It’s that time of the year for winter squash. One of the most popular squash is the pumpkin. Over the next few months, they will appear everywhere, from dinner tables to yards for decorations. Fortunately, you can find canned pumpkin for recipes all year-round.
For today’s recipe, we combine pumpkin with a traditional New Orleans dish, Pumpkin Spice Beignets. Yes, it uses that most popular spice of fall, Pumpkin Spice. The filling is what really brings the pumpkin flavor. So gather up your ingredients, and Let’s head to the kitchen!
Pumpkin Spice Beignets
Beignets conjure up visions of square fried donuts dusted with powdered sugar. There are many ways that you can change up this perception. You can add seafood for a savory beignet. Here’s a fall recipe using the favorite winter fruit.
1/2 cup warm water (105-110℉)
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Canola oil for frying
Pumpkin Cream Filling (recipe follows)
In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup warm water; yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together boiling water, evaporated milk, melted butter, salt, vanilla, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar by hand. Whisk in yeast mixture and egg. Add flour and pumpkin pie spice. Using the dough hook attachment, beat at low speed until dough comes together, starts to get smooth and soft, and forms a ball at the base of the dough hook, 6 to 7 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. (Dough should stick to your fingers when you touch it but release when you pull away. Dough will still stick to bottom and sides of the bowl.)
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
In a large Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 2 inches, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350℉.
Divide dough in half. On a heavily floured surface, roll half of dough into a 13x10-inch rectangle ( about 1/4 inch thick). ( Cover and refrigerate remaining dough.) Cut dough into 3-inch squares, and separate them so they do not stick back together, discard scraps.
Place 2 to 3 squares at a time in hot oil; when settled on top of oil, immediately turn. Fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Carefully remove from hot oil, and let drain on paper towels. Let cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Using a small paring knife, make a hole in the side of each cooled beignet, using a small wooden skewer, hollow inside of each beignet.
Place Pumpkin Cream Filling in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round piping tip; pipe filling into beignets. Garnish with powdered sugar and pie spice, if desired.
Pumpkin Cream Filling
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cups butter, softened
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter at medium-low speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in pumpkin, vanilla, and pie spice. With mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar, beating until combined. Add cream, and beat at medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Pumpkins are for more that just decorations around Halloween. They make their way to the dinner table in many different forms. If you have a favorite one, share it with me and I will share it with the readers.
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