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Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice

partysugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:50:09 -0800

For years I thought pumpkin pie spice was a special spice - only recently did I realize it's actually a spice blend. And, like any spice blend, be it herbs de Provence or a rub for barbecue, pumpkin pie spice is easy to make. Why waste a couple of bucks buying it when you already have the ingredients in your pantry?! All you have to do is stir together ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg and voila! You can use it throughout the holiday season. To get the simple recipe, keep reading.

What is Pumpkin Pie Spice?

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:56:52 -0800

Many holiday inspired baked goods, including this Pumpkin Pie Cake call for pumpkin-pie spice, but what does that mean?

Pumpkin-pie spice is a spice that is sold in many grocery stores. You'll find it in the spice aisle between Paprika and Rosemary. However, instead of rushing out and buying a specialized spice blend, why not make your own? It's a simple spice blend that is generally made from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice - and the best part is that you can customize it to suit your tastes!

Here's my favorite blend, although sometimes I add a pinch of clove.

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice

Come Party With Me: My First Thanksgiving - Menu (Part 2)

partysugar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:15:33 -0700

After a classic Thanksgiving meal, offer guests two delicious dessert options. The best thing about dessert dishes is that they can usually be made in advance. Instead of serving a pie, make a pumpkin spice roll cake with cream cheese filling. Get help from the store and use a box cake mix; no one will know the difference. Make a black bottom chocolate pie for those guests who want a more decadent dessert. To save time, purchase a chocolate cookie crumb crust when making this pie. To look at the recipes for these delicious desserts, read more

Pumpkin Spice Roll Cake
Modified from Diana's Desserts

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (4-serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding & pie filling mix
1 cup canned 100% pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup chopped walnuts
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups cool whip vanilla whipped topping, thawed (1/2 of 8-oz. tub)
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Sprinkle clean towel with 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar.
Place cake mix, dry pudding mix, pumpkin, oil, 1/2 cup water, eggs and spice in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened. Beat on medium speed 4 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 15x10x1-inch baking pan, lined with wax paper.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately invert cake onto towel; remove pan. Carefully peel off paper. Starting at one of the short sides, roll up cake and towel together. Cool completely on wire rack.
Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add whipped topping; mix well.
Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar just before serving.

Serves 10.

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Black Bottom Chocolate Pie
From Bon Appetit magazine

Filling
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks
2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Chocolate cookie crumb crust
Topping
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon dark rum
Chocolate curls

For Filling: Whisk first 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Whisk in egg yolks to form thick paste.
Gradually whisk in milk, then cream. Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in rum and vanilla. Cool 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Transfer filling to frozen crust. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
For Topping: beat first 3 ingredients in large bowl until firm peaks form. Spoon whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe rosettes around edge of pie. Garnish with chocolate curls. (Can be made 4 hours ahead; chill.)

Serves 8.

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Know Your Ingredients: Solid Pack Pumpkin

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:00:10 -0800

Recently, a co-worker came to me with a number of questions about canned, solid pack pumpkin: Is it sweetened? Does it have spices in it? What is it used for?

Well, Alexis - and anyone else curious to know - here's the answer you've been waiting for. Solid pack pumpkin is exactly that: just pumpkin, and nothing else (despite the misleading pumpkin pie that is often on the label). It's sometimes called pumpkin purée or "100% pure pumpkin" to distinguish it from the similarly named canned pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and spices.

Although you can make it yourself, buying solid pack pumpkin - which is free of preservatives - saves you the effort of seeding, roasting, scooping, and blending pumpkin flesh until smooth. The purée can be used as a time-saving measure when making pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin soup.

Have you ever bought solid pack pumpkin? What did you use it for?

Happy Hour: Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale

YumSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:15:11 -0700

These days, my street isn't the only thing covered with pumpkins; so is my kitchen. I've been using the gourds in everything from moist pumpkin bread to chicken pumpkin stew, and so I decided it was high time I enjoyed it in ale form, too. Although it's believed early American icons like George Washington and Ben Franklin enjoyed pumpkin ales, one Bay Area craft brewhouse, Buffalo Bill's, brought the beer back into vogue when it became known for its special blend in the 1980s.The whisky-colored amber ale ($7.99 for six), which is brewed with fresh roasted pumpkins and malted barley, possesses only a delicate squash flavor, but has lingering pumpkin pie spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg that become more prominent as the beer warms. Because it doesn't have a malty flavor or the bitter taste of hops, Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin a great find for people who aren't that into traditional beer. What's your favorite Fall ale?

Come Party With Me: All Hallow's Eve - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:15:05 -0700

So you've just decided to host a Halloween party and you've got no time to plan. No matter. On Saturday afternoon, before you put on your costume, you can throw together some festive yet uncomplicated snacks and make these cupcakes. Shhh, don't tell anyone: the recipe uses a boxed yellow cake mix, meaning these mini cakes will be ready to bake in minutes. The addition of pumpkin pie spice and canned pumpkin puree, in combination with the smooth cream cheese frosting, will fool your guests into thinking you slaved for hours on these cupcakes. Garnish with a single piece of candy corn and get ready to celebrate! To check out the easy recipe, read more.

Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
From Real Simple

Ingredients

1 18.5-ounce box yellow cake mix (plus the ingredients called for in the package directions)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
2 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
24 pieces candy corn

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
Prepare the cake mix as directed but with the following change: Add the pumpkin pie spice and substitute the can of pumpkin puree for the water called for in the package directions.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Spread on the cupcakes and top each with a piece of candy corn.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

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Thanksgiving Tip: Stock Up Early

YumSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:00:46 -0800

If you're hosting Thanksgiving at your house, then hopefully you've started planning your menu. Once you've decided on the menu lineup, don't wait to stock up on seasonal essentials. Three days before, shop for herbs, spices, seasonings, and other specialty Thanksgiving ingredients, as they'll be the first to go out of stock at the store. These include items such as:

Fresh cranberries
Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and sage

To see other items I suggest stockpiling, read more.

Canned pumpkin and cranberry
Mixes for stuffing, cornbread, and mashed potatoes
Spices such as pumpkin pie spice, allspice, and cumin

One Thanksgiving, I waited until the last minute to obtain ingredients, and I visited three supermarkets before locating fresh thyme! Taking inventory on these items early guarantees that you'll have one less thing to worry about amidst the chaos of preparing the meal. What ingredients do you plan to shop for ahead of time?

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Pumpkin Cake Two Ways - Beginner & Expert

partysugar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:21:59 -0700

I didn't realize the importance of having an excellent pumpkin cake recipe until last year. I had to make a dessert for a potluck, and was told it couldn't be a pie or cheesecake. The solution to my problem was a delicious pumpkin spice layer cake with whipped cream cheese frosting. If you enjoy baking for the holidays, you must add a pumpkin cake to your arsenal of recipes. It's a surprising alternative to pumpkin pie and perfectly highlights the flavors of Fall. While I prefer to make the cake from scratch, you can always jazz up a boxed mix and call it your own. To take a look at two tasty recipes, read more

Beginner Pumpkin Cake
From Kraft Foods

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) cool whip whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
Beat cake mix, 1 cup of the pumpkin, the milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. of the pumpkin pie spice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour evenly into prepared pans.
Bake 28 to 30 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and remaining 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Stir in the whipped topping.
Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife. Stack layers on serving plate, spreading the cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top of cake.)
Drizzle cake with caramel topping just before serving; sprinkle with the pecans. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

Serves 16.

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Expert Pumpkin Cake
From Silvana Nardone

3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups pecans (about 8 ounces)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups packed brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup milk
Grated zest of 1 orange
One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
3 cups heavy cream, chilled
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Butter two 8-by- 2-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Flour the pans.
In a large skillet, melt 2 cups granulated sugar over medium-high heat until light amber, about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the pecans and quickly stir to coat. Transfer the pecans to the prepared baking sheet and, using a metal spatula, spread in a single layer to cool completely. Place the praline in a sturdy resealable plastic bag and crush into pieces; set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined.
Beat in the flour mixture in 3 parts alternately with the milk and orange zest on low speed until just combined. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer the cake layers to a rack to cool, about 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans, invert and peel off the parchment paper. Let the cakes cool completely on the rack, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the frosting. Using a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. On low speed, gradually beat in the remaining 1 1/2 cups brown sugar and the vanilla until stiff peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble the cake: halve each cake layer horizontally with a serrated knife. Place 1 cake layer on a platter. Spread the whipped cream frosting on top about 1/4 inch thick; sprinkle with about 1/2 cup crushed pecan praline. Repeat with three more layers, saving enough frosting for the cake sides and reserving the last layer of praline. Spread the remaining frosting evenly on the sides of the cake and sprinkle the reserved pecan praline on top.
Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serves 16.

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Say Farewell to Pumpkin Pie

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 11:13:12 -0800

A few years ago I was looking for an alternative to my family's standard pumpkin pie with Thanksgiving. After searching through piles of recipes I came across this beautiful looking cake in an issue of Cooking Light. It ended up being a perfect blend of delicious pumpkin pie spices and moist cake texture. Although I orginally made it for Thanksgiving, it has since become my favorite cake to bring to parties all holiday season long. Besides, I found it in Cooking Light, so that means I can eat more, right?! For the recipe, read more

Pumpkin Pie Cake
from Cooking Light

Cake:
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Orange slices (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Dust pans evenly with 2 tablespoons flour.

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until well blended. Add egg substitute and eggs; beat until well blended. Add pumpkin, beating until blended.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cake from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until blended (do not overbeat). Add juice, stirring until blended.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over layer, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top of cake. Sprinkle with pecans, and garnish with orange slices, if desired.

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Around the World in One Thanksgiving

YumSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:01:38 -0800

Growing up in a multiracial house, Thanksgiving was a smorgasbord of flavors. We had classic stuffing along with piles of rice and stir-fried vegetables. Although Thanksgiving does often mean a great, big Turkey with all the fixings, for some it means a marriage of those classics with their heritage.

Recently, New York Magazine asked several of New York's top ethnic chefs to create globalized yet traditional Thanksgiving menus. Each chef took the classics - turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green beans or Brussels sprouts, and pumpkin pie - and reinvented them to suit their culinary culture. The result was five delicious sounding menus: Mexican (Aarón Sánchez), French (Laurent Tourondel), Italian (Fabio Trabocchi), Chinese (Joe Ng), and African (Marcus Samuelsson). If you're looking for a way to spice up your Thanksgiving, you could try one of these menus, or mix and match to create your own.

I'm personally hoping to try something off of each one, but am probably going to have to start with the Lemongrass Turkey Rolls, the Pumpkin Mash, or the Potato-Gnocchi Gratin. How about you, where would you begin? Which menu sounds the best to you?

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