Mini Pumpkin Muffins

I confess: I love pumpkins, and I can't seem to get enough food made out of pumpkin.  I was going to do something easy this week with the children, being as it was the week before Thanksgiving, but when I tasted Miguel's birthday muffins I fell hopelessly in love with these moist, morsels of spicy pumpkinness.  We can do pan fried potatoes another week.  November only comes around once a year.

I didn't get any photos of the finished product, but if you go to The Pioneer Woman's web site, she has better photos than I will ever produce of the whole recipe from start to finish.  I did, however, take pictures of one small class of preschoolers making these irresistible treats.  You can see the happy time they had making muffins by visiting the Wee Pumpkin Muffins web album.

Instead of making the muffins regular sized, we made them into mini muffins.  This made the option of sharing easier for the children.  They were able to take four muffins home instead of just one.  I hope all you moms and dads got to try one of these, because I heard that some of the pies never got home.  The kids consumed them in the back seat on the way home from school, some of them didn't even get past the noon hour.

If making these muffins at home, know that the mini muffins take nearly as long to bake as the regular size ones.  I only diminished the cooking time by 3 minutes.  I also found that the light colored pans worked best.  If using dark pans reduce cooking time by five minutes.

This project produced some strong reactions to the smells of the ingredients.  The smell of nutmeg caused more than one child to hold their nose. The smell of the pumpkin also was perceived as "Stinky."  But the taste!  Everyone seemed to like the spicy, sweet flavor of this autumn comfort food. 

When I asked one mother how her daughter (known to be a finicky eater) liked the muffins, she replied, "She devoured them."  This is the same child who wouldn't eat the pumpkin pie.  These muffins are basically pumpkin pie in cake form.  So, with pumpkin available all year in canned form there is no reason to limit these to November.

"Mean Soup" and" Delicious"

I found two books about soup to read with this project.  The first book, "Mean Soup", isn't really about making soup.  It is about "stirring away a bad day."  In this book, Betsy Everitt, describes a bad day by a child's standard and then tells how a perseptive mother used the "Mean Soup" recipe to restore a smile.

The other book, "Delicious" is a darling story of three friends who want to make pumpkin soup but can't find a ripe pumpkin to satisfy their hunger.  Several other soups are made but duck will have none but pumpkin soup until Cat tricks him with a clever substitute.  Duck embodies the finicky preschool eater who decides he doesn't like something without ever trying it.

Pototo Corn Chowder

This soup is so easy and so delicious.  Yes, even the children said it was delicious and most of them ate it.  Some even begged for more.  But that was not the case the first day.  A few key ingredients made the difference.

The first day I used celery in the recipe and I didn't have any leeks. I also forgot the corn and decided to make it without the corn.  Most of the children didn't eat the soup after the first bite.  No one was really excited about it, but what a difference the next day.

The next day I omitted the celery and added leeks and the corn.  The children loved it.   The kitchen smelled wonderful.  I wish I had discovered leeks when my children were little.  My daughter, who could and would pick out the teeniest, tiniest, pieces of minced onion from a casserole, is the one who introduced me to leeks.  I have since come to love this delicious cousin to the onion.  I believe leeks are what make this soup so irresistibly good.

 This recipe will make just enough for 6 children to have a small bowl of soup.

2 tablespoons of butter or margarine (we used Earth Balance)
1/4 heaping cup of chopped leeks
1 tablespoon Chicken Flavored Broth Powder (Frontier Herbs)
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup canned Corn, undrained
3/4 cup evaporated milk
Red Potatoes
Carrot
Water or chicken broth if not using Broth Powder

Sauté the leeks in the butter until soft and fragrant.  Add the corn with the broth powder, parsley, salt and pepper.  As children chop the potatoes and carrots, add them to the pot with enough water to just cover.  I used the water from the canned corn for some of this.  Add diced potatoes and carrot.  (I had prepared the potatoes and carrot ahead of time by cutting them into sticks.  I left the skins on both.  Each child chopped 3 potato sticks and one carrot stick then added the diced vegetables to the soup pot.)  Simmer the vegetables for 10 to 12 minutes, covered.  The vegetables should be well done and beginning to lose their sharp edges.  Remove the pot from the stove and add the evaporated milk while stirring.  The milk cools the soup enough to eat it without burning your mouth.

 

To view photos of the children preparing the soup, visit the Potato Corn Chowder web album.

Wee Pumpkin Pies

This is another of those projects that is loved by everyone, even those children who don't like pumpkin pie.  I had several children say they didn't like pumpkin pie but they were excited to make one because someone in their family liked pumpkin pie and they wanted to give it to them.  Unfortunately, I also had some disappointed children who did not get to make a pie due to Veteran's day and field trips falling on their cooking day.  The good news is, you can make a pie at home.  It's not too hard and it will add a lovely fragrance to your home as well as joy to your tummy.

This project is different from the apple pies because it is more of a group effort than and individual effort.  With the pumpkin pies we all work together to measure and mix the ingredients for the filling, then the children press the pie crust and fill an individual pan for their pie.

I use only three spices in this pumpkin pie recipe: cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  Before measuring the spices all the children have the opportunity to examine the spices by smell and sight.  Several children were able to identify the cinnamon and a few were able to identify the ginger. None recognized the nutmeg.  I will introduce a nutmeg grinding work this week so more children will become familiar with this spice.

This recipe will make one 9 inch pie or six to seven 5 inch mini pies.  I use one box of Krusteaz Pie Crust Mix for 11  balls of dough for mini pies.  The balls of dough each measure 1/4 cup.  When pressed between parchment paper in a tortilla press, the dough fits the 5 inch mini pans.  The filling recipe is enough for 6 to 7 mini pies.

1 can pumpkin puree 15 0z.

1/2 cup agave syrup

3 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

3/4 cup evaporated milk

Whisk together the pumpkin and agave syrup.  Add eggs one at a time whisking after each.  Whisk in the spices and salt, then whisk in the milk and evaporated milk.  Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.  Bake at 350 degrees 45 to 60 minutes depending on size of pies.  Pies are done when center no longer giggles or knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

To view all photos of this projects visit the Pumpkin Pie Web Album.

Pumpkin Waffles

These waffles are perfect for crisp fall mornings.  We ate them with a mixture of 1/2 agave and 1/2 maple syrup.  There are lots of ingredients to measure so, depending on the number of children in your family or class, each child gets to measure at least one ingredient. I suggest keeping the group size for cooking to 6 or less.  The wait time for groups larger than 6 is too long for most preschool age children.

1/2 Cup Pumpkin

1/2 Cup Buttermilk

3/4 Cup Milk

3 Eggs

1 cup unbleached Flour

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (see note below)

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

I like to use the two bowls method with the children.  Start with the wet ingredients.  Add pumpkin, buttermilk, milk, and eggs in one bowl.  Whisk these together well.  Measure the dry ingredients into a second bowl and whisk these together.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until blended, then add the oil and mix it in well.  Spoon batter in a hot waffle iron and cook until done. 

To view all the photos from this cooking project, visit Pumpkin Waffles Web Album.

 Pumpkin Pie Spice:

1 part ground clove

1 part ground ginger

2 parts ground nutmeg

4 parts ground cinnamon
If you don't have pumpkin pie spice you can make 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for this recipe by using 1/4 teaspoon clove, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1 teaspoons of cinnamon.  On the other hand you could make up a batch of pumpkin pie spice mix to keep on hand for other pumpkin recipes.

The Apple Pie Tree

This was a great book to read after making the apple pies with the children.  The first page shows all the ingredients we used in making our pies.  I was able to review the process with the children by asking them to identify the ingredients pictured.  The author, Zoe Hall, narrates the story from a child's eyes as she shares the life cycle of the apple tree from the bare branches of winter to the fall harvest in a simple, clear manner. She includes a robin family's seasonal life nestled in the branches of the tree.  I enjoyed the beautiful collage illustrations.  At the end, Hall adds an illustrated explanation of the importance of bees in the life of apples and an unillustrated recipe for apple pie.

Can a Preschooler make an Apple Pie?

Making apple pie from scratch with preschoolers is easy if you have the right equipment.  The two essential tools for this project are a tortilla press and a hand cranked apple peeler/slicer.  By setting out the ingredients in sequential order you can turn your kitchen into an apple pie factory.

This is the project that gave our cooking class such beloved status.  After one preschool girl took the little pie home, the one she had made herself, her father came to me an said, "I would like to request more pie projects."  They are so delicious and so easy you will want to make these every October.

You start by selecting two varieties of apples.  My preference is Granny Smith and Golden Delicious.  Make sure the apples are fresh and crisp.  Soft apples will not hold up in the apple peeler.  By using one sour variety and one sweet variety you create a pie with an interesting and richer flavor.  After the children wash the apple of their choice, they turn the handle on the peeler, changing the apple into an apple slinky, without peel or core.  The factory supervisor can make a few quick cuts through the slinky to produce the small slices for the pie.  Children then sprinkle a tablespoon of cinnamon sugar over the apple slices and move to the next step.

Flour, sugar and butter are measured into individual bowls the children mix with a fork.  By setting out the ingredients in easy access containers, and using simple picture cards to show how much, the children are able to measure all the ingredients for the topping.  The children may have trouble combining these ingredients completely.  The teacher can finish the mixing while they press the pie crust with the tortilla press. 

Be sure to use a sheet of parchment paper under and over the ball of dough.  It works best if the pie dough is room temperature.  Children peel the parchment paper off the flattened pie dough and press it into the pie pan.  I use 5 inch aluminum pot pie pans so the children can take them home and I don't have to worry about getting them back, however, Montessori Services has 5 inch metal pie pans you can use again and again.

It's now time to assemble the pie.  The children fill the pie crust with cinnamon coated apple slices and then sprinkle the flour, sugar, and butter topping over the apples.  I always tuck a strip of typing paper with the child's name on it into the edge of the pie and then bake the pies for 35 to 45 minutes.  Oolala!  The children are extremely proud of the beautiful desert they get to take home and share with their family.  Everyone loves this project.  I asked one preschool girl how her family liked the pie.  She shook her head and exclaimed with a very loud shout, "Hugo ate the pie!"  "Who's Hugo?"  I inquired.  With a curled lip she said, "Hugo's my dog."

To view other pictures of this projects click here: Apple Pie web album.