It was quite a time I was given a pumpkin, the giraumont type. I read about it that it is a little bit sweeter than the classical pumpkin with a softer flesh. My mother in law did it as donut and were quite good, really soft inside. She gave me the other half. I was wondering for some days waht to do with it beside using it for the pasta or baking it as the classical pumpkin pie as A. suggested. Finally I chose to use it in muffins. The muffins were just delicious, soft, sweet but not too much, melting in the mouth. Jack did a brunch that day and I had to stop him eating more for the afternoon break. I used the left over of the pumpkin for the pasta, and believe me the taste was amazing compare to the ones with classic pumpkin « we have to ask L. to grow them up inhis garden » I said A. « I want some more for next year… »

Pumpkin, nuts and chocolate muffins

For about 20 muffins

• 500 g mashed pumpkin
• 300 g flour
• 130 g salted butter
• 130 ml milk
• 160 g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teasp baking powder
• 1 teasp baking soda
• 100 g nuts
• 100 g black chocolate
• 2 teasp pumpkin pie spices or a mix of spices*
• zest of an orange

1. Warm up the oven at 160°C
2. Break the chocolate and nuts in pieces. Melt the butter.
3. In a 1st bowl mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar,  baking soda, baking powder, spices, chocolate and nuts).
4. In a second one mix together the wet ingredients (milk, butter, eggs, pumpkin, zest of an orange).
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix.
6. Pour in the muffins stamps and put in the oven for at 35 min.
7. Let them cold on a grill (but they are also really good warm)

For the mix of 4 spices:

• 1/2 cinnamon in powder
• 1/4 ginger in powder
• 1/8 grind cloves
• 1/8 grated nutmeg

Muffins au chocolat, noix et citrouille

Pour une vingtaine de muffins

• 500 g de purée de potiron
• 300 g de farine
• 130 g de beurre demi-sel
• 130 ml de lait
• 160 g de sucre
• 3 oeufs
• 2 cc de levure
• 1 cc de bicarbonate de sodium
• 100 g de cerneaux de noix
• 100 g de chocolat noir
• 2 cc d’un mélange de 4 épices*
• le zeste d’une orange

1. Préchauffer le four à 160°C
2. Hacher grossièrement le chocolat et les noix. Faire fondre le beurre.
3. Dans un premier saladier mélanger ensemble tous les ingrédients secs (farine, sucre, épices, bicarbonate, levure, chocolat et noix).
4. Dans un second saladier, mélanger ensemble tous les ingrédients humides.
5. Ajouter le mélange humide au mélange sec. Mélanger.
6. Remplir les moules à muffin et enfournerpour 35 minutes.
7. A la sortie du four laisser refroidir sur une grille (mais ils sont très bons chauds)

Pour le mélange des 4 épices:

1/8 clous de girofle broyés

1/2 cannelle

1/4 gingembre en poudre

1/8 noix de muscade rapée

Muffin al cioccolato, noce e zucca

Per una ventinaia di muffin

• 500 g purè di zucca
• 300 g farina
• 130 g burro salato
• 130 ml latte
• 160 g zucchero
• 3 uova
• 2 cucchiani lievito
• 1 cucchiano bicarbonato di sodio
• 100 g noci sgusciati
• 100 g cioccolato nero
• 2 cucchiani misto di 4 spezie*
• buccia di un arancia

1. Accendere il forno a 160°C
2. Tagliare a pezzi grossi il cioccolato e le noce. Sciogliere il burro
3. In una prima insalatiera mettere e mescolare tutti gli ingredienti secchi (farina, zucchero, spezie, lievito, cioccolato e noce)
4. In un altra insalatiera mettere tutti gli ingredienti umidi
5. Aggiungere gli ingredienti umidi agli altri e mescolare.
6. Riempire i stampi e infornare per circa 35 minuti
7. Lasciare raffredare su una griglia (ma sono buonissimi anche caldi)

Per il misto di 4 spezie:

• 1/2 cannella
• 1/4 zenzero macinato
• 1/8 chiodi di garofano
• 1/8 noci moscate macinata

It gets more and more common to do our own marshmallow, you can notice that among a lot of foodblogs. Finally it is quiet easy, you might just need a thermometer to cook the sugar although…I melted mine doing some macarons, and I don’t miss it that much. I give you in the following recipe for the marshmallow with the temperature needed to be reached to cook the sugar, but for myself I consider that after 2-3 minutes the big bubbles appeared in the pot, I more or less reached the temperature (but I use the same pot either for macarons or marshmallow since a long time and I just approximately know hen I have to stop the fire). I did those marshmallow thinking about the Big Red this chewing gum with a strong cinnamon favor (I still did not find it here in Roma and I just miss it).

English table:

• 250 g of sugar
• 80 g of water
• 24 g of gelatin (as gelatin sheets!)
• 90 g of eggwhite
• 1 tablespoon of cinnamon (or according to your taste)
• red colouring

1. Put the gelatin in water
2. In a pot put together water and sugar and let it boil until 125°C
3. Meanwhile beat the eggwhites until stiff when the eggwhite curl without falling when taking out the whips
4. Add the sugar to the eggwhite without stopping beating
5. Still beating th eggwhite add the gelatin, cinnamon and the colouring (it should get pink)
6. Pour in a rectangular plate and put in the fridge for at least 24 h

 A la table française:

• 250 g de sucre
• 80 g d’eau
• 24 g de gélatine (en feuilles!)
• 90 g de blancs d’oeufs
• 1 c. à soupe de cannelle (ou plus ou moins selon les gouts)
• colorant rouge

1. Mettre les feuilles de gélatine dans de l’eau.
2. Dans une casserole mettre le sucre et l’eau et faire chauffer jusque 125°C.
3. En attendant battre les blancs en neige jusqu’au stade « bec d’oiseau » (les blancs se recourbent sans tomber quand on retire les fouets).
4. Y ajouter le sucre cuit en filet tout en continuant de battre les blancs.
5. Toujours en battant, ajouter progressivement les feuilles de gélatine, puis la cannelle et le colorant rouge (la pate doit etre rose vif).
6. Quand le mélange est à température ambiante (environ 5 minutes), le mettre dans un plat type gratin chemisé de papier sulfurisé. Mettre au frais pendant 24 heures.