Pumpkin Spice Churros With Salted Maple Caramel Dip Food

PUMPKIN CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line an 8 by 4-inch loaf pan with waxed paper or aluminum foil. Brush the sides, but not the bottom lightly with butter and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds in the bottom.
• Whisk the maple syrup, brown sugar, cream, corn syrup, pie spice, lemon juice, and salt together in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Brush down the sides on the saucepan with water to remove every grain of sugar. Set the candy thermometer into the sugar. Cook the mixture over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture reaches the firm ball stage, 248 degrees F, about 18 to 20 minutes.
• Carefully stir in the pumpkin puree. Return to the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel reaches the soft ball stage, 240 degrees F, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
• Pour the caramel over the pumpkin seeds in the prepared pan. Smooth to an even layer. Cool to room temperature.
• When fully cooled peel from the waxed paper or foil and cut into 24 (1-inch) squares. Wrap individually in parchment or waxed paper and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

PUMPKIN SPICE CHURROS WITH SALTED MAPLE CARAMEL DIP

Steps:

• Pour maple syrup into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring with a spoon, until syrup starts to coat the spoon and has a caramel-like consistency, about 15 minutes.
• Whisk 1/4 cup butter into the syrup until melted, about 2 minutes. Add heavy cream and salt, whisking constantly to combine. Pour sauce into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mostly cooled, about 15 minutes.
• Whisk flour and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice together in a small bowl.
• Whisk the remaining 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and white sugar together in a large bowl to make pumpkin spice sugar.
• Combine water, pumpkin puree, 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk thoroughly. Bring to a boil; add the flour mixture. Cook and stir vigorously until dough is thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Transfer dough to the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Beat until cool, about 1 minute. Add eggs, 1 at a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding the next. Beat until dough is glossy and thick.
• Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a large, heavy pot to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Test the oil with a small squeeze of dough; churro should float to the top of the oil and brown on the bottom in about 30 seconds. Adjust the heat if necessary.
• Pipe roughly 3-inch strips of dough into the oil, keeping the tip of your pastry bag 1 to 2 inches above the oil. Fry until golden, brown, about 30 seconds per side.
• Drain churros on paper towels for 1 minute; toss in the pumpkin spice sugar until evenly coated. Serve warm with the salted maple caramel sauce.