Processed Food

Processing pumpkins is fool-proof. Make a sloppy cut around your pumpkin and scoop out its innards. What a delightfully slimy feel the pumpkin’s stringy fibers have. Overcook in an oven until tender flesh takes an easy puncture. Scoop to the back of the skin and puree and you’re done!

I used the white Lumina pumpkin from The Electrician‘s porch to make cupcakes for my school’s Harvest Festival.

They bake up to a gorgeous soft, plush texture. Though the two batches had an entire cup of oil combined, they were not greasy. Since they’re for the 5th graders, many of whom will be trying a vegan cupcake for the first time ever, I don’t skimp on the decadence. Sugar and oil aplenty. Check out recipe here from last year’s event.

Since many 10 year olds eat cupcakes like lollipops, licking off the frosting and leaving the cake on the plate, I whipped up a sweet vanilla buttercream to satisfy their eating style.

Behold my new double-decker cupcake carrier! Sturdy and easy to handle, with a collapsible top that shrinks for easier storage. I sound like a commercial but I am rather excited about it.