Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli

Homemade Pumpkin Filled Ravioli

For the pasta dough:
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 – 1/2 cup hot boiling water

To make the Pumpkin filling:
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1 egg, slightly beaten
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley


For the sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 sage leaves (plus additional for garnish, if desired), chopped
1/2 cup of half and half
Kosher salt
Parmesan shavings

To prepare the pasta dough, measure the flour and the salt on a clean surface. Make a well in the center and add the eggs. Use your fingertips to break up the egg yolks and gently mix in the flour until the mixture is crumbly and resembles sand. Gradually add the hot water, a few drips at a time, carefully working it into the flour mixture until a dough forms (be careful not to burn yourself!). Knead the dough for about 6-8 minutes, until smooth.  Shape the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and let rest for at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to 24 hours).

While the pasta dough rests, combine the ricotta, pumpkin, milk, egg, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper and parsley. Beat to combine. Set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a Roulpat silicon mat, lightly flour. Place a pot of water to boil, sprinkle sea salt into water.

Once the dough has rested, using a pasta machine (or if you’re brave and strong, a rolling pin) to roll the pasta out into wide sheets. If you have a pasta maker use the number 4 to thin your pasta sheets. We fed it through 3-4 times to get a thin sheet of pasta dough. Once your pasta dough is to the desired thickness, use a pizza cutter, cut the pasta into perfect rectangles. Place dough on floured Roulpat. Place a tablespoon of the filling on the pasta dough, about an inch apart across the pasta dough (you should be able to make two rows of filling for the ravioli). Top with another sheet of pasta dough. Using a ravioli cutter/maker cut into individual ravioli.

To prepare the ravioli, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, in batches, pushing the ravioli back down into the boiling water with a wooden spoon as it floats to the top.  Drain the ravioli and set aside.

Make a quick browned butter sage sauce to spoon on top. Brown the butter with the fresh sage. Once the butter is brown, add the half and half. Add salt to taste, plate the ravioli and spoon the sauce on top of fresh steamed asparagus. Enjoy!

Our Pumpkin Scones

The kids had so much fun making these scones. I introduced them to a pastry cutter, Silpat, Roulpat and taught them how to knead sticky dough by adding flour to the dough. Everyone loved them.

Pumpkin Scones with Pumpkin Icing

Tis' the Season for EVERYTHING Pumpkin

Ingredients

Scone
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp canned pumpkin puree, chilled (don't chill in can)
• 3 1/2 Tbsp buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp half and half
Glaze
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp half and half, then more as needed
Pumpkin Icing
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp half and half

Directions

• For the scones:
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor pulse together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended (if you don't have a food processor you can whisk by hand in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry cutter). Add butter and pulse mixture several times to cut butter into mixture (large pieces of butter should no longer be visible). Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and create a well in center.
• In a bowl whisk together chilled pumpkin puree, buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract and honey. Pour mixture into well in flour/butter mixture. Stir mixture with a wooden spoon to incorporate, then knead in bowl (or on work surface) by hand several times to bring mixture together. Dust a work surface with flour then invert dough onto surface. Pat and shape dough into an even 8-inch round. Using a large knife, slice into 8 equal wedges (dust knife with flour as needed while cutting, it will be fairly sticky).
• Transfer scones to a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush tops with 1 Tbsp half and half then bake in preheated oven 13 - 15 minutes until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes (no longer) before spreading with glaze.
• For the glaze:
• In a mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar and half and half, adding more half and half as needed to reach desired consistency (it should be fairly thick not runny). Spoon and spread mixture scones to evenly coat tops (use all of it). Let glaze set at room temperature.
• For the pumpkin glaze:
• In a mixing bowl (I just used the one from the glaze above without cleaning out) whisk together powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and half and half. Transfer mixture to a small Ziploc bag, seal bag, cut a small tip from corner and drizzle mixture over tops of scones. Allow icing to set. Best served day prepared.

Salted Caramel Popcorn- Week 1

Salted Caramel Popcorn

3/4 cup of popcorn kernels

Start by popping the kernels (either air popped, microwaved in a lunch sized paper bag or a pot on the stove top). We simply used the stovetop and pot. Once popcorn has popped, place the popcorn on a large jelly roll pan or cake pan. Spray with nonstick cooking spray if you are NOT using a Silpat.

Sprinkle popcorn with 1tsp of sea salt.

In a pot, melt:

1/2 cup of butter

Add: 

1 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup of light corn syrup

1/2 tsp salt 

Stirring all to combine, bring to a boil without stirring for about 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and add:

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp vanilla

Pour hot caramel over the popcorn stirring well to coat. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove, cool and break into pieces. 

Cook Tip: We wanted extra coated caramel popcorn, so we doubled the caramel recipe; however it is not necessary. :) 

Lots of Happy Campers!!! Enjoy