I had the day off yesterday and even though I had a boat load of homework to do (it feels like ALL I ever do), I decided to finally start experimenting with a pumpkin custard as I have been saying I was going to do for weeks now.
I spent some time looking for a recipe to try (again it had to be gluten free and dairy free) and stumbled upon this one. I of course made a few changes to it though. Here's what I did:
3/4 can of pureed pumpkin (unseasoned)
1/2 c. coconut milk (full fat)
1/2 c. grade b maple syrup
2 large eggs
2 tsp tapioca starch
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients until completely combined. Pour into glass or ceramic baking dishes (I REALLY had wanted to bake individual servings, but alas we have no ramekins). Place the baking dishes of choice in a water bath (larger baking dish filled with water to about 1/2 way up the sides of the baking dish. Bake 50-55 minutes.
This was pretty simple to make. When it was baking, the house smelled like pumpkin pies and it was awesome. So awesome it was hard to wait for Justin to come home from work to try it out. We actually waited until after dinner (building the hype up even more!). When we finally tasted it, it was fabulous. It had a smooth texture and had just enough spice (we all know how I feel about pumpkin goods being properly spiced!) I increased the amount of spice just slightly and swapped out the hemp milk for coconut milk from the original recipe. That being said, I think if I were to make this again, I may decrease the maple syrup from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup. It was just a hint too sweet for me, but for others, I think the sweetness would hit the spot.
Today I saw a recipe for a paleo pumpkin cheesecake. I'm pretty sure that will be next on my list.
Showing posts with label Pumpkin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pumpkin. Show all posts
13 November 2012
01 November 2012
The search is on!
For a pumpkin custard recipe that is dairy free AND doesn't suck.
When I was younger, I couldn't stand pumpkin pie. It was soggy and gross. I worked in a bakery and people LOVED our pumpkin pies. I never understood it.
The years have passed and my feelings for pumpkin have changed. I love everything about pumpkin now. I love the spice and aroma of most things pumpkin. There is nothing better than a cool, crisp autumn day and something spicy, be it pumpkin bread, pumpkin latte, pumpkin pancakes. You get the picture, I love pumpkin.
Sad to say it seems as though most things pumpkin spice these days are lacking in the spice department. Take away my gluten and my dairy and it leaves me with spices to make me happy. I've tried a few pumpkin recipes so far this fall with the new lifestyle changes and all I can say is I have been UNDERWHELMED.
Perhaps it is assumed that when you find out you have food sensitivities or allergies, that your desire for good food is gone. Maybe the people creating these recipes have diminished taste buds, I don't know. Pretty much any recipe for anything pumpkin (and gluten free) is bland.
I made a GF pumpkin bread a couple of weeks ago. Bland. (Though it made for some pretty delicious french toast the next day when I added more spices).
Before I started my no dairy experiment, I had a pumpkin spice latte (from two major chains). Both tasted like overly sweet, slightly spiced milk. The Bean Barn in Placerville has much better pumpkin spice lattes, but that is neither here nor there.
So I am setting out to perfect a dairy free pumpkin spice custard (since I haven't perfected a GF pie crust and nothing will ever compare to my mom's pie crusts).
It needs to have a smooth texture, have a balanced sweetness and a spiciness that reflects wonderful fall flavors. I can't tell if all of a sudden I have intensified the memories of fall spices (last time I had a spiced cider, it too just seemed cloyingly sweet), or if people have just equated saturated in sugar with fall flavors now.
When I was younger, I couldn't stand pumpkin pie. It was soggy and gross. I worked in a bakery and people LOVED our pumpkin pies. I never understood it.
The years have passed and my feelings for pumpkin have changed. I love everything about pumpkin now. I love the spice and aroma of most things pumpkin. There is nothing better than a cool, crisp autumn day and something spicy, be it pumpkin bread, pumpkin latte, pumpkin pancakes. You get the picture, I love pumpkin.
Sad to say it seems as though most things pumpkin spice these days are lacking in the spice department. Take away my gluten and my dairy and it leaves me with spices to make me happy. I've tried a few pumpkin recipes so far this fall with the new lifestyle changes and all I can say is I have been UNDERWHELMED.
Perhaps it is assumed that when you find out you have food sensitivities or allergies, that your desire for good food is gone. Maybe the people creating these recipes have diminished taste buds, I don't know. Pretty much any recipe for anything pumpkin (and gluten free) is bland.
I made a GF pumpkin bread a couple of weeks ago. Bland. (Though it made for some pretty delicious french toast the next day when I added more spices).
Before I started my no dairy experiment, I had a pumpkin spice latte (from two major chains). Both tasted like overly sweet, slightly spiced milk. The Bean Barn in Placerville has much better pumpkin spice lattes, but that is neither here nor there.
So I am setting out to perfect a dairy free pumpkin spice custard (since I haven't perfected a GF pie crust and nothing will ever compare to my mom's pie crusts).
It needs to have a smooth texture, have a balanced sweetness and a spiciness that reflects wonderful fall flavors. I can't tell if all of a sudden I have intensified the memories of fall spices (last time I had a spiced cider, it too just seemed cloyingly sweet), or if people have just equated saturated in sugar with fall flavors now.
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