Praline Baskets With Pumpkin Puree Food

PRALINE BASKETS

Steps:

• Put the almonds into the container of a food processor and blend until coarse-fine. The ideal consistency would be like that of whole peppercorns. There should be about three cups.
• Put the ground nuts in a saucepan, preferably with a round bottom, and add the sugar and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the ingredients are evenly blended. Take care that the mixture does not burn.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the milk. Stir in the flour. Let stand until cool. Chill thoroughly. When chilled, the mixture should be easy to shape into round balls.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Divide the mixture into 14 or 16 portions, one portion at a time. Shape each portion into a round ball. It is important that you work with only two or three portions at a time. As the balls are shaped, arrange them, spaced neatly and well apart, on rectangles of parchment paper. Cover with a second sheet of parchment paper and roll each portion into circles measuring about five inches. Remove the upper sheet of parchment. (If parchment paper is not available, arrange the balls, two or three at a time, on a buttered baking sheet and flatten them into five-inch circles with the fingers.) Place in the oven on the center shelf and bake eight to 10 minutes or until golden or caramel brown. Do not burn.
• At this point, you must act quickly but cautiously. Remove the rounds from the oven and let stand briefly. The important thing is to allow the rounds to cool for a few seconds or to the precise moment when a metal spatula can be slid beneath each one. If they are allowed to stand too long, they will become brittle and cannot be shaped or molded. Quickly transfer one round at a time into a round-bottom glass or metal container with a capacity of approximately one and one-half cups. Press down to mold the round into a ''basket.'' Quickly proceed to the second and third round, pressing them into shape. The rounds must remain warm as you shape them. If they break slightly, they may be repaired with the fingers, provided they are still warm enough to be malleable. The baskets will become firm as they cool. As they become firm, remove them and set them aside to be filled as a dessert. They may be filled with a chilled pudding or custard mixture, with scoops of ice cream, with fresh fruit or berries and so on. If desired, the inside of each basket may be brushed with melted chocolate before filling.

PRALINE BASKETS WITH PUMPKIN PUREE

Steps:

• Prepare the praline baskets and set aside.
• Soften the gelatin in the lemon juice and set aside.
• Beat the egg yolks with half of the sugar until the mixture is light and lemon-colored. Add the pumpkin puree, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and orange juice. Blend well. Place the mixture over simmering water and cook, stirring, until it is thickened.
• Scrape the gelatin into the hot mixture and stir to blend. Let stand until cool but not stiff. Fold in the remaining sugar.
• Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and fold them in. Whip the cream until stiff and fold it in. Chill until set. Serve in the praline baskets.

PRALINE-PUMPKIN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. In 1-quart heavy saucepan, stir together butter, whipping cream and brown sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted. Pour into two ungreased 9- or 8-inch round cake pans; sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup pecans.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin, water, oil, eggs and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Carefully spoon batter over pecan mixture in each pan.
• Bake 41 to 47 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Stir remaining 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice into frosting. To assemble cake, place 1 layer, praline side up, on serving plate. Spread with half of the frosting. Top with second layer, praline side up; spread remaining frosting to edge of layer. Drizzle with caramel topping and additional pecans. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

PUMPKIN PUREE FOR PUMPKIN PECAN-PRALINE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut pumpkins in half crosswise; scoop out seeds and discard. Place pumpkin halves, flesh side down, on prepared baking sheets. Transfer to oven and roast until easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly.
• When pumpkins are cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh from skin; discard skin. Place pumpkin flesh in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth.
• Place pumpkin puree in a mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Transfer strainer and bowl to refrigerator; let drain overnight. Discard liquid. Use pumpkin puree immediately, or store in an airtight container refrigerated, up to 2 days, or frozen up to one month.

MARINA POLVAY'S PUMPKIN PANCAKES

Steps:

• Place all ingredients except oil in container of food processor or electric blender and blend thoroughly. Pour and scrape mixture into a mixing bowl and let stand 30 minutes.
• Heat nonstick griddle or skillet and brush lightly with oil. Spoon or ladle about 2 tablespoons of the batter at a time onto the hot surface, spacing pancakes about 2 inches apart. Each pancake should be about 3 inches in diameter. Cook over moderate heat until lightly browned on one side, about 1 1/2 minutes. Cooking time will depend on intensity of heat. Turn and cook on other side until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Continue making pancakes with remaining batter.
• Serve plain with sliced turkey or ham, or as a dessert lightly sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

PUMPKIN CHEESE PRALINE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper; brush pan with softened butter.
• Prepare pumpkin batter;
• In an electric mixer on medium speed, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder and baking soda for about 30 seconds, until evenly combined. Add butter, eggs and pumpkin; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until smooth. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula. Add flour all at once; beat on low speed for 30 seconds, until flour is evenly blended inches.
• Pour half the pumpkin batter into prepared pan. Reserve other half in a small bowl, scraping mixing bowl well.
• Using the same mixing bowl, prepare cream cheese batter:
• Beat cream cheese, egg and extracts on medium speed for abut 2 minutes, until fluffy and smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. Spread cream cheese batter over pumpkin batter in pan.
• Pour reserved pumpkin batter over cream cheese layer. Using a rubber spatula, cut through the batter several times through the length of the pan, then through the width of the pan, to create a marbled effect.
• Prepare topping:
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes, until fluffy and light in color. Add flour and pecans; bet on low speed for about 1 minute. The mixture will be crumbly.
• Sprinkle crumbs evenly over marbled batter.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. When done, the topping will have begun to brown and the top will feel slightly firm when touched gently with your fingertip. Remove from oven; let cool completely on wire rack; cut into bars.