Pumpkin Spice Tea Cakes and Kahlua Caramel

In case you didn't grow up on Dickens, Dickinson, and Carroll as I did, you may not be too sure what to do with a tea cake. Rest assured that it's just as it sounds. Tea cakes are small baked goods meant to be served at tea time or as small finger foods during brunch. Similar to scones, in that they are only slightly sweet, I've also included the recipe for a Kahlua caramel dipping sauce. These babies are, of course, spiced -- just as the East India Trading Company would have it.

Day 8 of 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice is a two for one, as the tea cakes can be served by themselves and the Kahlua sauce can be used on other goodies. 

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Pumpkin Spice Tea Cakes

These usually healthy tea cakes can be eaten alone, with tea, or with the Kahlua caramel sauce (recipe below).

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 mashed banana
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 cups flour (see notes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• Pumpkin seeds

Note: These lend themselves very easily to gluten-free flours. I used Bob's Red Mill GF Flour Mix, but I think I will try a mixture of bean flour and rice flour next time. You can, of course, use wheat flour.

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl mush up all your wet ingredients - pumpkin, banana, and coconut, being sure to mash the banana well.

In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients together, then combine the bowls and stir well.

At this point the dough is very manageable and easy to work with. Roll the dough into little balls about an inch and a half and lay out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. The balls don't spread much so they can be close together. You should have about 20.

Going all arty, press the pumpkin seeds onto the tops of the balls, flattening them slightly. You can use either shelled or unshelled seeds. I used unshelled for prettiness, but shelled makes for a smoother eating experience.

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until just firm. If you are using gluten-free flours, they won't brown much. If you are making the Kahlua caramel for dipping make that now.

Serve the tea.

Makes 20 tea cakes 

vegan - gluten-free - plant-strong - oil-free -sugar-free

 

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Kahlua Caramel

 

This is a simple recipe, but it requires concentration. When I say stir constantly, I mean it. The secret to this recipe going smoothly is to measure out all ingredients ahead of time and have them at arms reach. Keep the heat on the low side to avoid scorching.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar (I used turbinado, but almost any will work)
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used vegan Earth Balance in sticks)
• 1/2 cup Kahlua
• Pinch of salt

Pour the sugar into a sauce pan and turn on a medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar begins to melt, then reduce heat to medium. Let the sugar melt some more.

Add the butter a chunk at a time with one hand, while continuing to stir with the other. The butter will bubble so watch out and don't get splashed. When the butter has all melted, add the Kahlua and simmer on low for 1 minute, stirring intermittently.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the pinch of salt. Let cool slightly before serving. 

If there are left overs, store in the fridge, and warm slightly to serve.

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This is Day 8, in my 31 Day of Pumpkin Spice. Due to illness, I am behind on posting, but I will post twice a day until I get caught up. Rest assured there will be 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice.

Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice 

Hearty Pumpkin Soup

It's soup season, and even here in the South we're starting to have some chilly days. Ward them off with this tasty pumpkin soup. No pumpkin spice, but it does have hot pepper, another spice worth more than gold in the spice road days.

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Hearty Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 2 large carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon flaked red pepper
• 3 cups vegetable broth (low or no sodium is best so you can control the taste)
• 4 cups pumpkin puree
• crème fraîche (see notes) 

Notes: I made my crème fraîche by mixing 2 parts canned coconut milk with 1 part store-bought vegan sour cream, but if you have more time try this recipe from scratch. Use your choice of flaky red hot peppers. You can use chili flakes, that cracked pepper that you always see in pizza joints, or I used kimchi peppers 'cause I live in that kind of house (see the animated GIF below).

Chop all the veggies and herbs. Saute the onion, carrots, and celery in a skillet for about 10 minutes, or until they start to fill the air with a heavenly smell and get soft.

Turn off the heat and add the sage and flaky red pepper. At this point I moved everything to a slow cooker, 'cause I've got stuff to do, but you can also move things to a saucepan. In either case, add the vegetable stock and the pumpkin and stir.

Either simmer in the sauce pan for about a half-an-hour, occasionally stirring. Or leave in the slow cooker on high for a couple hours while you do other stuff. 

After the soup is cooked, we'll need to blend it up. If you have an immersion blender, use that, if not ladle out the majority of the soup into a regular blender. Pour everything back into the pot once blended.

If you've chosen the slow cooker, turn it down as low as it goes and leave for people to come by and grab a bowl. Or serve immediately if in the saucepan.

Using a creamer, pour some of the crème fraîche over the top of each bowl of soup.

Yums.

Serves 6-8 omnis or 4 vegans 

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This is Day 7, in my 31 Day of Pumpkin Spice. Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice

 

Pumpkin Spice Parfait

We all need a little sweetness in our lives. When pumpkin and the spices from the Orient were first joined, something magical happened. No one could quite explain it, but it was as if the New World and the Old World first made friends and began to put the whole war and pirate business in the past. At least that's what I'd like to think.

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So, at Day 6 of my 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice, the pumpkin and the pumpkin pie spice are making their first appearance together in my vegan version inspired by A Beautiful Mess's Pumpkin Pie Pudding. I decided to go all the way and add some ice cream and make it a true parfait. Because those things are delicious.

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Pumpkin Spice Parfait

 Ingredients:

• 1 large box of vanilla pudding
• # of cups of milk according to package directions (I used cashew milk for it's creaminess and lack of aftertaste)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Whipped topping (I used So Delicious Cocowhip)
• 2 Cups crushed ginger snaps
• Carton of vegan ice cream, plain or vanilla (I used coconut milk ice cream)

Follow the directions on your pudding box and cook the pudding in a sauce pan. You want a very creamy milk for pudding, so I used cashew milk. Coconut milk is also a good choice, but has more of it's own flavor. Some puddings call for the addition of an egg yolk. I sprinkled some of The Vegg egg yolk replacer into the mix as it was cooking, but this is optional.

After the pudding is fully cooked, remove from heat, add the pumpkin puree and the spice and whisk in. Pour the pudding into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap to prevent that pudding skin crap that never mixes back in. Refrigerate for at least one or two hours, until it is cold and solidified.

When the pudding is almost ready, crush the ginger snaps. You can do this in a variety of ways: with a mortar and pestle, with a food processor, or the ol' put 'em in a bag and whack 'em trick. I like my crushed cookies in larger pieces, so I hand-crushed them by placing them in a ziplock bag and gently smacking with a rolling pin. If you prefer fine cookie crumbles, use a food processor.

After this, it's just all about the layers. Layer the ice cream, cookie crumbles, and pudding until you near the top of your pudding glass. 

Add the whipped topping and you're in business! I add a sprinkle of nutmeg on the top for taste, as it is my favorite spice.

If you are serving for a party, or just feel fancy, add a cinnamon stick or a whole ginger snap to decorate the top.

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This is Day 6, in my 31 Day of Pumpkin Spice. Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice

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