The happy result of summer’s bumper crop of Amish paste pumpkins is a freezer full of pumpkin paste (purée).
I defrosted two pounds of cooked pumpkin with the intent to make pumpkin pancakes. Which I did. I used the remaining pumpkin purée in three ways: 2/3 cup as a substitute for applesauce in a gluten-free pancake recipe from Babycakes Covers the Classics (see page 31), 1/4 cup as a spread over buttered bread and the rest in this smoothie recipe.
Winter’s Smoothie
Serves 4
Canned pumpkin purée works well too.
Ingredients
½ to 1 cup cooked, puréed pumpkin
½ cup dried, sweetened cranberries
1 package (16 ounces/454 grams) silken tofu, drained
1 banana
1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon dried ginger or ¼-inch coin peeled fresh ginger
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon mace or nutmeg
Place all ingredients in a blender. Whirl to combine, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve.
