanksgiving dinner..

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  11. Okay I am losing my mind-I went to leave a comment about the souffle and it seemed like the post rolled into the vb post-it is two separate posts.

    xoxoxoxo E.

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  12. What a nice hubby to share this wonderful looking recipe, but also star in the blog post! Nice job and that looks like a winner to me...have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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  13. I want a husband that can cook! and that can blog about it on my blog for me! Lucky you! Thanks for stopping by; happy to "meet" you. I keep getting sidetracked from The Distant Hours by scheduled review books (this one is a review book, too, but doesn't need to go up on a certain date) .. but I love it so far (about halfway through). AND even though I have to keep setting it aside, every time I go back to it, it's like seeing an old friend. This is my first Kate Morton novel, but won't be my last!

    Julie @ Knitting and Sundries

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  14. What a wonderful husband you have Vicki and the meal he was cooking looked delicious. He looked like he was enjoying himself!!

    My son and brother both love to cook and their partners are thrilled to have men who will whip up a meal. They both like to experiment!

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  15. My dear Vikci,
    give the gardener a big kiss for sharing this recipe with all of us.... it sounds gorgeous and as soon as the little one is well again I will try it and tell you how it worked. I hope your and the family had a great holiday. I am busy preparing everything for Santa coming and I don`t want to think about the only 31 days left rrrrhhh. And +shriek* I didn`t get a holiday card til yesterday morning.... after that I hadn`t seen my e-mail-account up to right now... so I hope when I look tomorrow it`s there... i`ll let you know for sure. Hugs & kisses Myriam
    PS: Showed the city to our scarf today because it was bl...... cold outside and thought of you while having a latte-quickie during waiting at the chemist...love it.

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  16. That sounds and looks wonderful Vicki! It is a lot like a squash casserole that we make every year. YUMM!!!!! I could eat some right now...can you please email me a dish of it?? Lol
    Hugs~

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  17. Soounds absolutely wonderful! I can almost smell it! Will try for sure...Happy Thansgiving!

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  18. Oh my, does this ever look delicious! The final concoction recalls to me that of creme brulee. A dessert that sends rivulets of pleasure sweeping though our entire being ... this looks to be another one of those divine treats!!

    Vicki, how very fortunate you are to have married a chef. When my husband and I were courting, he wooed me with his fancy concoctions in the kitchen. Once he secured my hand, I was no longer spoiled by his cuisine. He does though, surprise me now and then with a lavish feast ...just to let me know he hasn't lost his touch! It is most wonderful to find a man who knows how to cook, and sexy too! ;;)

    Thank you for sharing this family recipe! Wishing you and yours a beautiful and blissful Thanksgiving ... may your hearts be filled with much peace.

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  19. Oh I simply loved this post! I could just imagine Vicki snapping the pictures while the gardener showed us how it's done and your whole house smelling wonderful. And that last picture, instant salivation seeing that fluffy sweet yumminess under that perfectly crisp layer! Your house is so full of love. Have a great Thanksgiving you two! Oh and Vicki, LOVE the new fall header! xo ~Lili

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  20. What a wonderful post by the gardener! I am so happy everyone can get to know him as we do! Not only is he a wonderful cook (we are lucky recipients of a holiday souffle), but he is also a wonderful friend. Happy Thanksgiving Dan! Keep your guest blogs coming!
    Mary

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  21. Wow, he tends garden and cooks? What a keeper! Vicki I hope you and the Gardener have the best Thanksgiving with family and friends. Thank him a bunch for sharing the recipe. If we could only smell it too!

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  22. Yum, looks delicious, nothing is better then a recipe handed down from family and friends!!!!
    Love the part of the vanilla that spills over...he he!!!
    Hugs,
    Margaret B

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  23. Oh that looks so yummy! Happy Thanksgiving, Sweet Friend~
    Thank you for sharing!
    Hugs n' smiles,
    Michelle

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  24. yummmmmmmmmmmmy! That looks so delicious. I must also say that I fell in love with every single house in your previous post, oh if only I could pick them out of the screen and place here for me to call home :) Lovely to see darling Keri Beth so I can imagine her enjoying my Calendar! Catherine xx

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  25. What a delightful journey this morning with your friends and the lovely pictures! Then dessert! More wonderful pictures! Looks sooooooo delicious and thankyou so much for the recipe Gardener so lovingly expressed!
    xo Susan

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  26. Vikki, Your Gardener looks as sweet as his Pumpkin Souffle! I'm so snatching this recipe! Please tell him thank you...my mouth is watering! xo Paulette

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