Brunch

Healing Spiced Almond Milk

February 7, 2018 1 Comment

It is a universal truth that moms have magical, healing powers. They just know how to instantly make you feel better, especially when you’re sick. My mom has a forever and a half list of antidotes for any and every ailment. The one I’m most familiar with, and use in my own life is this healing spiced almond milk.

If you grew up in an Indian household like I did, you’ve had some variation of this milk at some point in your life. Each family seems to have their own recipe that they pass down the line. For strength, nourishment, and to keep warm during the dead of winter. It was always something I watched my mom make effortlessly, crushing the almonds, toasting them in ghee until they filled the house with their nutty perfume, expertly adding in semolina and cooking out the raw taste, then adding in the milk and simmering. And as she handed the cup over to me, she would stir in a couple of generously filled spoons of sugar.

Every time I gave birth and came home, overwhelmed and unsure of how I would recover and be able to take care of one more kid, my mom was there, almond milk in hand, with its healing properties, to take care of my family. And it worked, every single time. I don’t know if it was her love or the packed protein in the almond milk, but I went back to a sort of new normal each time. I love turning to this drink, especially in the cold winters when I just need a hot drink but I also need that extra something to keep me going.

My version is paleo friendly. I omitted the semolina and replaced it with a finer blend of almond flour. I find the almond flour, because its blended so much more than crushed almonds, to be more evenly distributed. I replaced the sugar with honey, which has a deeper, richer taste and the goodness of all things honey, which is hands down my fave sweetener. Finally, the addition of a small pinch of turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and sea salt makes this drink next level good. And of course, I use almond milk, but you can use any milk or milk alternative.

Lately, as I’ve been paying closer attention to food, and my relationship with food, I’ve tried to find foods with purpose. Sometimes with indulgence and sometimes with nourishment. Sometimes with both. Like this paleo-friendly turmeric spiced almond milk. For me, it’s a little bit indulgent but a lot of nourishment. Because it’s as satisfying as a cup of dark hot chocolate but offers more. The protein in the almonds, the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric that is so widely used in Indian cooking, and the slightly warm fragrance of the cardamom and cinnamon. And no matter how chaotic my life may be, running from kid to kid; prepping breakfasts, lunches and dinners; doing (and redoing) blog photoshoots; endless loads of laundry, I step back to breathe and to listen to myself. I need to step back and allow myself the time to regather my energy, nourish, myself and get back up again.

It’s rich, it has texture from the almond flour, and if you choose to add crushed almonds, you have more chew in your drink. I like mine to be on the thinner side and treat it like a drink but you can easily leave it thicker and treat it like a smoothie bowl. I actually had to stop mid post and make myself a up while watching the snow fall. Can you imagine a more perfect way spend a cold, February snowy day?

Healing Paleo Spiced Almond Milk

★★★★ 4 from 1 reviews

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
Yield: 2 1x

Scale

Ingredients

2 cups almond milk/milk alternative/milk
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
pinch of sea salt
pinch of cinnamon
1 pinch of turmeric
2 tbsp ground almond flour
2 tbsp honey (or to more to taste)
1 tbsp ghee or butter

Instructions

Heat ghee over medium flame. Whisk in almond flour and toast for 1 minute until fragrant. Reduce flame to low and whisk in cardamom powder, salt, cinnamon, turmeric, and milk. Return to medium heat and bring to a boil.
Add honey and remove from heat. Use frother if desired to create a foam on top.
Serve hot.

Make Ahead Breakfast Egg Muffins

December 13, 2016 3 Comments

I got the dreaded text the other day from The Mister. “I think I’m all hardboiled egged out for breakfast at work…”

Hardboiled eggs are fast, protein packed, cheap, and easy to have on hand for breakfast. In the last couple of months, they’ve become my go-t0 standard on the to-go breakfast, especially for The Mister, who usually eats his breakfast during the morning commute. And they make for great quick lunches when you live your life in one hour increment of errands and pick-ups and drop offs of the little people. Egg salad, anyone?

So you can imagine my panic, as I stared down at the text, wondering what to do. I’m the person who preps and packs any and all breakfasts to go and lunch the night before because the morning scene at my house consists of “I’m still so tired!” whinings, mismatched socks, untamable bedhead, and the comforting sounds of coffee grinding. That last part gives me the fuzzies because hellooooooo coffee!

Most of you know of my love for eggs by now. On the weekends, and whenever there is time more elaborate brunch foods, I dive into breakfast enchiladas or skillet spicy eggs and potatoes. Have you tried them? I can’t wait for you to tell me good they are! But on this cold, cold day, where I couldn’t fall back on my version of variety I went to one of my classics: breakfast egg muffins. Who can say no to muffins?

An equally portable, protein packed, nutritious and delicious make ahead breakfast egg muffins. Filled with my homemade italian chicken sausage in every bite, tender potatoes, and fresh herbs, these eggs are no ordinary on-the-go egg breakfast. They have tremendous staying power, are cute and hand held, and dare I say, easily kid-friendly. My kids only heard the words muffins and went to town as I put the muffins on their plates. Never mind they were savory or good for you, they only cared about the muffin part.

I made mine paleo and whole30 compliant but these muffins are a blank canvas for almost every savory add-in possible. I omitted the cheese but if you want indulgent, commit to the cheese. Or if you don’t care for the meat, simply leave the chicken out and replace (or not) with sliced mushrooms to add bulk. Here are so other ideas:

diced onions, bell peppers, mushroom, and pepper jack cheese
green onions, yellow onion, shredded carrots, and bok choy
tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, and american cheese
chorizo and green onion

I’m partial to the potato, my homemade italian chicken sausage, and herb combo because the flavor and texture are the perfect wake-up call to these cold, cold December mornings, where I can have my beloved carbs but still get the benefits of eggs. Or make them in advance if you’re planning on travelling during the holiday season so you have breakfast ready to go when you’re out and about. I’ve also been one in my mouth as a post-workout snack.

These muffins will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in the fridge. IF they last that long. I can easily whip up 4 dozen and have that finish within days in my house full of egg and muffin eaters. I haven’t tried to freeze them but I suspect they’d have a blast, hanging out in the freezer. Just wrap the muffin in a paper towel to soak up any water release when they’re heating up.

The muffins rise beautifully as they cook and will fall when cooling- totally normal. You want to avoid overcooking eggs to prevent a rubbery texture; all you want to do is cook the eggs until just set, which for me meant 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven. When making these egg muffins, grease the individual muffins tins generously; use your hands if you need to and make sure the entire surface is covered with oil/butter/fat because that’ll allow the muffins to pop right out of the cups when they cool. The first time I made them, I didn’t grease the pan enough. I was scraping stuck-on egg bits for 2 days. Never again! I would think that using muffin pan liners would work just as well but I haven’t actually used it yet. If you do end up using them, I’d love to know how it turns out for you!

You can even get fancy with the muffins and serve with a sauce top like the roasted verde sauce from these enchiladas. Make massive amounts and often! Or top with chopped tomatoes and red onions for added color. Or just do like I do and pop one in your mouth as you run around, chasing a two year old who likes to steal my kitchen towels.

Make Ahead Breakfast Egg Muffins

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Yield: 24 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp olive oil plus more to grease muffin pans
1 lb italian chicken sausage
3 medium yellow potatoes, skin on, diced
5 sundried tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp thyme
1tbsp chives
1/4 cup basil leaves, cut into ribbons
14 whole eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenhiet and grease 2 12-cup muffin pans liberally.
Heat olive oil in a skillet, over medium to high heat. Add potatoes and saute for 3-4 minutes, until potatoes start to develop a golden brown crust. Add salt, pepper, and paprika and cook until potatoes become soft.
Once the potatoes become tender, add onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute, until garlic becomes fragrant and onions become translucent. Stir in chicken sausage, breaking the meat up evenly into the potatoes. Remove from heat and stir in thyme and chives. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs together. Fold in potato and chicken sausage mixture until fully incorporated. Gently mix in basil ribbons.
Divide the egg mixture into the muffin pan cups evenly and bake for 15 minutes or until eggs are just set and cooked.
Remove from oven and cool before removing the muffins from the pan. Store tightly covered in the fridge up to 5 days.
TO REHEAT: Heat wrapped in a paper towel for 30-45 seconds, until eggs are desired temperature.

Ultimate Blueberry Muffins

February 23, 2016 3 Comments

I think I just made Little Man’s week. Maybe his entire year. He loves blueberries. I have serious suspicions that he could subsist entirely on blueberries and milk and never utter a single complaint, so I (usually) keep blueberries on hand. And from time to time, I make muffins, filled with said blueberries. The way Little Man looks at me when I set one of these moist, blueberry-filled, crunchy crumb topped deliciousness onto his plate, is enough to make me want to bake a batch every.single.day.

Why this urge to bake muffins, and blueberry muffins no less? Simple: blueberries remind me that my world is capable of warm temperatures, green foliage, and lots of fresh produce. Plus the weather here has suddenly become so beautifully springlike. In the middle of February. Hey, I’m not complaining, just enjoying feeling the sun on my face and shedding all those extra layers of clothing and pulling out my (dare I say?) sandals! But blueberries take me to a time when I get endless pints of fresh berries and eat them with everything. EVERYTHING. From muffins to pancakes, salads, and by themselves. In every possible form because B-E-R-R-I-E-S!

When I say these are the ultimate blueberry muffins, I mean ULTIMATE. A full pint of fresh, sweet blueberries goes into the batter so you’re guaranteed to have a blueberry filled bite every time. If you’re not that into blueberries (why the heck not?!) or are looking for more of a sugary, cakey muffin with blueberry undertones (0r for color), this is not your muffin. The blueberries in this muffin are in your face and a friendly reminder of all things summertime. You bet I’ll be making a ton of these in June, come blueberry season in the midwest.

What makes these muffins extra special is the addition of the highly coveted meyer lemon; both the zest and juice. Lemons are like the jelly to blueberry’s peanut buttah’. In case you don’t know I’m a pb&j sammich kinda gal; I cannot be trusted with peanut butter or potato chips. And more and more, these blueberry muffins with lemon. Or these banana cheesecake muffins .

When you replace regular ole’ lemon with a meyer lemon, which is mellower than regular lemon, we’re talkin’ about finding excuses to not share these muffins. The addition of meyer lemon juice and zest really brighten up the flavor of the muffins. The oils from the zest wrap themselves around the batter and brings a subtle brightness. And since the taste is a cross between an orange and lemon, the tartness combines with a very citrusy bite of an orange to form the perfect complement to the batter.

And that crumb topping. Oh my delicious heaven that topping. This crumb topping is the stuff dreams are made of. It’s crunchy, sweet, cinnamony, and buttery. OMYGOODNESS I would eat a muffin made entirely out of this crumb topping if I could. It’s heaven on a blueberry mountain-top. It’s also my base go-to crumb topping, like with this chocolate chunk baked panettone french toast. P.S. have you tried it yet? If you’re shaking your head no, seriously, why the heck not?!

It’s a denser crumb topping, so even though you may be tempted to pile it on, remember that you won’t get those beautiful rounded dome tops on your muffins if you pile on more than a teaspoon. Too much of the crumb topping and the center of the muffins will sink and you’ll end up with flat, topless muffins. They’ll be delicious but they won’t look as pretty. Been there, done that. The recipe makes more crumb topping than you need for a standard 12-muffin pan, you know in case you’re all about the crunchy goodness and don’t care about how your muffins look (I walk that line often). But if you want jumbo, bakery style muffins, use the 6-muffin pans and double the topping to 2 teaspoons.

I have to warn you, your house will smell like a bakery while these muffins are baking and you will want to just eat the batter straight from the pan, even before you put it in the oven. I urge you to wait until the muffins cook because as good as the batter is, and yes, I am a batter and/or beater licker, the muffins are even better. Little Man ate almost half the batch himself and tried to flash me a winning smile for more.

Suggestions:

do not overmix the batter. This is very important. Unlike breads, if you overwork a muffin batter, you will end up with very dense, rubbery muffins. The best way to avoid overmixing is to mix the wet ingredients together and mix the dry ingredients together in another, larger bowl. Then slowly and gently fold in the dry mixture into the mixture. And stir only to combine. The less you work the batter, the better the muffins will turn out. This is the most common problem I’ve seen with baking fails.
you can still make this recipe without meyer lemon. Simply omit the parts of the recipe that include them. If you substitute regular lemon for meyer lemon, because let’s face it, meyer lemons aren’t all that cheap, cut the amount in half otherwise you’ll end up with a really tart muffin.
don’t have buttermilk? No worries, I definitely don’t because I don’t buy buttermilk, ever. Why? Because I end up wasting the entire carton just for less than a cup. Here is a trick I’ve been doing for YEARS; add 1-2 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of regular milk, mix, and let it sit for 5 minutes. You’ll end up with homemade buttermilk with minimal fuss.

Ultimate Blueberry Muffins

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Yield: 12 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
2 tsp meyer lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp meyer lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups fresh blueberries,
streusel topping:
1/4cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp butter, cubed
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

PREHEAT OVEN to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Grease muffin cups or line with cupcake liners.
MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS: combine flour, sugar, salt,cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl and mix well.
MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS: Add vegetable oil to a medium bowl and using a wire whisk, beat in eggs, one at a time. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in lemon juice and zest.
MAKE CRUMB TOPPING: Mix brown sugar flour, cinnamon, and lemon zest together. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut in butter into the flour and sugar mixture until pebbles form. Set aside.
COMBINE WET AND DRY INGREDIENTS: Stir in flour into the wet ingredients, just until combined. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
BAKE: for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done and toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the muffin

Addictive Breakfast Enchiladas

February 18, 2016 4 Comments

I’m feelin’ the February funk. You know, the middle of this dreary winter month when it’s bone chilling cold and all you wanna do is stay under the warm, soft covers, even after hitting the snooze button for the 1,345,566,346th time. Yeah, that funk where sitting around in pajamas and eating warm carbs is my escape. But there are little humans to take to school, feed, bathe, and just generally keep alive so though I want to bury my head under the covers and come back up when it’s spring, I have to be a grown-up and do what grown-ups do. And given this February funk, I should get a gold star for ~~setting foot in the kitchen~~ making the most incredible brinner.

Yes, brinner. My favorite meal like ever. Brinner makes my heart smile and you know what else? It’s become a tradition in my house to do brinner once every couple of weeks, at least. Enter my addictive breakfast enchiladas. You heard me. Soft, fluffy eggs, crispy potatoes, zesty pepper jack cheese nestled into warm corn tortillas, topped with a creamy sauce and baked to so much goodness I want some. Like now. NOM!

Ask me what my favorite meal is and I’ll tell you it’s brunch without so much as a millisecond of hesitation. I ? all things brunch. I love making brunch. I love eating brunch. Brunch is awesome. Period. Leslie Knope is definitely on to something. I strongly believe she would really like my baked chocolate chunk panettone french toast. Unfortunately, in my reality, brunch doesn’t get as much love from me as I would like- it’s like the overlooked middle child. Because life. So to remedy the situation, I now make brinner. And brinner dishes, as a whole, are the most requested in my house. There’s something rebellious about having breakfast at a time when you should be having dinner. Like somehow I’m breaking the laws of breakfast, dinner… and time and space. My kids get this slightly mischievous smile when they request brinner.

Now, about these enchiladas. I have this deep love for enchiladas, with their warm tortilla goodness. I’m looking at you, skinny chicken enchiladas with roasted salsa verde. Whenever I make them, I think I’m making enough for at least a couple of meals and don’t have to cook the next day. Twelve enchiladas is a whole latta…enchiladas. But there are always seconds and thirds to be had. every. single. time. And you guys, I NEVER learn my lesson. It happened again with these breakfast enchiladas. There’s a reason I call them addictive.

You know what the star of these enchiladas is? The eggs. I’m not kidding. The understated, humble scrambled egg, a relative of the poached egg or the just-cooked-enough-to-set-the-yolk egg like in this one skillet eggs and potatoes. Scrambled eggs are a whole other story. Scrambled eggs are the simplest, most under appreciated form of eggs and most of the time, they’re…not good. Sorry, they’re just not. That’s because there are several important factors to making the perfectly, soft, fluffy, moist scrambled eggs that people often overlook:

always start out with a cold pan, preferably non-stick. Pre-heating the pan shocks the eggs into cooking quickly and dries them out. Truly yummy-licious eggs require patience and gradual increase in temperature, until the eggs start to set. Turn once and let them set on the other side. Just barely solidify because eggs continue to cook, even after being taken off the heat.
even if you use nonstick, at the very least, brush your pan with oil. If you’re willing to go the full mile and really commit to making egg-cellent eggs (see the joke I just made there?), use a generous pat of delicious, glorious butter. If you’re watching the calories, a simple brush with oil will do.
greek yogurt. Yes, GREEK YOGURT. 1/2 tablespoon per egg plays up the fluffy factor. Guys, this tip right here is the $100,000,000 tip. Use full-fat or fat-free. The beauty of greek yogurt is that even the fat-free is rich and creamy enough to bulk up your eggs and it won’t alter the taste. The result: velvety, slightly tangy, eggs.

The potatoes bring their A-game to these enchiladas, with their tender crispiness and the vibrant, smokey taste they get from the paprika. I could just eat these by themselves and be perfectly content. Actually, I did eat them by themselves. I’ve been making potatoes similar to these for years and years and have slowly been incorporating them into more of my recipes. Just a natural progression of things. Remember though, not all potatoes are created equal. Yukon golds or other yellow potatoes seem to fare better in these sorts of roles; they’re ‘meaty’ without being overwhelming and stay together more than russets tend to.

So what goes well with the potatoes? The rich, creamy, velvety cheese sauce that pulls these enchiladas together. I used pepperjack cheese for a little kick to the dish but cheddar, colby jack, or any other chunk cheese will work too. I said chunk cheese. Why? Because pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents, which prevent it from melting smoothly so you can can kiss that creamy texture good-bye. Grating your own cheese is not only cheaper and tastier but it takes all of 3 minutes. I timed myself. Just watch those fingers and you’ll be okay.

These breakfast enchiladas are also the perfect make ahead breakfast. Assemble everything the night before and pop them in the oven in the morning for a quick breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner/brinner/snack/potluck/pick-me-up, sorta dish. In theory, it can feed a large crowd so it’s perfect if you’re hosting something. But don’t say I didn’t warn you about its addictive qualities. You may end up with a brawl on your hands as you and your BFF eye that last piece. You have been warned.

Seriously, somebody just hand me a fork already!

Addictive Breakfast Enchiladas

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 50 mins

Scale

Ingredients

12 corn tortillas, heated until pliable*
6 large eggs
2 cups (8 oz) chunk pepper jack cheese, grated (or cheese of choice)
4–5 medium firm potatoes (such as yukon gold), peeled and cubed
1 packed cup chopped spinach
3 tbsp 0% fat greek yogurt
2 cups 2% milk (or milk of choice)
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil, plus some more for brushing pan to cook eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
COOK THE POTATOES AND SPINACH: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium high heat. Add potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp chili powder. Continue to cook as potatoes become tender. Add granulated garlic and stir to coat the potatoes. Flip potatoes to caramelize other side. Cook until potatoes are tender, until a fork pierces through easily. Remove potatoes and set aside. Add spinach in the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Remove from pan and set aside.
COOK THE EGGS: Combine eggs and greek yogurt in a large bowl and whisk rigorously until mixture is fully blended. Lightly brush a COLD pan with oil and pour in eggs. On low heat, cook for 2-3 minutes, until eggs begin to set and you can see the edges start to solidify. With a spatula, gently break up the eggs by stirring. Gently flip the eggs to cook the other side. Cook 1 minute, or until eggs set. Remove from pan and set aside.
MAKE THE SAUCE: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium high heat. Once oil is heated, sprinkle in flour, while whisking with a wire whisk, to make sure clumps do not form. Cook to get rid of raw flour taste, while stirring, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in milk while continuing to mix and making sure there are no lumps in the sauce. Whisk in broth, 1/2 tsp salt, paprika, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer to thicken the sauce. Turn off the heat and add in 1 cup of cheese.
MAKE THE FILLING: In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup cheese, 1 1/2 cups sauce, eggs, potatoes, and spinach until blended. Set aside.
ASSEMBLE THE ENCHILADAS: Pour 1/2 cup of remaining sauce into an 11X13 pan and spread eventy. Spoon filling mixture into each tortilla, roll tortilla with seams overlapping and lay in pan, seam side down. You will be able to arrange 8 widthwise and 2 rows of two lengthwise, on the sides of the pan. Pour remaining sauce evenly over assembled enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
BAKE: covered at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, until cheese is melted. Uncover foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

*In a dry pan, on high heat, heat one tortilla at a time, 15-20 seconds on each side until tortillas become soft. Wrap in aluminum foil or towels to keep warm.

Paczki (Polish Yeast Doughnuts)

February 9, 2016 6 Comments

I won’t lie. I ~~sampled~~ inhaled one. Or two. Okay, fine. A dozen. It was more like a dozen of these decadent paczki since I started experimenting with the recipe. Don’t judge. When you make them and take your first bite, you’ll understand.

Besides, I couldn’t put up a recipe that I wouldn’t eat myself. So really, I was just doing a thorough job of quality control. You’re welcome!

Paczki (pronounced poonch-key) are the stuff that dreams are made of. That is NOT an exaggeration. You know how that obsession with anything and everything doughnuts? Well, paczki are like the upper echelon of donuts. They’re so good that you can’t call them donuts. They command the respect of correct spelling. That’s right, D-O-U-G-H-N-U-T-S.

How do you describe lighter than air, yeast doughnuts fried to a golden perfection and stuffed with decadent fruit jams, velvety custards, sinful whipped cream and coated in granulated sugar? I mean serious business with this paczki recipe; I have gone through two, 5-pound bags of flour to perfect this recipe. That’s right, TWO.FULL.BAGS.OF.FLOUR. I’ve had visions of paczkis in my dreams. I have woken up to write down modifications to my recipe in the middle of the night, a dash more this, a pinch less that. You get the picture. I can make packzis in my sleep now, but I probably shouldn’t.

And I’ve added a twist: ras malaai filled paczki. I’ll say it again, ras.malaai.paczki. These three magical words mean one, beautiful thing: I filled the paczki with velvety, creamy, sweetened ricotta, infused with cardamom and perfumed with rosewater. Then it is iced with a rosewater glazed and topped with bits of pistachio. In other words, I took a traditional, popular Indian dessert, lightened up a little (or a lot) and then merged it with a traditional Polish delicacy. Talk about the melting pot. Now that’s true decadence!

Look at it. Just look at it. YOU NEED THIS IN YOUR LIFE! Memorize it, internalize it, live it. I.NEED.THIS.IN.MY.LIFE.

Paczki are a traditional, Polish doughnut made the days before Lent, to use up all the fat, sugar, and eggs in one’s house before the somber period of Lent begins. This very important part of Polish culture, given the large Polish population in the Midwest has become a mainstream Fat Tuesday tradition. There is an abundance of pastry shops in Chicago that sell these treats the week before Lent. And while I’m partial to the more traditional raspberry jam paczki, I also tried my hand at Nutella and peanut butter & jelly. Because um, hello. PEANUT BUTTAH’ JELLY!

Just. Look. At. Them. OHMYGOD these are so NOM!

Guys, lets get one thing clear right now. You can’t bake paczki; it’s simply against the rules. They won’t plump up to a crispy, golden perfection in an oven the way they do when you drop them off for a hot bath in oil. If you use fresh (read: clean) oil, wait until the oil is hot enough, and the paczki have rested adequately, the dough won’t actually absorb much oil at all. That clean and hot oil is key to light, fluffy paczki. Once you get the hang of it, you too will be turning out perfectly cooked, light paczki like a boss. or a jedi. Probably a paczki jedi.

Lesson of the day—>yeasty dough + hot oil bath=heavenly doughnuts.

Paczkis and I have a deep, emotional history. They remind me for my father. As a self-declared food enthusiast and culinary adventurer, my father first brought home one dozen paczki, when I was about twelve years old and we raved about them for weeks. They were unlike any doughnut I’ve ever had and I was hooked and I would eagerly wait for paczkis every year. After my father passed away, I stopped eating paczkis, but The Mister, after his move to Chicago, and also sharing the same adventurous spirit, brought home a dozen paczki one day and my love for paczki was rekindled. And with an attempt to merge those two memories, I set out to recreate this beloved treat of both my father and my mister.

Back to the star of the show. Remember when I said you have to let the dough rest long enough? Yeah, don’t get impatient and cut that step short. THE DOUGH NEEDS TO RISE TWICE. The first rise happens after all of the flour has been mixed into the rest of the yeast mixture. The dough rests in a covered bowl, in a warm, draft free place; doubles in size; is punched down and rolled to 1/2-inch thickness; cut into circles which are then covered and rest again, to double in size. THEN you can drop them off in the hot oil.

I know making paczki sounds like it’s the world’s most involved and time consuming task but it’s actually not that labor intensive. If you have an electric mixer or a stand mixer, you literally do not have to knead anything. The rising and resting times of the dough is what set it back in the time category. But like everything, good things come to those who wait. And guys, if filling the paczki sounds intimdating to you, just do a little bit of cheating, and split the cooked paczki in half and fill it, like a sandwich. Or don’t fill them at all and just roll them in sugar.

Some helpful suggestions:

using room temperature eggs makes it much easier to whip air into the eggs and egg yolks. You want the egg mixture to be light and airy because when you fold it into the flour, it produces very light doughnuts. If you don’t beat them until they get to be a fluffy mixture, your doughnuts may not be as light but they’ll still taste good. But that texture really does make all the difference between a good doughnut and an amazing one.
when setting the dough to rise in a warm place, I’ve had success with placing the covered bowl on a cookie sheet and then on the stove and turning the oven on low. Just make sure it’s not too hot,otherwise the heat will start to cook the dough and you’ll end up with pieces of cooked dough as the dough rises.
to test if the dough is ready to be rolled out, insert a finger into the dough. If the impression stays after you’ve removed your finger, the dough is ready. If it bounces back, let the dough rest for a few more minutes. When rolling it out, the dough should not spring back. If it does, it needs to rest more.
the best way to roll out the dough without drying it out is to lightly coat your hands in vegetable oil and then rub them all over the dough so that the dough doesn’t stick to the surface when rolling it out. Be careful not to oil the dough too much otherwise, it will get too greasy. By eliminating the use of extra flour, you keep the dough more moist and pliable so it’s easier to reuse the scraps to form more paczkis without compromising on the texture.
use a 3 inch biscuit cutter OR use the rim of a clean, DRY glass to cut out the paczkis from the dough. I used a large plastic cup I had with no problems.
use fresh, unused oil to fry the paczki to make sure that lingering flavors don’t work their way into the dough while cooking. Clean oil will also keep the texture of the paczki light and help the dough puff up more as it cooks.
The cleanest way to fill the cooked paczki is to fill pastry bags with the fillings and attaching a piping tip. Alternatively, you can split the paczki open like a sandwich and fill it with a spoon.
don’t want to too long to roll the cooked paczki in sugar. They should still be warm so the sugar adheres better. I prefer granulated sugar because it gives the paczki a crunchy texture but powdered sugar is perfectly fine too.

Paczki (Polish Yeast Doughnuts)

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 hour 50 mins
Yield: 25-30 doughnuts 1x

Scale

Ingredients

6–7 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick butter, melted and room temperature
2 cups warm whole milk, 110-120 degrees*
3/4 and 1 tsp sugar, divided
1 whole egg, at room temperature
3 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
4 1/2 tsp active yeast
2 tsp good quality vanilla**
6–7 cups vegetable oil for frying
granulated for dusting doughnuts
powdered sugar for dusting doughnuts
FOR RAS MALAAI (SWEET RICOTTA CREAM) FILLING:
1 cup ricotta cheese, strained
2/3 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp rosewater
5–6 cardamom pods, shelled and ground to a powder
ROSEWATER ICING:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp rose water
2–3 tbsp cold milk
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped
FOR RASPBERRY FILLING:
1 cup good quality raspberry jam, filled into piping bag
FOR PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY FILLING:
2/3 cup peanut butter melted and 2/3 cup grape jelly, mixed and filled into piping bag
FOR NUTELLA FILLING:
1 cup Nutella, melted (30–45 seconds in the microwave)

Instructions

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine milk, yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Stir and set aside, in a warm place for 10 minutes to proof. The mixture should be bubbly and foamy at the end of 10 minutes.
With a wooden spoon, stir in 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture and beat until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft free place for 30 minutes. The mixture will rise and fill with bubbles.
In a medium bowl, combine whole egg and egg yolks and beat with wire whisk or electric mixer for 3-4 minutes, until the eggs become frothy, pale yellow, and thick Whisk in sugar, salt, and vanilla. Continue to whisk until sugar is dissolved.
Attach paddle attachment to stand mixture and slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour and yeast mixture, on low speed until combined, about 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour the melted butter and beat until combined.
Replace paddle attachment with hook attachment and mix at low speed. Slowly add in the remaining flour, one cup at a time. You may not need more than 4 cups. If dough is still in a liquid state, add flour, 1 tbsp at a time, until it becomes a soft ball. The dough will be sticky.
Grease a large bowl and pour out the flour into the bowl, rolling into a large ball*** Cover loosely and set in a warm, draft free place to let dough double in size, about 30-45 minutes.
Punch dough down and lightly grease hands and rub over the dough to prevent it from sticking to surface when rolling out. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness and using a biscuit cutter or a glass rim, cut out paczki. Place on cookie sheets. Reroll the dough as necessary, using more oil if needed. Cover cookie sheets and set aside in a warm, draft free place.
Heat oil for frying in a dutch oven or pan with high sides, on medium low to low heat. Test heat of oil by dropping a small amount of dough into the oil. The dough should sink and immediately float up to indicate readiness. Drop 4-5 paczki at a time and cook each side for 2-4 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and drain on a plate or pan lined with paper towels.
MAKE THE RAS MALAAI FILLING: combine ricotta, cardamom, powdered sugar and rosewater and beat until mixture is smooth. Fill in piping bag and set aside.
MAKE THE ROSEWATER ICING: Combine powdered sugar, rosewater, milk 1 tbsp at a time, until it reaches desired consistency. Cover and set aside. Stir to dissolve any hardened sugar before using.
FILL PACZKI: insert the tip of the piping tubes into the paczki and pull out while gently squeezing. You will feel the paczki start to swell up.
TO GLAZE WITH ROSEWATER ICING: drizzle icing over filled ras malaai filled paczki evenly. Sprinkle with pistachio and let set for 10 minutes.
IF NOT ICING WITH ROSEWATER ICING: roll in granulated sugar or powdered sugar.
Paczki are best eaten the same day but can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Notes

*I usually heat the milk in the microwave for 1:30-2 minutes. If you overheat the milk, it will kill the yeast, rather than activating it. The milk should be mildly comfortable if on your skin-warmer than room temperature.
**I use alcohol free vanilla from Trader Joe’s. It’s the closest to pure vanilla bean and doesn’t contain alcohol.
***when working with sticky dough, it helps to rub your hands down in vegetable oil so the dough doesn’t stick to your hands. Instead of using flour to roll out the dough, use vegetable oil to prevent the dough from sticking and drying out. The additional flour used to roll out dough dries out the dough and changes texture when you need to reroll. Oil keeps the dough moist and pliable and prevents the dough from stiffening up.

each filling recipe fills about 10 paczkis as written. Adjust accordingly.

One Skillet Spicy Eggs & Potatoes

January 19, 2016 4 Comments

I am FINALLY able to post my skillet spicy eggs and potatoes recipe! I make these eggs ALL THE TIME and I always start out saying “Today’s the day. I’m going to take pictures and I’m definitely going to post it.” Then, as I’m licking the plate clean, I say out loud “Oh mannnnnnn! I meant to take pictures!” Lather, rinse, repeat.

And you know what else? I’ve made this for company more times than I can remember and I always get requests for a recipe. Last time, I served it alongside this baked chocolate chunk panettone french toast. It was the perfect brunch. No wonder brunch is my favorite meal. I could live on brunch. And perfect eggs.

These are PERFECT eggs. And they cook perfectly in a cast iron skillet. Remember that ole think your mom gave you for your birthday one year and you just looked at her with confusion? Yesssss, that one. It’s time to bring it out from storage, rub it down with some oil and cook this. No really, cook this with it’s golden, runny yolks and melty goat cheese atop beautiful, fingerling potatoes. And if you really want to go all the way, use some nice, crusty bread to sop up all that spicy sauce. I like to eat mine with grilled pieces of pita, if I’m feeling the love for extra carbs. Let’s be honest, when have I ever not wanted extra carbs?!

I can’t help it. The fiery tomato sauce with tender pieces of potatoes, pillow eggs, and tangy goat cheese call my name as I get them ready. This time was no exception; I had to channel all my willpower to hold off eating this yumminess for as long as I did. I think I deserve an extra serving for my herculean efforts.

Just look at it. No, I mean LOOK at it. Don’t you wish this was your breakfast today?! That’s the thing. My skillet spicy eggs and potatoes are so versatile that you can have them for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, snack, dessert or whenever you want! I would eat these for every meal if I could. I don’t think the Mister would mine either. My five year old insisted on 2 entire loaves of pita and refuses to eat the eggs if the yolk isn’t runny. She makes me a proud mama!

We start with beautiful, delicate fingerling potatoes. Sometimes I use the gold ones and other times I use red ones. It just depends on what I have on hand. Because it’s a one pot meal, the potatoes soak up the stuck on bits of tomato sauce as it adheres to the potatoes and caramelizes, giving it that nice, deep brown crust. Behold, the glorious potato!

Once the potatoes are cooked, they are reacquainted with their good friend, the tomato sauce. Then you dig little wells in the lovely cast iron pan (or regular pan) you dug up, and add an egg inside each well. And THEN you top with tangy, crumbly goat cheese, stick a lid on and cook until the whites cook and the yolks set. I’ll confess, breaking the center and watching the sunny yolk ooze out of the egg is my absolute favorite part of eating these eggs. Then as it mixes with the tomato, it forms a rich, creamy sauce. Oh be still my heart!

There are many variations of this dish. I first had as a traditional middle eastern dish called shakshusha which is just a eggs cooked in a tomato sauce. It can also be called eggs in purgatory. The first time I saw the addition of eggs was in this New York Times recipe. Since then I’ve experimented and added my own touches until it became what I present to you as skillet spicy eggs and potatoes.

Helpful tips:

The less starchy the potato, the better it’ll hold up. If you use a Russet or Idaho potato, chances are, because of the high starch content, the potatoes will fall apart, leaving a mushy mess. If you can’t find fingerlings, red potatoes or new potatoes work well too. Leaving the skin on helps keep the potato together, especially if it’s a thin-skinned potato. Plus the skin is loaded with nutritious goodness.
Dry the potatoes thoroughly before adding them to the hot oil, otherwise the water will cause the oil to splatter. The best way to dry them is to blot them with a paper towel or a dry dish towel.
To see if the eggs are cooked, gently shake the pan. If the eggs jiggle a lot, they aren’t cooked. A little jiggle is perfect. That means the yolks are still runny. Covering the pan is essential to this process. The lid traps the steam into the pan and uses that heat to gently steam the eggs. In the end, they eggs will look like they’re cooked over-easy. You can cook the eggs until the yolks are completely cooked, if you really want but I strongly discourage it. You want the runny yolk to flavor the sauce. Trust me.
while cooking the tomato sauce, use a potato masher, or the back of a wooden spoon, lightly mash the tomatoes to release some of the liquid. Do not puree it, otherwise you will lose the chunky texture that makes this sauce hearty.
When making wells for the eggs, try to surround each well with pieces of the potatoes so that the eggs aren’t fully mixed with the sauce and can cook in small circles. The potatoes will create a barrier between eggs and tomato sauce and prevent them from mixing too much.
If you’re looking for a really spicy kick, like I do, add a little bit of your favorite hot sauce. I’ve used sirarcha with a lot of success. Mix it into the tomato sauce after the sauce is cooked so the depth of the sirarcha will stand up to the acidity of the tomatoes.
Serve with crusty bread, crostinis, or simply grilled pita triangles. The potatoes have enough texture that you don’t have to have another carb but if you like to dip bread into sauces, this sauce is perfect for that purpose.

Skillet Spicy Eggs & Potatoes

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Yield: 4 1x

Scale

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ garam masala
½ tsp paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 onions, chopped
1 tsp chili powder or to taste
2 oz goat cheese
4 whole eggs
2 cans 15.5 oz diced tomatoes
10 oz fingerling or baby red potatoes, quartered (about 2 cups)
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp cilantro for garnish
black pepper if desired
4 pieces of crusty bread or pita triangles

Instructions

Heat a 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add garam masala and salt. Add tomatoes and once they start to simmer, add paprika, and chili powder. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Using the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher, gently mash the tomato mixture to release the liquid. Add mint, cover again and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Remove tomato sauce into a separate bowl and set aside.
Return the pan to high heat and add remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add potatoes and stir to coat potatoes with whatever tomato sauce remains in the pan. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, until the potatoes become crispy. Turn the potatoes to cook the other side, until they become tender.
Reduce heat to low and add the tomato sauce on top of the potatoes and bring to a simmer. Create 4 wells and crack an into each well. Crumble goat cheese evenly top of the eggs and tomato sauce. Cover with lid and simmer for 7-8 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to desired doneness.
Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot, with bread.

Baked Chocolate Chunk Panettone French Toast

December 15, 2015 4 Comments

‘Tis the season for all things peppermint, ginger, cranberries, and panettone. What is panettone, you ask? Panettone is a light, flaky, buttery, italian bread with candied fruit and nuts, that fills grocery stores during the holiday season. The varieties and brands are endless but personally, I prefer panettone with raisins and candied fruit. I love that you can eat panettone by itself, because seriously, who doesn’t love carbs?! But it is AH-MAAAAZZZZ-ING, as french toast, because it’s DESSERT for BREAKFAST. I don’t ever need an excuse to eat dessert. Ever. No one should.

The panettone is loaded up with of chunks of semi-sweet chocolate. It soaks in a sweet custard overnight, where the bread soaks up all that vanilla liquid goodness. Right before it’s baked, the panettone french toast is topped with mountains of a crunchy pecan streusel topping, which will caramelize as it cooks. It’s baked until it is a crunchy, sweet, custardy, bready goodness. Basically, it’s the best thing since, well…sliced bread.

If you’ve ever had french toast, you know it’s best served hot. And if you’re serving a crowd, the person making the french toast (almost always me) is chained to the stove while everyone else is eating. Baking the french toast a la casserole solves that problem, making baked chocolate chunk panettone french toast the perfect make-ahead breakfast. Prep the custard and panettone the night before, make the streusel and store separately until it’s time to pop that baby in the oven, and 45 minutes in the oven in the morning and breakfast will be served. And if you’re ever so adventurous, serve it a la mode. Warm french toast with a scoop of cold, rich ice cream. Ice cream for breakfast because you’re a grown up and you get to make up the rules. Um, excuse me while I drool all over my keyboard.

Through the countless times I’ve made baked french toast, I’ve learned that the best results come from stale, dry bread. I like to leave the cubed bread out for a day, uncovered, before coating it with the custard. You can also spread the cubes in a single layer on cookie sheets and toast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, at 350 degrees F, until the bread is dry and toasted.

I cannot stress the importance of leaving the pecan streusel topping off until it’s time to put the french toast in the oven. Adding the streusel before “marinating” will allow the bread and the custard to soak up the butter and sugar, dissolving the mixture into the bread. So you can say buh-bye to that delicious, crunchy pecan heaven. And you don’t want to do that. So if you want to make the streusel in advance, go ahead and make it but store it separately, in an airtight container, in the fridge, until you bake the french toast.

I have made so many different versions of panettone french toast, I lost count. The chocolate chunk version doubles over as a bread pudding dessert. I made it for a dinner potluck once, with fresh whipped cream and berries, and it was the first dessert to disappear. My point is, whatever meal you eat it for, the important thing is, you EAT IT. and enjoy every. single. bite.

Once it’s out of the oven, dust with confectioner’s sugar, warm maple syrup, maybe some whipped cream and watch your guests devour the entire pan.

Baked Chocolate Chunk Panettone French Toast

Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 8 hours 45 mins
Yield: 12 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 panettone loaf (1.5–2 lbs), trimmed and cubed into large pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
8 large whole eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
streusel topping
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
5 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 tsp cinnamon
optional warm maple syrup, confectioner’s sugar for dusting, fresh fruit, and/or whipped cream

Instructions

Grease a 9X13 pan and add in the cubed panettone. Add in chocolate chunks, spreading evenly.
Prepare the custard. In a large bowl, beat eggs together, using a wire whisk. Stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Slowly whisk in milk. Add in salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Pour custard over bread and chocolate. Let soak for at least half an hour. For best results refrigerate overnight.
Make the pecan streusel topping. In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, blend in butter until the mixture resembles coarse pebbles. Fold in pecans using a spatula. If making ahead, store separately, in an airtight container, in the fridge until ready to use.
Remove french toast from refrigerator and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Top the french toast with the streusel topping, spreading evenly.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until custard is cooked and streusel is golden brown.
Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired and serve hot.
Serve with warm maple syrup, fresh fruit and whipped cream if desired.

Pumpkin Pie Soufflé with Candied Nuts

November 19, 2015 1 Comment

Pumpkin pie and soufflé are opposites. Pumpkin pie is usually dense and heavy while soufflé is light and airy. So I did what seemed obvious: I combined the two to make pumpkin pie soufflé. The marriage of these two seems unconventional but makes brings the best of both dishes into one, light yet filling dish.

Making soufflé is intimidating. You have to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, take care not to deflate them while folding them into the rest of the batter. If you do it all right, you’ll have a perfectly risen, light, airy soufflé. But you have to act fast because it falls pretty quickly- it still tastes delicious- it just tends to fall and deflate and that’s not so great when you’re taking pictures. But that’s not the story of this pumpkin pie soufflé. One day, a couple of my college girlfriends came over for lunch. I carefully chose to serve shrimp po boys, my caramelized onion and pepper salad with chickpeas, and a crustless pumpkin pie. I didn’t have enough filling so I had to stretch it a little and improvise. I set to work, adding the leftover waffle batter from that morning, praying it wouldn’t be an utter disaster. Thirty minutes later, out came this beautiful, perfectly fluffy crustless pie. Except it was too light to be called pie and to heavy to be called soufflé. It was a pumpkin pie soufflé and I realized it can be breakfast or dessert!

It all starts with roasting a pumpkin and making puree. And as luck would have it, I had one, last pumpkin left in the collection of winter squashes. It’s not as hard as it sounds. Cut a pumpkin lengthwise, scoop out the seeds in both halves, and place face down on a baking sheet, and rub with a little bit of oil (or cooking spray). Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the flesh is fork tender. Scoop out the flesh from the skin and puree it in a blender. See, easy peasy stuff!

Probably the hardest part of this recipe is beating the egg whites until stiff peaks form. And for that, get out that electric hand mixer. I use my Kitchenaid mixer with the whisk attachment. Make sure the bowl is completely clean and dry or your egg whites will not get the right consistency. I cheat a little bit and a little bit of cream of tartar to stabilize the egg whites and help them stiffen up. I’m all about making life easier for myself. This recipe calls for a milk product of some kind. I usually end up using fat-free half and half because it’s usually what I have on hand but the first time I made it, I made it with heavy whipping cream and it was so decadent. The cream will give it richness but if you’re looking to cut calories, I suggest you stick with either half and half or at least 2% milk (I haven’t tried it with skim milk so I can’t speak to its success). I’ve also been able to use a low calorie butter substitute and still have the soufflé come out fine, though not as rich.When you add the beaten egg whites to the flour batter and pumpkin batter, you must use a gentle hand. That means using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon and gently picking up batter from the bottom of the bowl, and making a motion like you’re folding it over onto the rest of the batter. Continue this method until the batter is fully mixed. Let it rest for 2-3 minutes once it’s out of the oven. Dust liberally with powdered sugar and serve drizzled with warm, real maple syrup, and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Pumpkin Pie Soufflé with Candied Walnuts

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Yield: 4-6 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 half and half (fat-free or full fat) or heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
4 tablespoons butter or butter substitute
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup pecan halves (or nut of choice)
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp salt
maple syrup, for serving
confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
whipped cream for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a heavy-bottomed, 10-inch pan, heat 1 tbsp butter on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp brown sugar. Melt the sugar and add the nuts. Stir to coat and cook for about 1-2 minutes, until golden brown, taking care not to burn. Transfer to another dish and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, brown sugar.
Melt remaining butter. Once room temperature, add to large bowl with egg yolks. Whisk together with brown sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Set aside.
In a large, clean bowl, combine egg whites with cream of tartar and beat with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. To do this, start at a low speed for 30 seconds, gradually increase speed setting every 30 seconds, until at the highest setting. Beat until stiff peaks form, when the beaters or whisk are turned up, the egg whites retain their shape.
Slowly fold in the egg whites into the flour mixture, taking care not to deflate the egg whites. Continue folding in until mixed well.
Pour into the reserved pan. Top with the reserved candied nuts.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
Dust with confectioner’s sugar, cut, top with maple syrup and whipped cream.