Pumpkin Makes a Great Ingredient in….Whatever
It’s almost October, which means I get the pumpkin puree out and make all kinds of pumpkin-y good things. I love October and, at least to me, nothing symbolizes the month better than the fat, orange gourd. It looks like a harvest moon (and it’s the school color of my favorite University in Oklahoma). It can be whipped into soups, breads, smoothies, pies, dips and donuts. What’s not to like? This morning, I made a smoothie with a banana, some non-fat Greek yogurt, vanilla Almond milk, some flax seed, some cinnamon and a couple of scoops of pumpkin puree. Oh, and a squirt of honey.
So, in order to share the goodness, I made this recipe on my regular Tuesday morning segment on KTUL Channel 8’s “Good Morning Oklahoma.” Before going on the show, I made some for my husband (who’s a good taste-tester because he pretty much likes everything), and he gave it two thumbs up. One thing I will say about French toast is DO NOT use regular sandwich bread to make it. That’s a sure-fire way to make it turn out so-so. I use French bread that I can slice myself to make the slices thick. It’s also a good way to use up day-old French or Italian bread. Challah bread works well, too. Bread with some “sturdiness” to it will soak up the milk and eggs better.
PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs
- 2 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 9 slices Texas toast (or other white bread such as Challah or French bread)
- Butter, for griddle
Directions:
Preheat an electric griddle to 350 degrees (a non-stick skillet set over medium heat also works fine). In a mixing bowl whisk together milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger until well combined. Pour into a shallow dish.
Butter griddle and dip bread into egg mixture (allowing a few seconds for it to absorb mixture. I also squeeze gently to soak the mixture to center), then rotate and coat opposite side. Transfer to griddle and cook until golden brown on bottom, then lift, butter griddle once more and flip French toast to opposite side and cook until golden brown. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.
Enjoy!
