October 2012

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living in the west October 2012

the flavors of fall

Delicious stews & savory pies | top hikes & drives for fall color | Scary-Cool halloween ideas

Delicious stews & savory pies

pumpkin’s h s epherd pie p. 59

OCTOBER 2012

Top hikes & drives for fall color

Craft beer roadtrips

46 grasses, bulbs & natives to plant now

sunset.com

Scary-cool Halloween ideas visit us at Sunset.com

that’s both savory and sweet, in shapes and styles that are far from ordinary ...

By Amy Machnak | photographs by annabelle breakey | food styling by karen shinto

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Sunset October 2012

prop styling: Nissa Quanstrom

Imagine pumpkin pie...

APPLE PUMPKIN GALETTE

You don’t need a pie pan for this rustic, open-face pastry.

PUMPKIN CURRY EMPANADAS

These handheld savory pies are perfect for a party.

PUMPKIN SHEPHERD’S PIE

Twist the English classic with a pumpkin mash.

Sunset October 2012

59

It’s HARVEST TIME, So Make your own ...

Pumpkin purée

Skip the canned stuff and make a fresh pie filling with plump squash or pumpkin—both are in season now. This easy purée is delicious in our Pumpkin Caramel Ice Cream Pie and Pumpkin Brûlée Tart (recipes on page 63). To make it, choose a dry-fleshed baking pumpkin like Sugar Pie (Halloween pumpkins are too moist) or a dense orange squash like butternut or kabocha. » Preheat oven to 375°. Cut 2 lbs. pumpkin or squash in half with a large, heavy knife, then scoop out the seeds (save them for toasting if you like). Rub the inside of the pumpkin halves with vegetable oil and set them, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until very soft when pierced, 45 to 75 minutes.

Scoop flesh into a food processor and whirl until smooth. If the purée is watery, let it drain in a strainer for 30 minutes. Makes 11/2 to 2 cups purée

PUMPKIN CARAMEL ICE CREAM PIE

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Sunset October 2012

Spiced ice cream elevates the traditional.

PUMPKIN BRÛLÉE TART

Reinvent a French dessert with fall flavors.

Apple pumpkin galette

Pumpkin curry empanadas

Pumpkin shepherd’s pie

SERVES 8 TO 10 | 2 HOURS, PLUS at least 2 hours to cool

MAKES 20 | About 11/4 hours

SERVES 6 | 2 HOURS

Empanadas get their name from the Spanish word empanar, “to bake in pastry.” For these handheld pies, we’ve used pie dough for a more delicate, buttery crust.

Brilliant orange roasted pumpkin replaces the traditional mashed-potato topping here, giving new life to classic pub grub.

Basically an open-face pie, this is a great dessert for pie-phobes to make because the crust is so easy to handle.

Half-recipe Easiest Pie Dough (recipe follows) 11/2 lbs. sliced peeled baking pumpkin or kabocha squash 3 large Granny Smith apples (about 11/2 lbs.), peeled, cored, and sliced 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. each ground nutmeg, cloves, and salt 3 tbsp. flour 1/3 cup brown sugar 11/2 cups sugar 2 tbsp. bourbon or whiskey 2 tbsp. coarse decorating or turbinado sugar

1. Set dough on lightly floured surface

and roll into a large round about 1/8 in. thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill until ready to fill.

2. Preheat oven to 375° with a rack on bottom rung. Lay pumpkin slices on a greased baking sheet. Roast, turning once, until tender when pierced, about 10 minutes.

3. Mix apples, spices, salt, flour, both sugars, and bourbon until evenly coated.

Add pumpkin and toss just to combine.

4. Pour apple filling into center of dough, leaving a 11/2-in. border. Fold edges over fruit, allowing dough to pleat as you go.

Dip a pastry brush in water and brush folded edges of dough. Sprinkle edges with coarse sugar.

5. Bake galette until browned and bubbling, about 11/4 hours. Let cool before cutting.

PER SERVING 371 Cal., 23% (85 cal.) from fat; 3.2 g protein; 9.6 g fat (5.9 g sat.); 70 g carbo (2 g fiber); 174 mg sodium; 24 mg chol.

Easiest pie dough MAKES 2 (9-in.) crusts | 10 MINUTES Whirl together 3 cups flour, 1 tbsp. sugar, and 11/2 tsp. kosher salt in a food processor. Add 1 cup cold, cubed unsalted butter and pulse into pea-size pieces. Drizzle 2/3 cup very cold water over crumbs and pulse just until moistened. Turn dough out onto a work surface and gather into a ball, turning to combine any dry crumbs.

Divide dough in half, form each piece into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes.

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Sunset October 2012

2 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided 12 oz. cubed peeled baking pumpkin or butternut or kabocha squash 1 small onion, chopped 1/2 tsp. each ground ginger, cloves, and cinnamon 1 tsp. each ground cumin and turmeric 1/4 cup currants, softened 10 minutes in hot water to cover Easiest Pie Dough (recipe precedes) or 3 sheets frozen store-bought pie dough 1 large egg, slightly beaten Cilantro Mint Dipping Sauce (see sunset.com) or other chutney

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Rub a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tbsp. oil. Spread pumpkin on sheet and roast, uncovered, turning once, till tender when pierced, 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tbsp. oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in spices and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3. Transfer onion to a medium mixing bowl. Drain currants and stir into bowl.

Add warm pumpkin and mix well, mashing with back of a spoon to create a slightly chunky mixture.

4. Working with one pie-dough disk at a time, roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8-in.-thick round. Using a 4-in. ring cutter, cut out 20 circles, rerolling scraps.

5. Mix 1 tbsp. water into egg and brush onto dough rounds. Spoon 1 tbsp. pumpkin mixture into center of each round, fold over, and seal edges with tines of a fork.

6. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Arrange empanadas on sheets, spaced slightly apart.

7. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with chutney.

Make ahead: Follow recipe through step 5.

Freeze in an airtight container. Then bake from frozen, 25 to 30 minutes at 375°.

PER Empanada 180 Cal., 55% (99 cal.) from fat; 2.7 g protein; 11 g fat (6.1 g sat.); 18 g carbo (0.9 g fiber); 117 mg sodium; 34 mg chol.

21/2 lbs. cubed peeled baking pumpkin or butternut or kabocha squash 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 lbs. lamb stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 medium onion, cut into wedges 3 garlic cloves, chopped 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-in. chunks 8 oz. medium mushrooms, stems removed 1/4 cup flour 1/2 cup red wine 1 cup beef or chicken broth 1/3 to 2/3 cup cream 2 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400° with a rack in top third of oven. Put pumpkin on a greased rimmed baking sheet. Roast pumpkin, covered, until tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, wide pot over high heat. Add lamb, 1 tsp. salt, and the pepper. Cook, stirring as needed, until meat is browned on all sides. Add onion and garlic and cook until vegetables are starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer lamb mixture with juices to a bowl; add carrots and mushrooms.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add flour to same pot and cook, whisking constantly, until flour smells toasted, about 1 minute.

Pour in wine and broth and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Pour over lamb mixture, stirring to combine. Spoon mixture into 6 individual ramekins.

4. Mash pumpkin in a bowl with remaining 1 tsp. salt and 1/3 cup cream, adding more cream if needed until mixture is consistency of mashed potatoes. Dollop over lamb.

5. Bake until browned and sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes; sprinkle with parsley.

Make ahead: Complete through step 4, then chill, covered, up to 2 days. Bake 55 minutes.

PER SERVING 388 Cal., 36% (140 cal.) from fat; 36 g protein; 15 g fat (5.6 g sat.); 25 g carbo (2.7 g fiber); 774 mg sodium; 112 mg chol.

Pumpkin caramel ice cream pie SERVES 12 | 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES, PLUS AT LEAST 4 HOURS TO FREEZE Layers of pumpkin and vanilla ice cream top gooey caramel on a graham cracker crust.

11/2 cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar 3/4 cup whipping cream 11/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup butter, melted 2 cartons (14 oz. each) vanilla ice cream 1 cup pumpkin purée, homemade (see page 60) or canned 1/4 tsp. each ground nutmeg and allspice 1 tsp. ground cinnamon About 1 tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Mix 11/2 cups sugar

and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan.

Cook without stirring over high heat until sugar turns medium brown, 15 to 20 minutes, swirling pan at end to help brown evenly. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in cream (it will splatter). Pour into a heat-proof bowl; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, grease a 10-in. metal pie pan. In a medium bowl, mix crumbs, remaining 2 tbsp. sugar, and the butter with a fork until combined. Press over bottom and up sides of pie pan. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

3. Pour half of caramel into pie pan, tilting pan so it spreads evenly over crust. Put in freezer to chill 20 minutes. Set aside remaining caramel to use when serving.

4. Soften ice cream at room temperature 10 minutes. Empty 1 carton into bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth (like soft-serve), about 20 seconds. Quickly spread over caramel layer. Return to freezer, making sure it sits level.

5. Beat second carton of ice cream the same way. Add pumpkin purée and spices; blend just until combined. Spoon pumpkin ice cream over vanilla ice cream. Freeze until firm, 4 to 6 hours.

6. Let soften in refrigerator about 15 minutes. Use a warm knife to cut slices.

Rewarm caramel to drizzle over top and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if using.

Make ahead: Up to 1 week, covered in freezer.

PER SERVING 361 Cal., 41% (148 cal.) from fat; 3.4 g protein; 17 g fat (10 g sat.); 51 g carbo (1.1 g fiber); 135 mg sodium; 56 mg chol.

Pumpkin brûlée tart SERVES 10 | 2 HOURS, PLUS AT LEAST 2 HOURS to chill It’s pumpkin pie meets crème brûlée, and worthy of your next dinner party.

Half-recipe Easiest Pie Dough (see page 62) 2 cups pumpkin purée, homemade (see page 60) or canned 2 large eggs 3 large egg yolks 11/2 cups half-and-half 3/4 cup sugar, plus more for caramelizing top 3/4 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. each ground ginger and cloves 11/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Cut dough in half and shape each piece

into a rectangle. Roll each out on a lightly floured work surface into a rectangle measuring about 7 by 16 in.

2. Preheat oven to 375°. Lay each dough rectangle over a 4- by 13-in. tart pan with removable bottom. Lift and lower dough into pan (pushing can cause cracking). Trim edges flush with rim of pan, using your thumb or a metal spatula.

3. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit into tart shells with about 1 in. overhang on all sides. Fill shells with pie weights. Set pans on a rimmed baking sheet.

4. Bake until dough is starting to brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on sheet until only slightly warm, then carefully pour out pie weights and remove parchment.

5. Meanwhile, blend remaining ingredients (except sugar for caramelizing) in a large bowl. Pour custard mixture into prepared tart shells, dividing evenly.

6. Reduce heat to 325°. Bake tarts until custard is set and is slightly puffed at edges, about 30 minutes. Cool 1 hour, then chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days, covering with plastic wrap once cold.

7. Remove tarts from pans and set on a serving platter. Sprinkle tops of tarts generously with sugar. Pass flame of a blowtorch over tops until sugar melts and turns golden brown. Let sugar cool until hard, then cut each tart into pieces.

PER SERVING (1/5 tart) 307 Cal., 47% (144 cal.) from fat; 5.8 g protein; 16 g fat (9.4 g sat.); 36 g carbo (2.2 g fiber); 259 mg sodium; 130 mg chol. Q