Fall is here: I’m excited to share this clean living Pumpkin Spice Project with you! It welcomes in the season by:
- Providing cozy sweater-weather aromatherapy for your home.
- Satisfying that seasonal pumpkin spice craving.
- Nourishing flora and fauna that are prepping for cold weather.
As a bonus, this project is no-waste; the full use and recycling of materials gives an autumnal nod to clean living! Recipes for each component are below.
1. Fall Pumpkin Spice Project Kitchen Simmer
I adore candles, essential oils, and the scent of fresh-cut flowers. I think they lend a subtle mood, tone, and seasonality to a space. At this time of year, earthy fragrances appeal to me. The woodsy blend of fall herbs and spices set the tone for sweater weather. Stovetop simmers are an excellent clean-living choice for cool weather aromatherapy, wrapping us in warm, cozy fragrances and hinting at the upcoming holiday season.
In these first days of fall, what better time to introduce a pumpkin spice kitchen simmer? This one uses an actual sugar pumpkin as its foundation. It provides the perfect opportunity to carry forward the annual tradition of visiting the farmer’s market in search of the perfect pumpkin. So, grab a cup of hot coffee or cider and off we go to savor the simple pleasures of the new season!
Selecting a Pumpkin:
Don’t confuse sugar pumpkins, though, with the jack-o’-lanterns we carve for Halloween. The pumpkins we are looking for will be labeled “sugar” or “pie” pumpkins at your market. Sugar pumpkins are smaller, sweeter, and less fibrous than field pumpkins. They belong to the winter squash family and are a good choice for baking, steaming and sauteing (think of the sweet potato texture of butternut or acorn squash). Choose a bright orange pumpkin (screaming Vitamin A!) that feels weighty for its size. The outside should be relatively unblemished with a matte (rather than glossy) skin. The ridges in the skin should not run as deep as those in a jack-o’-lantern pumpkin. It’s important to select a pie pumpkin for this project is we won’t be wasting one bit of it. After simmering, we will use the cooked pumpkin in a pumpkin spice crumble muffin recipe.
Prepping the Pumpkin:
Wash and dry the pumpkin thoroughly. Cut it in half with a sharp knife. Scoop out seeds/stringy material and set aside for the last segment of the Pumpkin Spice Project. Use the edge of a spoon to scrape off any remaining string until the inside is smooth. Slice each half into wedges or good-sized chunks.
Pumpkin Spice Project Simmer:
Fill a cooking pot with 8 cups of water and stir in spices. I chose cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, ginger, and black pepper. These are common in pumpkin pie spice and will bring that scent profile. I also added maple syrup as a sweetener/fragrance enhancer. Vanilla extract would also be a great addition. Experiment and add your own personal touches to the fragrance profile. Just remember, the spices and extracts you choose must be safe for baking; we will be making muffins in step 2. Stir the spices into the water and add the pumpkin slices. Bring the water to a gentle simmer and enjoy its autumn goodness! (Disclosure: Late Bloomer in Bakerville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising revenues by advertising and linking to Amazon.com )
Simmer Time:
I simmered mine on low for well over an hour. You can poke the pumpkin with the tines of a fork to see if it is tender. The house smelled fabulous; the cloves and black pepper bring a woodsy scent to the mix.
Remove the pumpkin slices from the pot. Set them aside in a bowl to cool. Simmer the spice water as long as you’d like. You can also cool it and save in the fridge or freezer to enjoy again later.
Removing the Pumpkin Skin:
Once the pumpkin slices are cool, the skin removes very easily. You can use a paring knife, but quite honestly it peels right off with your fingers. Set the peels aside (for part 3 of this project) and place the meat in a bowl. Mash it with a potato masher until it is smooth. I stored the mashed pumpkin overnight in a colander set over a bowl to drain any excess water out of it.
2. Glazed Pumpkin Spice Crumble Muffins
Now, for the yummy part of this Pumpkin Spice Project: My family and co-workers thoroughly enjoyed these glazed pumpkin spice crumb muffins and I’m sure yours will too! They deliver the perfect amount of sweetness balanced by a hint of salt in the crumb topping. And, being pumpkin spice, they are the ideal indulgence for this time of year. (Add a handful of chocolate chips to this equation….and well, it doesn’t get much better!)
Recipe Prep for Pumpkin Spice Project Muffins:
I divided ingredients into 3 bowls for this recipe. It kept me organized and it all went together quickly. A nested set of mixing bowls is perfect for putting this recipe together. I used the largest bowl in the stack for the dry goods (flour, salt, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices). The medium size, for the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, eggs, and coconut oil). And the smallest bowl was reserved for the crumb topping (flour, sugar, salt, and coconut oil).
Begin measuring ingredients for the crumb topping into the smallest bowl. Mash them with a fork until a uniform crumble forms. You’ll notice that the mixture turns a very light shade of tan when it is crumbly and ready. Set this bowl aside.
Measure all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Whisk until they are thoroughly blended. This will prevent overmixing when adding the wet ingredients.
Add pumpkin puree and eggs to a medium bowl. Stir in liquid coconut oil until smooth. Add chocolate chips; the mix is firm enough to distribute the chips evenly.
Pour wet mix into dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Fill muffin cups almost to the top. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly.
Baking and Glazing Pumpkin Spice Project Muffins:
Bake at 350 degrees and check in 20-25 minutes. They will be done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Set the muffin tin on a backing rack. When muffins are cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin and let them cool completely on the rack. When fully cooled, drizzle each muffin with glaze. The glaze comes together quickly. I put a nub of butter in a small saucepan; let it melt, then stirred in powdered sugar. When that was blended, I added a tablespoon of maple syrup. Add a tiny bit of water to smooth to the consistency you like. It will hardly require any liquid at all, so when I say a tiny amount…start with a teaspoon. You’ll be surprised how quickly it thins out. Enjoy!
3. Pumpkin Project Benefits Wildlife
Now comes the last and special part of this Pumpkin Spice Project. After cleaning the pumpkin in part 1, the seeds and pulp were set aside. Now, separate the seeds from the stringy material. Once again, set them both aside. Rinse the seeds and spread them in a single layer on a clean rimmed baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper. Set the oven on 200 and allow the seeds to dry out. It takes about a half hour and a couple of stirs to get them completely dry. You can choose to reserve the seeds for a healthy snack or crunchy addition to salads. If so, prior to baking, season them with a little olive oil and spice blend of your choice. If you prefer to scatter the seeds for wildlife or add them to your bird feeder, you should leave them plain and refrain from seasoning or salting.
This Pumpkin Spice Project is a No-Waste Wonder for Composting!
Lastly, this is also the time of year when the vegetable garden and flower beds are done producing and will rest and recover for the next growing season. The leftover pumpkin stem, peels, and stringy pulp will be a welcome addition to the compost bin. Even the spent simmer water can be poured over the compost pile.
Full Circle:
The beauty of this project is that every element is used and recycled. It begins with an eco-friendly fall fragrance to welcome in a new season, followed by a delicious pumpkin spice treat to enjoy by the fire, and ends as a nutritious boost for the garden and backyard wildlife. This resonates with me and taps into my foundational values of food, family friends, flora, and fauna.
Enjoy the season!
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Fall Pumpkin Spice Simmer
Equipment
- 8 quart Simmer Pot
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Strong Kitchen Knife to Cut Pumpkin
- 1 Measuring Spoon Set
- 1 Measuring Cup
Materials
- 1 Medium Sugar Pumpkin
- 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger
- 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Teaspoon Allspice
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Measure out dry ingredients and set aside.
- Wash and dry the pumpkin. Cut in half and scrape out seeds and stringy material. Set the scrapings aside for use in Part 3 of this project. Cut stem from pumpkin halves and cut each half into slices.
- Pour 8 cups of water into the eight quart cooking pot. Stir in spices and maple syrup. Add in pumpkin slices and simmer on low until slices are fork-tender.
- Remove pumpkin slices and set them aside for Part 2 of this project. Continue simmering the spiced water as long as you would like to enjoy the scent. Cool and store in the refrigerator or freezer if you prefer to reheat and enjoy the fragrance later.
Glazed Pumpkin Spice Crumble Muffins
Equipment
- 1 measuring cup set
- 1 Measuring Spoon Set
- 1 nested mixing bows (small, medium & large)
- 1 muffin tin and muffin papers
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 cups fresh pumpkin from pumpkin spice simmer recipe in part 1 of this project
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Set paper liners into the 12 cups of the muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350.
- In the large mixing bowl, measure out dry ingredients (flour, sugars, spices baking soda and salt. Whisk them together until well blended.
- In the medium mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients (eggs and pumpkin). Slowly pour in the melted coconut oil until well incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Spoon the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix until it just comes together. The less stirring, the better.
- Spoon batter until it fills each muffin liner almost to the top.
- Sprinkle with crumble topping.
- Bake for 20 minutes and check. Mine took a few more minutes (approx 25), but it will depend on your oven. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from tin when you can handle them and let cool completely on a baking rack.
- Once completely cool, drizzle with glaze.
Crumble Topping
- In small bowl, mash the following with a fork until a uniform crumble forms: 3 Tablespoons, Flour, 1 Tablespoon Sugar, 1 Tablespoon coconut oil (solidified), 1/8 Teaspoon salt.
Maple Glaze
- In a saucepan, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Stir in 1 1/4 Cups of powdered sugar until smooth. Add 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup and enough water (add 1 teaspoon at a time) to reach desired consistency.
Dried Pumpkin Seeds for Birds and Wildlife
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 Sheet parchment paper
Instructions
- Remove pumpkin seeds from stringy pulp. Rinse them in a colander and spread evenly on a sheet of parchment paper laid on a baking pan.
- Let seeds dry in a 200 degree oven; stirring occasionally to thoroughly dry. Check for dryness after about a half hour in the oven. Scatter for birds and wildlife.