pumpkin muffins

Ingredients

500 gr pumpkin, peeled and seeded
375 g flour
400 g white sugar
backing powder
spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)
some salt
half a glass vegetable oil (160 ml)
3 eggs

about one hour

Preheat oven to 175º. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
Split pumpkin in half. Remove seeds and strings. Place in microvawe for 20 minutes (otherwise in oven for about 90, covered with tin foil). Remove pumpkin pulp and puree in blender.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together 2 cups pumpkin puree, vegetable oil and eggs. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

aubergine balls

Ingredients

aubergines
bread crumbles
parmesan cheese
basil
garlic
one egg
salt and pepper
olive oil

Cut the aubergine in twoes, sparkle some salt and let them purge the water (and the bitterness) for about 20 minutes. It is a good idea to put them on a dish and cover them with kitchen paper and a weight on the top, so they lose even more water and bitterness
Cook the aubergines in the oven (40-45º) or in the microvawe. Mash them using a masher or chop them very finely, add one egg, some parmesan cheese, a lot of basil, some mashed garlic, salt, pepper and the bread crumbles (quantities may vary depending on the aubergines, just follow your instinct).
Fry the balls in some olive oil. They are delicious both warm and cold.

Pumkpin dumplings (gnocchi)

Ingredients

500 gr pumpkin.
some flour
one egg
250 gr ricotta cheese
one boiled potato


Remove the pumpkin seeds and cut it into chunks. Cook the pumpkin either in the microwave (about 10 minutes) or in the oven (200º, will take a bit longer), then peel it (it's easier to peel once cooked). Pass it in the vegetable mill or masher or whatever device meant for mashing potatoes. (here is one example). Do not use any electrical food processor because they will alter the texture. Mash the potato as well.
Incorporate the ricotta cheese, the egg, salt and some flour (the right amount will depend on the type of pumkin and other factors). The texture should be not quite solid, not quite liquid (you have to be able to form dumplings with a spoon without them sticking to the spoon).
Boil them in water till they come back to surface, then take them out of water, one by one, with a slotted spoon.

Serve them with melted butter and smoked ricotta (or parmesano cheese).

celiac-friendly chocolate brownie

Ingredients

100 gr finely chopped almonds (or other nuts)
100 gr sugar
3 eggs, yolks and whites split
150 very dark chocolate (the darker the better)
100 gr butter
some rhum or marsala or sherry or malaga (optional)


Mix almonds and sugar in a bowl, then add the yolks and stir. Melt the chocolate with the butter in the microwave or au bain marie (do not let it boil or simmer). Whip the egg whites until hard peaks form.
Merge all ingredients together leaving the beaten egg whites for the end. To incorporate the stiff egg whites use a spoon and lift the batter clockwise slowly, otherwise they will lose their stiffness.

Bake on baking paper for about 30 minutes at 160º. It has to stay soft in the centre.

Wine: Sauternes, Pedro Ximenes, Marsala, Sherry Amontillado.