Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, and I’m sure pumpkin pie is high up on the list of desserts to make.  Many people use the recipe on the can of Libby’s pumpkin, but I wanted to try something different.  This version sounded promising, so I decided to give it a try.  After reading through the recipe, I decided that it had a lot of unnecessary steps.  I’m not one to dirty more dishes that I have to, so I changed the method a little bit.  Instead of processing the ingredients in a blender, I just mixed them all by hand in the pot, and then heated them.  It worked just fine, and I didn’t have to waste the energy or time using the food processor or blender.  I did the same thing with the eggs- no need for a food processor, I just whisked them in the pot after I took it off the heat along with the milk and cream.  This way was so much simpler, and I don’t think the final product suffered one bit.  I really liked the way this was spiced.  If you don’t want a strong ginger flavor, I would recommend cutting the amount in half.  The spices went together nicely and the smell just filled the kitchen- it made me excited for the holidays to finally get here!  If you are planning on serving pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, I would definitely recommend this version!

I didn’t use the Baking Illustrated pie crust.  Instead, I used this all butter crust found on Smitten Kitchen.  It was very easy to work with and I’m sure I’ll use it again next time I’m making pie.

Pumpkin Pie
Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated

Pie crust from Smitten Kitchen- I’m just going to link to the recipe here because she has wonderful step-by-step pictures that are helpful.  The recipe yields enough for a double crust, but you only need a single crust here.  You can either make half of the recipe, or make double and freeze half for later.

Pumpkin Filling

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (not pie filling)

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2/3 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup milk

4 large eggs

Combine pumpkin, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a large pot.  Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until thick and shiny, about 5minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in eggs.  Stir in milk and cream.  Pour into cooled pie crust and bake until filling is puffed and jiggles slightly when shaken, about 25 minutes.

Chocolate Espresso Semifreddo

This is another dessert that I’ve been dying to make, and I was finally able to make that happen recently.  I’ve never made a semifreddo before, and I really wanted to try it.  It’s similar to cheesecake, but instead of baking it, you cook everything first and then freeze it.  This looked like the perfect one to try because I really like the combination of chocolate and coffee.  This isn’t a difficult dessert to make, but you just need to be organized.  The only bad part is that it dirties a lot of dishes, but it’s worth it!  The filling was smooth and creamy, almost like mousse.  I used Kahlua in place of the espresso and the chocolate and coffee flavors complemented one another nicely. This was enjoyed by everyone when I served it and it was gone very quickly!  This would be a great dessert to serve at a dinner party because you can make it in advance and keep it in the freezer.  It also makes for such a pretty presentation.  If it were summer, I would have added some strawberries or raspberries, but I just went plain this time.

Chocolate Espresso Semifreddo
Source: adapted from Use Real Butter

1 3/4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 ounces Kahlua
4 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoons dark rum
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped fine
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 ounces heavy cream

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Mix cookie crumbs and butter together. Press crust into the springform pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven (turn oven off). When cool, line the sides of the pan with a 3-inch wide parchment strip along the inside edge.

Over a double boiler, whisk together the yolks and 2 tablespoons of th sugar until it is pale yellow and thick. It should ribbon. Lift whisk out of the bowl to incorporate air into the mixture. Add espresso, rum, and vanilla. Place over simmering water and cook, vigorously whisking until liquid coats the back of a spoon and the mixture is thick and foamy. Remove from heat and add the finely chopped chocolate. Stir until melted and continue stirring until cooled. In separate bowl, stir together the mascarpone and cream until soft and smooth. Do not overstir. Place egg whites and 1/3 cup sugar in kitchenaid mixing bowl. Gently whisk together over a simmering water bath until 145°F is reached. Remove from bath and set the bowl on the kitchenaid with the balloon whip attachment. Whip on medium high until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium and mix until the bowl is cool to the touch (cooler than your hand). Fold the mascarpone mixture into the chocolate mixture until there are no streaks left. Fold 1/4 of the meringue (sacrifice) into the chocolate-mascarpone mixture. Fold in the remaining meringue in three parts – don’t overmix or the volume will reduce!

Spread the mixture over the baked crust in the pan. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, loosen and remove the sides of the pan. Remove the parchment paper strip. Serve cold and cut slices with a warm, dry knife.

Turtle Cheesecake

I’ve been wanting to make this cheesecake forever, and I don’t know why I  waited so long!  The ingredients are on the pricey side, so I waited until a special occasion to try it.  My parents recently visited, and their birthdays are a few weeks apart, so we all got together to celebrate them together.  My mind immediately went to this dessert when I thought of what to make!  My family seriously loves cheesecake, so I knew this would be perfect.

I used chocolate crumbs from these cookies, and omitted the flour in the cheesecake filling (I didn’t notice a difference).  I also wanted to make my own caramel.  My favorite caramel is the one from Dorie’s book that I made for the Caramel-Peanut Topped Brownie Cake.  After making the caramel, I stirred in the pecans and poured it all over the cheesecake on the top of the chocolate topping.  This was one completely fabulous dessert, and one of my favorite cheesecakes!

Turtle Cheesecake
Source: adapted from Food Network via Amber’s Delectable Delights

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (recommended: Oreo)
• 1 cup sugar, plus 4 tablespoons
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 3 tablespoons
• 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus 1 cup melted
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, for topping
• 1 cup caramel, for topping (I made my own, recipe below)
• 1 cup pecans, for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly grease the bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, 4 tablespoons of sugar, and the melted butter and mix together well. Pour the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and press them out evenly. Once completed, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, the rest of the sugar, and vanilla. Beat together until light and creamy. Add the flour and blend until smooth. With the first cup of chocolate chips, fold into filling. Pour in a melted cup of the chocolate chips and sour cream and mix well. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing each at low speed. Pour the filling into prepared pan, bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the center is almost set. Let cake cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the sides and remove rim of the pan. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and pour in chocolate chips. Mix together on medium-low heat. Once chocolate and butter is combined, pour warm mixture onto chilled cake. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Pour slightly cooled caramel-pecan mixture over the top.

Homemade Caramel
Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

2 cups sugar
½ cup water
1 ½ tablespoons light corn syrup
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Put the sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, stir just to combine the ingredients and then put the pan over medium-high heat. Heat, without stirring , until the caramel turns deep amber., 5-10 minutes. Lower the heat a bit and, standing back from the saucepan add the cream and butter. When the spatters are less vehement, stir to calm down the caramel and dissolve any lumps.  Stir in pecans, cool for 3 to 5 minutes, and pour over cheesecake.

Nutella Ice Cream

I have been loving the Nutella lately, and I really wanted to make so Nutella ice cream.  I searched for some recipes online, and actually found a great recipe on a blog I’m already familiar with.  This was a simple ice cream with no egg yolks, and basically just required a blender.  It was completely delicious, and was just what I was looking for.  I like to have mix-ins with my ice cream, so I thought some leftover Nutella fudge would be perfect.  Talk about the perfect Nutella dessert!  There’s really not much else to say about this recipe except that it’s delicious and you should definitely try it!

Nutella Ice Cream
Source: Carrie’s Sweet Life

• 1 cup nutella
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 – 1/3 cups heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the Nutella and sugar until smooth. Add the milk. Blend on low speed until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and the vanilla.

Place in your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Place in container and freeze until proper consistency.

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

I’ve seen so many people make beautiful cookies with royal icing, and I’ve been wanting to practice my skills for a long time.  I always put it off, though, saying that I wouldn’t be good at it, it would take too much time, be too frustrating, etc., but this time I made myself do it with these cookies.  It made me realize that I will get better with practice, because these were much better than my first attempt, and I know I will get better with more practice.  Here are a few tips I learned after doing this a second time:

-Plan in advance what colors and designs you want to use.  Color the icing ahead of time so it’s all out and ready when you need it.  Be sure to cover your containers, because this stuff dries quickly!

-I used a pastry bag with a #3 tip for the outlining and piping details.

-For the flooding (filling in the outlines), you want your icing to be very, very thin.  The first time I did this, I thought it was thin enough, but it wasn’t.  It should be a good pouring consistency.

-Plastic squeeze bottles are very helpful for flooding.  After thinning the icing, I used a funnel to get the icing in the bottle.

These were pretty basic designs, but since I have built my confidence in cookie decorating  a little bit more, I’m planning on experimenting more with different designs for future holidays and other occasions.

I’m going to link back to my previous post for the royal icing recipe and instructions.  I would also recommend that sugar cookie recipe.  It’s so easy to work with and it makes great sugar cookies!

Dirt Cupcakes

I wanted to make one of my classes a treat for being so well-behaved.  In South Carolina, second year teachers have to go through an evaluation process to get our professional teaching license.  That means several unannounced observations throughout the year.  I had my first one recently, and my kids were so well behaved that I wanted to reward them with a treat.  (Luckily they are also well behaved all the time anyway!).  Since it was so close to Halloween, I wanted to make something appropriate for the occasion and something they would love (this is 7th grade).  I decided on dirt cupcakes.  It just came to me to make these, but since I’ve seen them before I can’t exactly take the credit- I think they’re a pretty commonly made kid treat.  They are very simple to make, and kids (and probably adults too!) will just love them!  My kids told me that I am their favorite teacher

Dirt Cupcakes

1 recipe chocolate cupcakes (I recommend these from Cook’s Illustrated or the Hershey’s one)
chocolate frosting
finely ground Oreo crumbs
gummy worms

Bake cupcakes as directed and cool.  Frost lightly with chocolate frosting.  Dip in Oreo crumbs, and then stick the gummy worm in the center of the cupcake.  Enjoy!

Cherry Fudge Brownie Torte

For the longest time, I never liked cherries, but I’m starting to come around a little bit.  This dessert  appeals to me more now than it would have a year or more ago.  It’s a pretty simple dessert, consisting of a brownie made in a springform pan and the topping.  Out of cheapness, I used cream cheese instead of mascarpone, and it was very delicious.  I also added some cherry jam to the topping for some extra flavor.  It also made the topping pink, which was an extra pretty touch   This was a great combination and the dessert was gone pretty quickly!  April has the recipe posted on her blog, and you can see everyone else’s creations on the TWD blog.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cake

Everyone knows that I’m a big fan of chocolate and peanut butter, and I was in the mood to bake with it one night.  I also wanted to try a chocolate-peanut butter frosting.  I’ve tried and loved a peanut butter frosting recipe, but I wanted to try a recipe where they were together.  I’ve had this cake bookmarked for a long time now, and I thought it would be the perfect cake to pair with this frosting.  This cake had a strong peanut butter flavor that was just right.  The peanut butter made it nice and moist.  The recipe says to use three 9×2-inch pans, but there is no way I could have put this batter into three pans.  I used 2 pans and the cake was still fairly thin.  If you want a thick three-layer cake, I would suggest doubling the recipe.  The cake came out just fine in two layers, though, so you can do it either way. The frosting was amazing.  It had the perfect balance between chocolate and peanut butter.   I will definitely be using this recipe again!  This was just what I was looking for!

Peanut Butter Peanut Butter Chip Cake
Source: Death By Chocolate Cake via Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

2 ounces unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup tightly packed brown sugar
3 ounces creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325F.

Grease two 9 x 1 1/2 inch pans.  Line your bottoms with parchment. Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Mix together brown sugar, peanut butter and butter for two minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and mix for another 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and mix for another minute.

Add half of the flour mixture and mix until incorporated about 20 seconds. Then add the sour cream, mixing again for 20 seconds. Gradually add the remaining flour mixture.  Add the hot water in a slow, steady stream and mix on low to combine, about 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and mix for another 10 seconds. Add the peanut butter chips and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Divide the cake batter into the prepared pans, spreading it evenly. Bake for about 22 minutes. If you have 4 inch diameter tart pans like I used, it takes the same amount of time to bake the cake, if not a few more minutes. Use a knife to see if it is done.

Frost tops and sides of cake with frosting.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
Source: adapted from CD Kitchen

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup cocoa
16 ounces powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:

Combine butter, milk, and cocoa in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth.

Apple Spice Cake

I love baking with apples, and think that they are really good in cakes.  The apples give the cake a lot of moisture and add a great depth of flavor, especially with spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.  Bon Appetit’s October 2009 issue had several apple desserts, and I knew this would be worth trying.  It’s funny how foods like apples, carrots, and zucchini are very nutritious on their own, but we like to make them less healthy by putting them in cake and adding cream cheese frosting to them   This was a truly wonderful cake.  It wasn’t too sweet, and the spices enhanced the flavor of the cake.  It got the extra touch of sweetness from the cream cheese frosting.  It also helped that the frosting was only in the layers and not all over the sides.  The original recipe just called for a two-layer cake, but I decided that it would make a much better presentation with four layers, so I split them, but still used the same amount of frosting.  I also used walnuts instead of pecans.  This cake was perfectly moist and flavorful, and was a big hit when I served it.  It’s the perfect cake for a fall get-together!

Apple Spice Cake
Source: Bon Appetit October 2009, also available on epicurious.com

Cake:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons bourbon, apple brandy, or rum (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 2 medium Fuji or Gala apples (13 to 14 ounces total), peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans (about 6 ounces)

Frosting:

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cups powdered sugar (measured, then sifted)
• Coarsely chopped toasted pecans (for garnish)

• Special equipment: 2 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides

• For cake:
  Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch high sides. Line bottom of each pan with parchment paper round. Whisk first 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then bourbon, if desired (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture to egg mixture in 3 additions alternately with applesauce in 2 additions, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in apples and pecans. Divide batter between cake pans; smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; peel off parchment paper. Place another rack atop 1 cake and invert again so that cake is rounded side up. Repeat with second cake. Cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap each cake in plastic and stoer at room temperature.
• For frosting:
  Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until frosting is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Using long serrated knife, trim off rounded tops of cakes to make level; brush off any loose crumbs. Transfer 1 cake to platter, trimmed side up. Drop half of frosting (about 11/2 cups) by spoonfuls atop cake. Spread frosting evenly to edges of cake. Top with second cake, trimmed side down. Drop remaining frosting by spoonfuls onto top of cake, leaving sides of cake plain. Spread frosting to top edges of cake, swirling and creating peaks, if desired. Sprinkle with pecans. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour to allow frosting to set slightly. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 2 hours before serving.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

I was thinking about a side dish for a Mexican meal one night and after looking at the ingredients in my pantry, I came up with this black bean and corn salad.  It has many of my favorite ingredients and flavors and they go so well together.  It’s just spicy enough and makes the perfect side dish.  If you don’t like things spicy, you could just substitute a can of regular tomatoes instead of the Rotel, but I really urge you to give the (mild) Rotel a chance!  This reminded me of how much I love black beans and corn together.  The spices gave it just the right amount of heat.  I let it simmer to thicken enough to use as a side dish, but I think this would also be good as a dip if you don’t cook it as much.  I also used it as a delicious filling for enchiladas.  This is a great multi-purpose dish for any occasion!

Black Bean and Corn Salad
Source: A Dinner & Dessert Original

Olive oil for sautéing

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves chopped fresh garlic

1 (15-ounce) can black beans with juices

1 (15-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can corn

2-3 teaspoons cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons lime juice

Sauté onion in olive oil until softened.  Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until thickened (less if you want to use it as a dip).