Spiced Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

We may well be fully in the midst of winter now but I'm still not completely done with Autumnal recipes. This week I've already eaten pumpkin soup, pumpkin pasta and now pumpkin brownies. The partnership of rich, dark and fudgey brownies goes brilliantly with a little swirl of spiced pumpkin. Trust me, give it a try.

S P I C E D   P U M P K I N   S W I R L   B R O W N I E S

Brownies:

3 eggs

275g caster sugar

175g salted butter

300g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)

175g plain flour

Pumpkin swirl:

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
3 tbsp caster sugar
170g pumpkin puree

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a 20cm square baking tray.
• Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until combined and set aside.
• Melt the butter and chocolate together over a pan of barely simmering water, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
• Return to the eggs and sugar and whisk once again until pale and fluffy. Pour in the chocolate and butter mixture and combine.
• Gently fold in the flour using a spatula, careful not to over mix.
• Mix together the pumpkin ingredients until smooth.
• Pour the brownie batter into the prepared tin. Dollop the pumpkin onto the top and swirl using a skewer.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes. The top will be firm with a wobble in the centre. Remove from the oven and leave to fully cool on a wire rack before chilling in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours (I like to leave mine overnight). This allows you to slice the squares neatly. Serve from room temperature though to ensure the optimum level of fudginess.

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Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Bundt with Cream Cheese Frosting

There's only so long you can go without making a bundt. 'Almost' the most easygoing and fuss-free cake going (only trumped by a loaf cake). You give the ingredients a little mix then let it do its thing whilst it basks in the oven. I love that I can even fit some washing up and a browse through Instagram with a coffee in whilst its baking!

And, if you haven't seen enough pumpkin recently, then here's some more!

Super moist with warming spices and not too sweet. The cream cheese frosting is my favourite too. The perfect 'grown-up' cake that you can get away with having generous slices...pumpkins are vegetables after all. 

Spiced pumpkin bundt cake with cream cheese frosting
(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Spiced pumpkin bundt cake:

275g unsalted butter, softened

600g soft light brown sugar

4 eggs

560g plain flour, plus extra for the bundt tin

4tsp baking powder

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

1tsp salt

2tbsp speculoos mix (recipe here, alternatively use a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg & ginger)

200ml buttermilk

1 tin of Libby's pumpkin puree

1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Lightly grease a bundt tin, dust with flour and shake off any excess.
2. In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spice mix and give a quick shuffle with a whisk to get rid of any clumps.
5. Back to the batter! On a slow speed, continue to mix alternating between a few dollops of buttermilk and the flour mix until everything is incorporated.
6. Gently fold in the pumpkin by hand.
7. Pour into the bundt tin, two thirds of the way up the tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 50-55 minutes. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
8. Leave on a wire rack to cool.

Spiced cream cheese frosting:
(yields enough to frost at least a dozen cupcakes or one bundt cake)

200g cream cheese, room temperature

50g unsalted butter, softened

350g icing sugar, sifted

1tsp vanilla extract

1tsp speculoos spice mix (recipe here, alternatively use cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger)

1. In a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. This will ensure there's no lumps in the finished frosting. 
2. Continue to beat whilst adding the cream cheese and icing sugar, a little at a time on a low speed.
3. Finally add the vanilla and spice and beat until incorporated. The mix will be nice and thick for frosting, but add a splash of mix if you want to be able to drizzle over the bundt a little more.

To finish, tip the bundt out onto a serving plate. If the bundt isn't flat on the bottom, you may want to slice a little off with a serrated knife to level it. I decorated mine with a big drizzle of the frosting and blitzed the chopped off bottom pieces to crumbs and scattered on top.

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Hogwart's Halloween Feast: Treacle Tarts, Pumpkin Pasties & Butterbeer Cupcakes

"By the time Hallowe'en arrived, Harry was regretting his rash promise to go to the deathday party. The rest of the school was happily anticipating their Hallowe'en feast; the Great Hall had been decorated with the usual live bats, Rubeus Hagrid's vast pumpkins had been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in, and there were rumours that Albus Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the entertainment."

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

There's no use hiding just how much I love Harry Potter. I've queued up at midnight for book editions to be released, had DVD marathons and visited the Leavesden Studios umpteen times. And if you're not a Harry Potter fan, chances are you won't be reading this and will never know how to make the best pumpkin pasties of your life.

But, guys, Harry Potter is for life, not just Halloween. 

So in order to preserve these recipes from the Hogwart's Halloween feast, Flick and I hopped on the Floo Network for supplies in Diagon Alley (via Flick's kitchen) and here they are...

In absence of Hagrid's pumpkins and a troupe of dancing skeletons, Flick did her best to keep me entertained with cups of tea, some singing and some regular dancing. She's multi-talented you know.

TREACLE TART

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"When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the puddings appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding...As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families."

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Treacle Tart
(recipe adapted from BBC Good Food, makes 4 individual tarts, or 1 medium tart)

115g plain flour

55g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

1 egg

45g breadcrumbs

225g golden syrup

pinch of ground ginger

zest of 1/2 a lemon and 1tbsp of lemon juice

1. Rub together the butter and flour in a large bowl until it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Stir in the egg and knead on a lightly floured work surface until the dough is smooth.
3. Roll out to about the thickness of a pound coin and place into tart tins. Use a small ball of leftover dough to press into the edges of the tart tin. Prick the base with a fork and leave to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 190 degrees, cover the tarts with baking paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind for 10-15 minutes. The tart should be light and just starting to turn golden.
5. For the treacle filling, mix all ingredients together. Pour into the pastry tarts and bake for 20 minutes.

PUMPKIN PASTIES

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"Anything from the cart, dearies?"

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 

Pumpkin Pasties
(makes 16)

390g pumpkin flesh, grated

200g gruyere, grated

1tbsp freshly chopped sage

1tbsp freshly chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic, grated

dash of cream

one pack of puff pastry

1 egg yolk, beaten

1. Heat the oven to 190 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin flesh, 150g cheese, herbs, garlic, cream and generously season. Leave to one side.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry to about the thickness of a pound coin. Use a round pastry cutter to cut each pasty. Pull out each of the pastry rounds so that they look more pumpkin shaped.
3. Lay half the pumpkins onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper, leaving a little room between each.
4. Spoon the pumpkin mix onto the middle of each pastry pumpkin leaving space round the edges to brush with beaten egg yolk.
5. Place the pumpkin tops on, score three lines from top to bottom of each of the pumpkins to help them take their shape. Place a pumpkin seed on top for the stalk.
6. Sprinkle on the remaining 50g of grated gruyere and bake in the oven until golden, 15-20 minutes.

BUTTERBEER & PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

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"Why don't we go and have a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, its a bit cold, isn't it?"

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 

Butterbeer & pumpkin cupcakes
(makes a dozen)

Spiced pumpkin cupcakes:

225g pumpkin flesh, grated

1tbsp root ginger, peeled and grated

40ml buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g unsalted butter, softened

210g caster sugar

250g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a cupcake tray with cupcake cases. In a stand mixer, or with a handheld whisk, mix together the pumpkin, ginger, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, butter and sugar until combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices (no need to sift these).
3. Continue to slowly beat the pumpkin mix and add in the flour mix in stages, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is well mixed.
4. Divide between the cupcake cases and bake for 15 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack whilst you make the buttercream.

Butterbeer buttercream:

140g salted butter, softened

280g icing sugar, sifted

splash of full fat milk or cream

1tsp vanilla bean paste (the stronger the better)

1tsp caramel flavouring (better still, butter flavouring if you can find it)

few drops of orange colouring

1. In a stand mixer or hand whisk, beat the butter and icing sugar slowly together until smooth. If needed, add a splash of milk or cream to loosen.
2. Continue to beat in the flavouring and colouring until fully incorporated.

Pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with smashed pretzels, butterscotch and any other treats you fancy. A drizzle of caramel would be great too!


And if that's not quite enough for a feast, then check out some more ideas on my Pinterest board...

Follow Sophie Loves Food's board harry potter on Pinterest.

"Mischief managed."

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14 Perfect Recipes for Autumn

Dust off your slow cookers, mornings are now fresher than ever. And by fresh, I mean I'm considering gloves, scarves and hats already. And to get myself in the mood for apple, cinnamon and pumpkin season I've rounded up the best of Autumn recipes from the blogosphere.

Plenty of pumpkin and sweet potato will help to defrost us a little before things get a little too festive. (Although for some, we're already there...supermarket mince pies, anyone?)

Autumn is my favourite season purely for slow cookers and batch cooking, much less hassle than summer cooking. Bintu's pumpkin pasta with toasted hazelnuts is a perfect example of a super speedy seasonal supper. Make my pumpkin chilli and store portions in the freezer ready for busy weeks. Lucy's beef daube stew is perfect to make in advance for a warming Sunday dinner.

And for some more comforting suppers? I can't wait to try Kate's oven-baked pumpkin & leek risotto, I'm too impatient to stir regular risotto constantly. Or maybe to dunk huge hunks of a buttered loaf into these super easy turmeric beans. Mac n cheese fan? Hannah has truly gone to town with this squash, sage and stilton mac n cheese with bacon.

Fancy a drink? Madeleine has the most perfect pumpkin spice latte recipe or for something a little healthier, this blackberry, fig and beetroot smoothie recipe should do the

I don't think I've mentioned how much I enjoy baking with pumpkin and sweet potato. It's such a versatile ingredient and great for moist, fluffy bakes. Try these spiced pumpkin and pecan mini cakes or sweet potato cake with marshmallow frosting. Emily is the macaron queen and came up with these perfect pumpkin spice latte guys. How amazing do they look?! 

Cate really is on fire over the last few weeks with no end of Autumn inspiration popping up on her blog. I can't wait to try this Autumn banana bread made with squash puree (and its dairy free too!). A hybrid between doughnut and muffins, duffins are a deceptively easy and super quick treat to make. Cinnamon apple duffins are perfect for lunchbox treats...or for sneaky weekend breakfasts! Speaking of treats, these pumpkin pie bars from Katie would go down well in the office.

I'm so excited for my next day off to do some baking now!

What are your favourite Autumn recipes?

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Recipe: Pumpkin Chilli

This chilli is a great vegetarian alternative to regular chilli. Although that's not to say that meat eaters won't enjoy it too. This is quick and easy to make with a tin of pumpkin puree. You can also use a homemade pumpkin puree or even butternut squash or similar.

Chilli's are a personal thing, feel free to add as little or as much cumin and chilli as you need.

Perfect to freeze, serve on its own, with rice or even as a jacket potato topper.

Vegetarian pumpkin chilli
(Recipe adapted from Julia's Album, serves 2-4)

1 tbsp oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
250g pumpkin puree (homemade or tinned)
250g tinned chopped tomatoes
180ml vegetable stock
1 tin kidney beans
1 tin cannellini beans
1 tbsp cumin powder
2 tbsp chilli powder
salt and pepper to season

In a large pan, cook the onions and garlic in the oil until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the pumpkin, chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock and beans and stir together. Add half the spice, season with salt and pepper.

Taste your chilli and add more spice if needed.

Bring to the boil stirring all ingredients together to combine the spices.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 20 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Serve in small bowls with some chopped spring onions to garnish.

N.B. this will make 2 large servings for dinner, or 4 smaller servings for lunch or if serving as an accompaniment.

Recipe: Spiced Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

I'll make pretty much anything to use up what's lurking around in the cupboard or fridge. I hate to waste food. Usually this involves some form of dinner which, in my family, is known as an 'around the world dinner'. By this, you can expect any combination of leftovers of all sorts of cuisines.

I couldn't quite face eating a bag full of sweet potatoes to myself this week so set out to find a suitable use for them. After making a few pumpkin cakes with cans of Libby's last year I was keen to try sweet potato and see how they compare.

This sweet potato cake is slightly more dense than the pumpkin ones I made last year and has much more flavour. But, if you do have a can of Libby's pumpkin purée hanging around, you can substitute with the same quantity.

Spiced sweet potato cake with marshmallow frosting
(Recipe slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

680g sweet potatoes (approximately 2-3)
115g unsalted butter, room temperature
190g soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves, or mixed spice

Marshmallow frosting:

3 large egg whites
180g golden caster sugar
pinch pf salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Prick the sweet potatoes all over and roast in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes. They may need a turning a few times. Once cooked they'll be soft and look a little deflated. Leave to cool completely. If you're baking in advance, leave them in the fridge for up to 3 days, otherwise give them plenty of time to cool before moving onto the cake.

Heat the oven to 170 degrees and grease and line an 8 - 9 inch round springform tin, or an 8 - 9 inch square tin.

Peel the sweet potatoes and mash until smooth (don't be tempted to blitz in the blender, your mix will be too loose).

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs in one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.

Gently fold in the sweet potato, followed by all the dry ingredients. Continue until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top with a knife and bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Once baked, a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

To make the frosting, add the egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar to a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk for approximately 3 minutes, until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and continue to whisk with an electric mixer for a further 4 - 7 minutes on a high speed, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

To decorate, spread a thin layer of the marshmallow onto the cake with a palette knife or spatula. Then, with a piping bag or sandwich bag, pipe small dollops over the thin frosting layer. With a kitchen torch, lightly brown the marshmallow dollops until browned.

Find my recipe for sweet potato brownies here if you'd like to try them another way.

Alternatively, you could substitute the same quantity of pumpkin for sweet potato in my spiced pumpkin mini cakes or in my pumpkin praline cake.

Pumpkin & Pecan Praline Cake

I made this cake quickly after work for a family birthday, on Bonfire Night!

I decided to go for full on autumn flavours with a pumpkin sponge and pecan praline topping. All helped with a good smothering of dark chocolate ganache.

For this I used a combination of Marta Stewart recipes, including the pumpkin sponge I made into mini cakes here, and the pecan praline. The ganache was my first attempt and a bit of guestimating!

Pumpkin cake, with dark chocolate ganache & pecan praline
(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)
     2 cups plain flour
     1tsp bicarbonate of soda
     1tsp baking powder
     1tsp salt
     1tsp ground cinnamon
     1tsp ground ginger
     1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
     1/4 tsp ground allspice
     1 cup packed light brown sugar
     1 cup granulated sugar
     1 cup butter, melted and cooled
     4 eggs, lightly beaten
     1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (I used Libby's)

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease 3 regular sandwich tins.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter and eggs. Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the pumpkin puree,
• Divide the batter evenly between the tins. Bake until golden and the tops spring back when touched, roughly 25-30 minutes. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate ganache

     200g dark chocolate

     300ml double cream

     2tbsp golden caster sugar

• Chop the chocolate into small chunks and tip into a heatproof bowl.
• Heat the double cream in a pan, add the sugar and heat until it is about to boil.
• Take off the heat and pour over the chocolate chunks.
• Continue to stir until all chunks have melted and the mixture is smooth.

Pecan praline

(Recipe from Martha Stewart)

     vegetable oil, for baking tray

     1 cup golden caster sugar

     1 cup whole pecans, lightly toasted

• Lightly coat a baking tray with vegetable oil and set aside.
• Mix together the sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Cover and cook, without stirring, until an amber coloured syrup has formed, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the pecans. Pour mixture onto prepared baking tray and leave to cool completely.
• When the praline has cooled, coarsely chop. 

To finish, I sandwiched the three layers of pumpkin cake with lashings of chocolate ganache. Then, poured the rest over the top. Did a little tidying up and sprinkled over the chopped pecan praline.

There was enough praline left to cover one more cake...Martha advises to store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Spiced Pumpkin Mini Cakes

Spiced pumpkin mini cakes
(From Martha Stewart, makes 24)
     2 cups plain flour
     1tsp bicarbonate of soda
     1tsp baking powder
     1tsp salt
     1tsp ground cinnamon
     1tsp ground ginger
     1/4 freshly grated nutmeg
     1/4tsp ground allspice
     1 cup packed soft brown sugar
     1 cup caster sugar
     1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
     4 large eggs, lightly beaten
     1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease trays and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, caster sugar, butter and eggs. Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.
• Divide batter evenly among the trays, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, or a cake tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

I had some chocolate custard left over from my Brooklyn Blackout cupcakes, which goes perfectly with the spicy pumpkin cake. Recipe here. Then topped with some blitzed cake crumbs and a pecan half.