I've talked up a few of my two-ingredient recipes before, but I think this one is the cream of the crop.
Or should I say its "butter" than the rest?* *Sorry.
I present to you the latest (well, sort of...I actually invented it over winter break) of my culinary concoctions: Spiced Pumpkin 'n Pear Butter! Where did this ingenious incarnation of my impeccable talents come from? [And just why am I so alliteratively agile?] While perusing the racks of magazines in the Nashville Airport during my travels home for Christmas.... ...I happened to flip through Cooking With Paula Deen and spotted a recipe for Pumpkin Butter that appeared to be simply a reduction of pumpkin puree blended with apple juice. Well, that seemed a little too easy. (And a little too healthy...I mean, this is the woman who once made fudge that involved both stick and peanut butter, as well as both cream and cheddar cheese....yes, cheddar cheese, peanut butter fudge.) [ Source ]
But I had to give it a try. Of course, I don't like drinking apple juice all that much (even though if you heat it up and sprinkle in cinnamon it's quite warming on a cozy winter evening), and I had to think about changing things up a little bit so I wouldn't be left with a ginormous bottle of apple juice and/or having to shell out a pretty penny (at least per ounce in comparison) for a small little can. [Enter...PEAR juice (and its respective fruit)! (Stage Left)]
As a fruit fanatic (but also a frugal foodie), I learned long ago to capitalize on frozen and canned fruits during the "off" season. The key with the canned stuff is either to 1) rinse the syrups that sometimes soak the fruit unecessarily, or 2) buy the "light" versions that are packed in fruit juice (but not the "light" types with added Splenda).
Light pears are packed in, well, pear juice. After you've cracked open your two ingredients (and by 'cracked' I mean 'used a can opener,' although if you can rip those cans open with your bare hands I'd love if you'd move in with me and open difficult jars and bottles as well), you need to make a choice: creamy or chunky?
Usually a question reserved for nut butter, you also need to decide if you want your Spiced Pumpkin 'n Pear Butter to be chock full o' pear-fect chunks, or a smoother, more spreadable consistency. The first time I made it, I made it chunky, by first emptying the pear can into a heavy saucepan... ...and then attacked them with a wooden spoon. [P.S. These process photos are a complete re-enactment. The product photo is an original. ;)] A can of pumpkin (plus spices).... ....and about 45 minutes of cooking time later... ...chunky, delicious, sweet pumpkin 'n pear goodness (that disappeared FAR to quickly into the mouth of Papa Smart via English muffins, and tasted AMAZING mixed in yogurt and topped with cereal.) But I wanted to try again.
I wanted to make a smoother, richer Spiced Pumpkin 'n Pear Butter...so I put those pears in the food processor. Then I added the entire can of pumpkin puree. I also used 1 heaping teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, plus about 1/8 teaspoon extra cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. [So really, I should have just used about 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice...but for some reason adding extra of each spice singly makes it feel like I'm a real baker, and not copping out by using a pre-made blend. I know. Weird.] I also added about 1 tsp. of vanilla extract. (You could add some brown sugar or maple syrup if you want, but I think the pears add plenty of sweetness.) Then, I blended away! Scraped out the pumpkin-and-pear puree into a heavy saucepan... ...but made sure to save a little in the food processor for sampling. :) Then comes the fun part. You need to bring the Future Best Butter of America (now an organization being formed in high school home-ec kitchens across the country) up to the point where it bubbles and pops (like tomato sauce does), but you also need to let the air and excess liquid escape, or else the butter will never reduce. So I create a "mostly-on" covered lid approach to avoid splatters of pumpkin-and-pear all over the kitchen. Keep the pot over low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. When you get the slight crustiness on the side of the pan.... ...it's probably ready. If you can actually manage not to eat it all immediately, it's pretty much the most versatile spread ever. Although I love it straight from a spoon, my favorite use so far has been mixed in yogurt.... ...and topped with blueberries. Seriously. Blueberries. Try it. With a little help from the cereal jar.... ...it's truly the "butter" breakfast. ----------------------- Spiced Pumpkin 'n Pear Butter
1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree 1 15-oz. can 'light' pears, packed in 100% juice 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or to taste) 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth. 2. Heat puree in a heavy saucepan over low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick, spreadable consistency. 3. Store in a sealed container in the fridge!
*Sorry.
I present to you the latest (well, sort of...I actually invented it over winter break) of my culinary concoctions: Spiced Pumpkin 'n Pear Butter!