Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish

Pumpkin Soup
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 bay leaf
2 ribs celery with greens, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp flour
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp hot sauce
6 c chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can pumpkin
2 c heavy cream
½ tsp nutmeg

Cran-Apple Relish
1 apple, finely chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ c dried cranberries, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp honey
½ tsp cinnamon

Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour, thyme, and hot sauce then cook flour a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken then add cream and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

While soup cooks, assemble the relish: combine apple, red onion, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, honey and cinnamon. Adjust seasonings in soup and relish and serve soup in shallow bowls with a few spoonfuls to relish.

The Best Blueberry Muffins

1/2 c (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 c blueberries (mash 1/2 c with a fork)
2 c flour
1/2 c milk
1 tbsp sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 12 regular muffin cups or use foil baking cups. Beat butter until creamy. Beat in the sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Mix mashed berries into batter. Fold in half the flour with a spatula, then half the milk. Add remaining flour and milk. Fold in remaining blueberries. Scoop batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg sugar. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let muffins cool at least 30 minutes in the pan before removing.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1 - 9” unbaked pie crust

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices, and salt in bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 mins. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; bake an additional 35 to 40 mins. Or until knife inserted 1” from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired.

Option:

Combine ½ c packed brown sugar and ½ c flour in bowl. Cut in ¼ c cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in ¼ c chopped nuts. After the pie has baked 30 mins. at 350 degrees, sprinkle evenly over top. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

Pecan Pie from Darcy McBride

1 C. brown sugar
1 C. light karo
1 C. pecans
½ C. butter
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt

Beat eggs. Mix together all ingredients except eggs and nuts. Add eggs. Fill unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Honey Crystal Almonds

Ingredients:
2 c whole almonds
¼ c honey
2 tbsp butter
1 c turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)

Directions:
Spread almonds in a shallow pan. Place in cold oven; turn oven to 350°F and roast 12-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well roasted. Over medium heat in a medium saucepan, heat the honey and butter to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add almonds; simmer and stir for 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer the almonds to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the almonds in single layer and cool slightly. To coast, toss almonds with sugar in a medium plastic food storage bag.