Pumpkin shaming.
It's a thing. And you know it.
Fall is the only season I can think of, when it comes to food, and pumpkin the only tasty target, in which bigotry is widely accepted. Not only accepted, but prevalent everywhere, embraced by many as indisputable.
I'm here to represent. Show support. Solidarity. Not that I am one, a pumpkin, but you don't need to be a member of a group, any group {{hint, hint}}, to stand against blatant, widespread bigotry.
And really, it affects me, this constant attack starting as early as August (no judgement, but even I admit that timing is a bit rushed), but running rampant in October. Affected because I do post a few pumpkin recipes in this Halloween month. And I hope that rather than be discriminated against due to the color of their ingredients, that they will instead be judged simply by what they have to offer society. And your holiday menu. It's only fair.
Even if this gourd chooses to identify as a fruit, it is not our place to criticize.
And if these lovely cookies are brave enough to identify, loud and proud, as pumpkin, then who are we to shame them without even giving them a chance I say support them, embrace them. Foster and environment of inclusion when it comes to your holiday baking schedule. Proudly share then with your friends and neighbors. Be a voice of reason.
Cinnamon Pumpkin Rugelach
After all, they make the ultimate sacrifice. We carve them up like a turkey, light them on fire from the insides, roast them, mash them, and turn them into delicious side dishes and desserts for our holiday festivity pleasure.
The least we can do is show some respect. Stop the public shaming, the prejudice, and the discrimination.
It's Fall, and it's holiday season, ride the tide, embrace the taste, join team Pro Pumpkin Pride.
Cinnamon Pumpkin Rugelach
©www.BakingInATornado.com
1/4 cup speculoos cookie butter
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup flour
powdered sugar for rolling
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pepitas
Directions:
*Cream together the butter, speculoos, and cream cheese until smooth. Carefully beat in or stir in the flour until incorporated. Form the dough into two equal sized balls, enclose separately in plastic wrap, flatten, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
*Cream together the butter, speculoos, and cream cheese until smooth. Carefully beat in or stir in the flour until incorporated. Form the dough into two equal sized balls, enclose separately in plastic wrap, flatten, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
*Press the pumpkin puree between paper towels to release as much as the moisture as you can, leaving you with a firmer pumpkin pulp.
*Mix together the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar. Set aside.
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle a rolling surface with powdered sugar.
*NOTE: it's easiest to place plastic wrap over the dough for rolling. Roll each dough round, separately, into about 8 to 9 inch circles.
*Remove the plastic wrap from the top and spread about half of the filling onto each round to within about 1/2 inch of the edges. Sprinkle with the pepitas.
*Cut each dough round, like a pizza, into 12 long triangular shaped slices. Run a spatula under them to losen and start to separate them before, starting at the outside, rolling up to the tips to form 24 crescents. Place, point side down, on the baking sheet.
*Remove the plastic wrap from the top and spread about half of the filling onto each round to within about 1/2 inch of the edges. Sprinkle with the pepitas.
*Cut each dough round, like a pizza, into 12 long triangular shaped slices. Run a spatula under them to losen and start to separate them before, starting at the outside, rolling up to the tips to form 24 crescents. Place, point side down, on the baking sheet.
*Bake for 18 - 22 minutes, or until they start to brown. Allow to set for 3 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to cool completely.
I don’t carve pumpkins, never have, never will. Ceramic Pumpkin on my coffee table, plastic on the porch. The kids decorated, if they insisted on a pumpkin, with paint. Halloween and pumpkin not my favorite, I’ll wait on the sweet potato, not quite as orange, but with the right ingredients makes my mouth water. Donna
ReplyDeleteWe do love sweet potatoes, and I use them in many recipes, but we have the greatest memories of carving pumpkins and roasting pumpkin seeds with the kids over the years.
DeleteI didn’t grow up with pumpkins as a part of our Halloween tradition. We had what they called Dough Faces as mask and a paper sack for Trick or Treating. I think the mask were actually a paper mache, I think. I know they were nasty by the end of the evening, especially around the mouth. There were no parties and by the time I started my family, Halloween was not a thing that I made any traditions around. Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been the big traditions, they have kind of suffered since. I can no longer do all the prep that goes into them.Hopefully my oldest and his spouse will take over. I hope so, the grandchildren will lose out if not. Donna
ReplyDeleteI hope the next generation takes over so you all don't lose out.
DeleteSo many pumpkin dishes that I have never heard of let alone tried. I am not a big fan of pumpkin
ReplyDeleteMaybe you just haven't had the right pumpkin dishes.
DeleteI love pumpkin sweets. My local Smiths grocery store has a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie that is so good. This sounds so good to me.
ReplyDeleteI think these are my new favorites.
DeleteMy only pumpkins (all indoor ones) are either glass or metal. Outside, it's just premade scarecrows and fake colored leaf garlands around our front entrance. I used to decorate more when my son was young. But raccoons smashed the carved pumpkins and squirrels ate the corn hidden in the cornstalks. We won't say anything about hay bales and what likes that. Confession time - I like honeynut squash lots better than pumpkin. But you really can't carve it.
ReplyDeleteI love honeynut squash, but once a year, it's all about the carving and the seeds, and that time of year belongs to the pumpkin.
DeleteI'm very pro-pumpkin. It's good stuff and these cookies look delightful.
ReplyDeleteThey were so good!
DeleteI was never a big fan of the pumpkin-carving mess, so as soon as the kids lost interest so did I. The pumpkins I buy for Halloween decorations turn into the puree for Thanksgiving pies.
ReplyDeletePerfect, double purpose.
DeleteI limit my pumpkin consumage (is that a word? I don't think so!) to pie and lattes.
ReplyDeleteGreat choices.
DeleteWe often roasted the pumpkin seeds to waste less of the pumpkin.
ReplyDeleteWe always roast the seeds, love them.
Delete