If you’re wondering why there is just so much damn pumpkin content on the blog lately, I’ll tell you. First, pumpkin is delicious and its October so you should be craving this seasonal delight at every meal. Second, very few recipes call for an entire can of pumpkin purée, which means you have a half-empty can of the stuff lingering in your fridge waiting to be put to work.
You might recall that I made that delightful Pumpkin Pecan Cake with Brown Butter Icing for the one year blogaversary last week. So I had a bunch of pumpkin purée left to use.
My vegetarian friend Jessie came over for brunch on Sunday and I needed to whip up something that didn’t involve bacon or sausage. I thought about making a vegetarian hash but honestly it seemed like a LOT of food prep and vegetable chopping and I was feeling lazy.
This recipe is a great return on investment in terms of time and energy. You have breakfast for four ready in less than 30 minutes, no chopping required. The flavour is fantastic and you’ll have plenty of pumpkin butter left over to slather on toast/bagels/croissants for the rest of the week. A generous topping of fresh raspberries and blueberries adds a nice hit of acid to provide relief from the buttery decadence of the dish.
I will make the veggie hash another time when I’m feeling more energetic first thing in the morning (which is almost never).
Are you a morning person? If so, how? I think I was some sort of big cat in my past life – I would spend at least 20 hours a day sleeping if I could. Naps are my jam.
Given that my new job as a business development manager requires that I always be on the look out for new opportunities and persistence to hunt down sales, my coworkers have described my role as that of a “hungry leopard”.
I feel that this is an appropriate spirit animal for me, generally speaking. The leopard mostly keeps to itself and is an incredibly skilled and opportunistic hunter. The leopard punches above its weight class in terms of strength, it can take down prey bigger than itself and then drag its kill up a tree to protect it from scavengers.
I have two half-brothers who are quite a bit older than me but I mostly grew up as an only child. As such, I like spending time by myself. I have a small group of close friends and a larger network of acquaintances but don’t mind being alone – I have no problem going to dinner or the movies on my own.
In terms of the hunt, I’m very goal-oriented. Once I have something in my sights, I won’t relent until it’s mine. I really tend to fixate on things that I want. Gorgeous new sheath dress? New piece of furniture? I won’t stop until it’s mine.
Also, as an only child, I’m not great at sharing so the whole dragging prey up a tree to keep it away from other predators is pretty apt.
Mostly, I’m able to make my leopard-like tendencies work for me but I can definitely come across intense or single-minded at times. It’s something I try to be aware of. Chime in on the comments with your spirit animal. I’d love to hear which animal you most identify with.
Pumpkin French Toast with Pumpkin Butter
- 4 eggs
- ⅔ cup milk
- ½ cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 8 slices Texas toast
- 1 cup fresh raspberries, for topping
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, for topping
- ½ cup salted butter
- ⅓ cup pumpkin purée
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- dash ground ginger
- dash allspice
- dash nutmeg
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Set a large non-stick skillet set over medium heat, add a tablespoon of butter and melt.
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In a rectangular baking dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and spices.
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Dip the bread in egg/pumpkin mixture and dredge both sides and then place on the hot skillet. Cook until each side is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining slices of Texas toast, serve hot with whipped pumpkin butter, maple syrup and fresh berries. If you're working in batches, preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and place cooked French toast on a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.
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To make the pumpkin butter, in a small mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add the softened butter and beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla, and spices. Beat for an additional minute or until fluffy. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe adapted from: Dicks, Natalie. "Pumpkin French Toast with Whipped Pumpkin Butter." Life Made Simple: Recipes for Real Life. November 2015.
