Butternut Breakfast Puffs

 

 Jon and I are addicted to doughnuts.  And not the cheap-easy-to-find kind.  We of course like the more expensive hand made ones that you find at farmstands or at Donut Dip.  These breakfast puffs are my attempt to recreate that taste at home, slightly healthier, and on a budget.

I had some frozen butternut squash from my parents' garden that needed to be used up, but no milk.  And I had a hungry husband looking anxiously into the kitchen.  I needed to come up with a treat using what I had! The result?

These puffs are BETTER than doughnuts.

(Adapted from Food52)

1/3 cup sea salted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cup a.p. flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup cooked, pureed winter squash -or- pumpkin

In a small pot, melt the butter over medium high heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until nutty and slightly browned.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Cream sugar, egg, and squash.  Stir in room temperature brown butter.  Mix dry ingredients together, then add to wet until well combined.

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, and add batter evenly (I like to use the last drips from the melted butter pot to grease pans).

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  

Now, for the amazing part, which I discovered by accident.

Brown another 1/2 cup of sea salted butter (I didn't meant to brown it this time...but WOW).

Mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.

Dip each puff into the butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar.

Best when warm, but don't eat them all at once...if anyone is looking.

Makes 12.

17th Century Spice Cake

17th Century Spice Cake

I found this recipe while looking at the Plimoth Plantation website and dreaming of going back in time...It is more of a sweet bread than a cake.  I didn't have aniseeds or mace, so I used ginger and nutmeg instead.  I also substituted chopped candied ginger instead of raisins.  Looks and smells lovely, can't wait until it cools enough to eat!

Ratatouille, zucchini brownies, bialys, and soap

Easiest Ratatouille

1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of 10" casserole dish

Chop half an onion and a clove of garlic, sprinkle on top.

Drizzle olive oil over sauce mixture.

Slice zucchini (and/or summer squash and/or eggplant and/or bell pepper) very thinly or use a mandolin.

Arrange in a spiral on top of sauce until the entire surface is covered.

Season with salt, pepper and thyme, drizzle with olive oil.

Cut piece of parchment paper to fit inside to cover (I only had a small scrap of the paper left, and it still worked).

Bake at 375 for about 40-45 minutes, until veggies are as soft as you want.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Zucchini Brownies

1 cup white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp baking cocoa

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup honey

2 cups shredded zucchini

Mix wet ingredients and dry separately, then mix dry into wet.  Add more flour if needed.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan, bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

 Bialys

Recipe by Smitten Kitchen.

 Melt and Pour Oatmeal and Honey Soap

I'm not a fan of melt and pour soaps anymore, because of their ingredients, but I had a bunch of the base leftover from a past project and wanted to use it up.

Melt down small amounts of the base at a time in the microwave or a double boiler (which is only for non-food use after this!).

Grind a small amount of oats at a time in your food processor until almost flour-like (or use oat flour).

Add a few drops of honey and as many ground oats as you want into the melted base a little at a time, making sure the base can hold the mixture- a little goes a long way!

Pour into molds and let cool until hardened.

Squash soup.

After I saw that I was only scheduled once or twice a week for August, and considering quite a few other factors, I quit my job at the ice cream stand.  It just wasn't worth it.  The small amount that I was making wasn't worth the drama and stress, especially when they suddenly cut my hours!  As for the people already asking me, 'So, when are you going to get a new job?!'...I have a job.  I'm still translating.  Yes, that's a real job.  And between jobs, I will be out in the garden, or making jam, or working on Jon's sweater, and not being lazy.  Most of the time.

My challenge recently has been to use up zucchini and summer squash.  I'm kinda glad that not all of my seed germinated, or we would have been eating squash for THREE meals a day, instead of two.

Here is my favorite recipe to use up the larger zucchini and summer squashes:

Squash Soup

Saute a medium chopped onion in olive oil until translucent in soup pot.  Add a chopped clove of garlic.  Dice up a couple of cups of zucchini and/or summer squash, as well as one carrot and one potato.  I've also thrown in turnips and beets.  Amounts don't have to be exact.  Saute a few minutes.  Add 3-4 cups of broth.  Add, to your taste, tumeric, cumin, paprika, ground mustard, cinnamon, cayenne (very little), salt, and pepper.  Keep in mind it will cook down, so watch how much salt you add.  When all the veggies are soft, use an immersion blender, or like me, pour small amounts into a blender and blend until pureed, being very careful- hot!!!  Add a tablespoon of butter -or- a splash of milk of your choice and stir in.  Enjoy!

This recipe is great for using up odd amounts of things.  I've been picking a tote bag full of squash every few days...seems to be the only thing coming out of the garden besides turnips!  Anyone want turnips?!  Seriously- let me know.  You can have all you want.