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Thursday, September 19, 2013 | DOWNTOWN BEAVERTON 11
utumn is upon us. Indulge in local
flavors this holiday season.
A trip to Penzeys Spices, located
at 11787 S.W. Beaverton-Hillsdale
Highway, will add spice to your
holiday creations. The shop’s
website, penzeys.com, also features dozens of
delicious recipes to try, such as its Pumpkin
Whoopie Pies.
Pick up fresh, local ingredients for your
seasonal creations at the Beaverton Farmers
Market. Open Saturdays through Nov. 23
from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the market is located
on Southwest Hall Boulevard between Third
and Fifth streets.
The website, beavertonfarmersmarket.com,
features an archive of recipes, such as its
popular Real Pumpkin Pie from Sun Gold
Farm (see recipe below).
And be sure to enjoy treats from Decadent
Creations at either the Beaverton or Cedar Mill
farmers’ markets.
Booth owner Mindy Higgins said that this
time of year, her shop specialized in cookies
in the shapes of pumpkins, apple and pecan
autumn strudels, pumpkin-blackberry bread
pudding, cranberry and oat gobble bread and
drunkenpumpkin cake—a pumpkin cakewith
rum-spiked ganache and candied hazelnut
buttercreamwith marzipan pumpkins.
And don’t forget the spooky buns, a brioche
filled with pumpkin Chantilly cream.
“We are a from-scratch bakery, and we use
all-butter, fresh and local cream, eggs andmilk.
For each farmers’ market and order, we bake
fresh in thewee hours of themorning,” Higgins
said. “I oftenwake as early as midnight to start
baking, so everything we serve we made just a
matter of hours ago. Many of our pastries are
still warm from the oven when we arrive at
market.”
As you prepare for the season, visit
decadentcreations.com.
“To fill our customers’ Thanksgiving and
Christmas orders, we offer free delivery on
ThanksgivingeveandChristmasEve,”Higgins
said. “We are like the Santas of sweets.”
In the meantime, Higgins shares her famous
rolled, cut, dip-iced and decorated sugar
cookies (see recipe below).
Have a delicious autumn.
Story and photography by Nicole DeCosta
Autumn is the perfect season to get creative with
seasonal taste treats.
Mindy Higgins’ shop specializes in this seasonal treat — a pumpkin cake with rum-spiked ganache.
FOOD
DOWNTOWN BEAVERTON
Indulge in FALL ingredients
Real Pumpkin Pie
Prepare your pumpkin:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash pumpkin, cut in half and remove stem. Bake for about one hour until soft to the
touch. Or, microwave on high for 20 to 30 minutes. Cool. Scoop out flesh and puree.
Assemble your pie:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine:
2 cups of pumpkin puree
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
Blend into pumpkin:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1, 12 oz. can evaporated milk
Pour into unbaked 9 inch pie shell
Bake 15 minutes
Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 45 minutes or so until set. Test for doneness
by inserting a knife into the center; it should come out clean. Hide this crack created in the top
of the pie with whipped cream. Another way to check for doneness is to gently shake the pie; it is
done if it does not ripple like uncooked liquid. Chill thoroughly. Serve with whipped cream.
Note: a pumpkin will trim down to
half of its weight so consider this when
deciding how many pumpkins to buy
a recipe. One pound of raw peeled
pumpkin is approximately two cups
of cooked pureed drained flesh.
1/2 t. ginger
1/8 t. cloves
1/4 t. nutmeg
Decorated Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookie dough:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
Portion the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Portion the wet ingredients
— eggs, vanilla and milk — in another bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer on a medium speed. Add the wet to the butter
mixture in three stages. Mix until fully incorporated for each stage. When the last of the wet is
incorporated, turn the mixer off. Add the dry ingredients all at once. Mix on speed 1 just until the
dough starts coming together. Give it a 5 second flash on a medium-high speed, to insure the
mixture is homogenous. Wrap the dough in plastic in a puck-shape. Chill for 1 to 2 hours.
Cookie glaze:
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup water and extra as needed
3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
Melt the butter and water together over a double-boiler. When the butter is melted,
remove the double-boiler from the heat but keep the double-boiler intact.
Add the powdered sugar all at once. Stir with a whisk, pressing the whisk against
the sides of the bowl to press out the lumps. When all the lumps are worked out, add
more water — 1 tsp. at a time until the glaze reaches your desired thickness.
Royal icing:
1/4 cup egg white
2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
In a mixer, whip the egg white in a clean bowl until it starts to get foamy with soft-to-very-
soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar all at once. Whip on a slow speed until fully combined.
Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the icing.
1/4 cup and 2 tbsp. sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract