Guest Post: Ginger Spiced Pumpkin Butter by NoshOn.It

Hi Always Order Dessert readers! Vijay from NoshOn.It here and I’m so excited to be guest posting while Alejandra is on vacation...and a little jealous! I’ll admit, right after Labor Day Passed, I was NOT one of the people on the “OMG, THE PUMPKIN RECIPES ARE COMING” bandwagon. Don’t get me wrong, I love pumpkin things as much as the next person but I’m not quite ready to let go of summer.

The sun is still shining, the weather is still sometimes warm enough where my flip-flips stay in rotation, and part of me wishes I were still in school so I could have a summer vacation.

But alas, you can’t always get what you want and soon enough, I’m going to have to come to the realization that fall is here. Lately, I’ve been trying to get into making more of my condiments at home. This is partially to try to flex my DIY muscles more than I have in the fast and partially to see if I could actually do it. I can handle savory things on the stove, but baking, sweets, and desserts in general are not really my thing.

Given that the name of Alejandra’s blog is “Always Order Dessert,” I thought I’d try my hand at making something sweet that you could use for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anytime!

Plus, it has pumpkin so consider this my fall confessional.

Unlike other forms of butter made from dairy, pumpkin butter is nothing more than pumpkin puree simmered on the stove with something to sweeten it and spices until it’s thick, shiny, and spreadable. You can go as simple as using pumpkin pie spice, but I prefer to make my own spice blends so I can control every element.

This pumpkin butter has both grated fresh ginger as well as dried ground ginger and a host of other spices to really warm it up. I originally had the idea of adding ground cardamom...but in the midst of a busy day I totally forgot. Feel free to add a ½ teaspoon if you’d like and change up the quantities of the spices to suit your taste. Stored in jars, this stuff will stay good in the fridge for at least a week and in the freezer for several months...if it even lasts that long.

Some ideas on how to use it: spread it on toast, fill it into crepes, use it instead of plain maple syrup on pancakes, sandwich it with cream cheese between bread for a stuffed French Toast, serve it warm over vanilla ice cream, use it as a condiment for grilled pork or chicken. Or just eat it with a spoon!

I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoyed making it for you. Come on over and say hello to us at NoshOn.It and until then, happy noshin’!

About Vijay & NoshOn.It: Vijay Nathan is the Co-Founder, Editor, and Chief Nosher of NoshOn.It, a daily recipe newsletter and website that helps you discover recipes you’ll crave from new food bloggers you’ll love. He is passionate about helping people realize that anyone can be a great cook with just a little bit on inspiration and education. And he’ll fight you for that last piece of bacon. Send him a high-five on Twitter!

Ginger Spiced Pumpkin Butter
Makes: 2 ½ cups

Ingredients:
1 14.5 oz. can 100% pumpkin puree (or homemade)
¾ cup apple juice or apple cider
½ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg


Directions:
In a saucepan with tall sides, combine all of the ingredients and whisk to combine. Bring the pan to a simmer over medium heat, turn the heat down to low, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes, whisking often. The mixture has a tender to splatter so you can partially cover it while simmering if needed.

Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool to room temperature and store in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for several months.