Punkin' Pie (for Breakfast)

So this morning was pretty much the first Saturday since I-can't-remember-when that Mike was home and neither one of us had anything to do for the day, so I decided to celebrate the non-occasion by making breakfast. I had seen a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Pancakes on Closet Cooking (my new and favorite cyber time-vacuum), and thought it looked yummy. I also happened to have some leftover canned pumpkin puree from a sale after Thanksgiving last year (reaping the benefits of last year's thriftiness- that never happens to me!), so I thought I'd give it a try, even though I'm pretty much the most incompetent pancake-maker in America.

Turns out, I'm still the most incompetent pancake-maker in America, but fortunately, this is an easy and forgiving recipe: even if the pancakes aren't perfectly cooked to an even shade of golden brown, it doesn't matter because the batter is orange, so it doesn't show as much. In fact, these pancakes are spectacular, and Mike really loved them. I topped them with maple syrup and some chopped pecans that I toasted for just a minute or two on low heat in a dry pan (and I do mean low heat for just a minute or two-- I burned the first two batches before I got it right). For those that don't like nuts [read: Meredith], still think about including them for anyone else you are serving because they really do add a very nice, autumn-ish flavor. The recipe below is pretty much the exact same one I lifted from Closet Cooking, except that I threw in a dash of salt and vanilla, for the sake of feeling like I contributed something. It's a small batch, though, so consider doubling up if you are making it for more than 2. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes (adapted from Closet Cooking by Kevin Lynch)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1 cup milk

1 egg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger in a large bowl.

2. Mix the milk, egg, butter, vanilla, and pumpkin puree in another bowl.

3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients making sure to not over mix.

4. Heat a pan and melt a touch of butter or non-stick spray in it.

5. Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the pan and heat until the surface starts to bubble and the bottom is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

6. Flip the pancake and cook the other side until the bottom is golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.

Mixed Company

A couple of weeks ago, I hosted a small, casual dinner party... and by "small," I mean I was planning for 11, which is actually huge for me and my tiny house. Only 9 ended up making it, but it was still a bigger operation than I'm used to. The more challenging part, however, was not the number of my lovely guests, but rather the ages of my lovely guests: of the 9, only 4 of us were adults, and the rest were kids, the oldest being 11, and the youngest being 3. Fortunately, I live in a baby factory, so I have both entertained and witnessed entertaining of kids and adults, and it's really not as hard as you'd think. I think the one basic principle to remember as you keep your younger guests in mind (lest you be horribly offended/embarrassed when your 5-year-old guest publicly turns her cute little nose up at your sauteed rainbow chard) is to make food they recognize in the fanciest, highest quality version you can. That way, you can impress your adult friends and their little ones without having to make two meals (although I don't think it hurts to throw a few hot dogs on the grill if necessary). Case in point: macaroni and cheese. I mean REAL macaroni and cheese, with actual cheese and milk in it. I use the basic parts of Ina Garten's recipe, although I leave out a couple of flourishes (she tops hers with tomatoes), and I have to adjust the cheese to what is available here in Middle America. The result has generally gotten pretty good reviews from the kids and the adults that I've made it for.

Here's the recipe...

Real Macaroni and Cheese (adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Family Style)

Ingredients

Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
20 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (6 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cups plain bread crumbs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the cheese, 2 tsp salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish (a.k.a. 9 x 13 Pyrex or casserole dish).

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

*** You can make this ahead of time, all the way until you pour the mac n cheese into the baking dish. Cover it with plastic and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to bake. Then sprinkle on the bread crumbs and add an extra 10-15 minutes to the baking time.

(I thought I took a photo of this, but now I can't find it, so I guess I forgot)

For dessert, I made basic brownies from scratch. Again, brownies = kid food. Real brownies made from actual flour and melted chocolate = grown ups are a little impressed (don't know if my guests were, but I would have been, had it not been me doing the baking). This is just the Southern Living Basic Brownies recipe, but I did add the coffee powder. I first heard about adding coffee to chocolate to bring out the chocolatey-ness from my beloved Ina, but it was then confirmed by my friend Michel, the professional pastry chef in NYC. We had a lot of dessert (I also made homemade ice cream, and my friend brought cookies), so there were a lot of brownies left over, but when I took them to work on Tuesday, they were gone in a matter of minutes. These are very cakey brownies, but that could be because I baked them in an aluminum pan... I've heard you should use glass for chewy brownies and aluminum for cakey brownies (can't confirm if that's true or not).

Basic Brownies (adapted from Southern Living Readers' Favorites)

Ingredients
1 cup butter or margarine
4 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tsp instant coffee or espresso granules

Preparation
Microwave butter and chocolate squares in a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 2 minutes or until both are melted, stirring once. Add coffee granules and set aside.

Beat eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer; gradually add sugar, beating well.

Add flour, salt, and vanilla, beating well. Stir in chocolate mixture, and, if desired, chopped walnuts. Pour batter into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.

Bake at 325° for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Spread with frosting, if desired, and cut into squares.