Entries tagged with 'pumpkin'
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[Photographs: Lucy Baker] As I've learned over the past month, you can make a pumpkin version of just about anything, including beer, whoopie pies, and chili. But what really compares to a perfect pumpkin muffin? Especially one that is warm and spicy and slathered with cream cheese? There are plenty of pumpkin muffin mixes on the market, as well as a host of mixes for pumpkin quick breads that can easily be baked in a muffin pan. But most of them leave me disappointed. Too often, they are one-dimensional in flavor—all pumpkin puree with no substance to back it up. I wanted a more satisfying muffin, one vaguely reminiscent of bran versions, with the nutty taste of whole-wheat and...
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Paula Deen was on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien last night, trying to show Conan, Andy, and guest Garry Shandling how to make pumpkin rolls from her new book, Paula Deen's Cookbook for the Lunch-Box Set. It was a mess of a performance, as the three boys tried to follow her frazzled directions (which included such orders as "grab your nuts!"). By the end of it, Conan was downing Kahlua straight from the bottle and Paula was chugging back whipped cream straight from the can. Watch the video, after the jump....
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"Even the dot was delicious!" Sprinkles, the wildly popular cupcake bakery that started in Beverly Hills, has been touted by many celebrities including Jon Stewart, Bobby Flay, and Oprah, and featured in countless publications (like Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and the Los Angeles Times.) While other cupcakeries, such as New York's Magnolia, stick to classic flavors like vanilla and devil's food, Sprinkles offers up more than twenty inventive varieties including chai latte, coconut marshmallow, and ginger lemon. Distinguished by their signature dots, these sweet little confections are arguably the most famous dessert in Hollywood. Recently, Williams-Sonoma paired up with Sprinkles to create a line of cupcake mixes, so even if you don't live in 90210 territory you can still...
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[Photographs: Robyn Lee] What exactly is a Pumpkin Smash? Something between a smoothie and a shake, this Jamba Juice creation rolls out every fall (until January) and reminds us that everything can be pumpkinified. Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts do the lattes, Dairy Queen does Blizzards, and I'm pretty sure I saw pumpkin shampoo at Bath & Body Works. Oversaturating the world with pumpkin products is generally fine with me. Too often these seasonal pumpkin products are not pumpkiny enough. But too often these seasonal pumpkin products are not pumpkiny enough, tasting more like the holiday-scented candles than actual pumpkins. Pumpkin-flavored posers suffer from being too sweet, not spiced enough, or just plain gross. Jamba Juice's Smash had potential....
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[Photo: Yummy Local] Pumpkin pie: fall standard. Apple pie: ditto. So why not apple pumpkin pie? Alice Summers from the food blog YummyLocal revives a recipe from an Emeril Lagasse Thanksgiving pie contest nearly ten years ago. Cinnamon-stewed apples form the pie's first layer, which gets smothered in a sweet pumpkin filling. It gets you thinking about pie's fall potential. Pumpkin-pecan? Pecan-cranberry? So many possibilities... Related Cook's Illustrated's Pumpkin Pie Crochet Your Own Pie Beret Deep Fried Pumpkin Pie Makes My Stomach Rumble with Glee...
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Photo: Lady_Fox Pumpkin, versatile and delicious, is one of the quintessential fall vegetables. A member of the genus Curcubita, pumpkin comes from the same family as gourds and squash. Characterized by a bold orange or yellow color, round shape, and thick skin, pumpkins make the perfect fall decoration, or their seeds can be used for snacking, and flesh as an ingredient in countless dishes. In the United States alone, 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin are produced each year, in crops that are planted in late July just in time for the fall harvest. I think it's safe to say Americans are pounding some serious pumpkin! Pumpkin recipes and tips, after the jump....
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[Photographs: Lucy Baker] Two weeks ago, I reviewed Maggie & Mary's Creamy Pumpkin Soup. It was so spicy and warming, I still thought about it long after slurping up the last spoonful. Squash-based soups make wonderful winter weeknight meals. Not only are they quick, satisfying, and healthy, they also chase the chill out of your bones faster than my mother chases my brother out of the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning. Last week I found myself unable to resist another batch of pumpkin soup. This time, I opted for Crate & Barrel's Pumpkin Chowder ($6.95). Unlike Maggie & Mary's soup (smooth and evenly textured) this one incorporates rice and chunks of vegetables....
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"Pumpkin pie in soup form? Should I sprinkle it with graham cracker crumbs instead of croutons?" [Photographs: Lucy Baker] Forget candy corn, fun-size Snickers bars, and caramel apples. What I really look forward to every October is the pumpkin. As soon as the leaves start turning, it seems like every coffee shop, craft brewery, and gourmet purveyor goes gourd-happy, offering up everything from lattes and ales to bundt cakes and whoopie pies flavored with the sunset-hued squash. Happily, for the next month I will be reviewing a host of festive foods that are easy to prepare at home using the season's best pumpkin mixes. Maggie & Mary's, a Minnesota-based specialty food company, has an inviting website, dotted with black-and-white snapshots...
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The season for pumpkin isn't over yet, so why not try this pumpkin cheesecake with a ginger-pecan crust from Muneeba of An Edible Symphony. Topped with raspberries and a generous dollop of whipped cream, it has "just the right amount of creaminess." Inspired by The Pioneer Woman, Muneeba's cheesecake is a snap to put together. All you need is a food processor or blender and a springform pan. There's also no waterbath—good news for those who are still scared to try the technique (i.e., me). It's alright, I'll get over my shame by diving into a slice of this pumpkin cheesecake....
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Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to remind you of how great you have it. In this instance, I'm talking about pumpkin. Aran of Cannelle et Vanille didn't grow up on pumpkin pie, but as soon as she moved to the States, she "immediately fell in love and to this day, pumpkin pie is [her] favorite part of the American holidays." An homage to the pie that stole her heart, these Pumpkin and Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches bookend fresh roasted pumpkin ice cream with sugary gingerbread squares. They prove that spin-offs can be as good as the original....
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