Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie with Dulce de Leche Walnut Streusel

Pumpkin pies are a staple at our house during this time of year.  I am not exaggerating when I say that the hubby could eat an entire pumpkin pie in one sitting!  I have my go to pumpkin pie recipe that we love....but I'm always on the look for something different.  I saw this Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie with a Dulce de Leche Walnut Streusel from Sprinkle Bakes.....I knew it would be the perfect grown-up dessert for our Thanksgiving dinner!

Let me say right off the bat......do not make this bad boy unless you are feeding a crowd......or some really hungry guys.  Because it is baked in a springform pan (and uses one of the large cans of pumpkins), this is a seriously huge dessert!

While the inside of this pie is a fairly standard pumpkin pie.....it's the topping on this bad boy that really makes it!  A crunchy walnut streusel that is then topped with ooey-gooey dulce de leche.  Yum yum!

Give this one a try the next time you've got some hungry mouths to feed.  Go to Sprinkle Bakes for the recipe.....and Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Turkeys

It's almost Thanksgiving!  Are you ready?  Me, well......no.  But at least I don't make the whole dinner......I'm just responsible for dessert.  So every year I usually bring something that's yummy for adults.....and something fun for the kiddos.  Since I'm a little behind this year, I thought I'd show some of the turkeys I've done over the last few years.....in case you're looking for some cute inspiration :)

First off are some Oreo and candy turkeys that I had seen over at Our Best Bites.  We used these as placecards on our kids table that year.

Next up are turkey cakepops.  I haven't made many cakepops lately....I've been making Oreo pops more often since they tend to be quicker to make.  But people sure do love cakepops!  I usually make red velvet cakepops......but with these turkeys I decided that it might be creepy if you bit into a turkey and it was red inside.  I ended up doing a yellow cake instead.  For the step-by-step instructions on how to make these, check out Bakerella.

Lastly we've got a combination of the first two.....Oreo turkey pops.  I used a combination of mini and regular Oreos for these, and still found them to be quicker to make than the cakepops.

So that's it!  Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!  

Apple Pie

This is another dessert that I brought to our Thanksgiving celebration this year.  When I make apple pie, I usually make a streusel-topped version, but this time I decided to try something different.  I ended up going with the Double Two-Apple Pie recipe from the Flour cookbook, by Joanne Chang.  As I've said before....I'm not a pie-crust-making person.....at least not yet......maybe 2012 will be the year that I conquer my fear of pie crust.  Instead, I used the pie crusts that Trader Joe's have in their freezer section.....they absolutely tast homemade to me!

I also didn't follow the recipe's directions on making a lattice-top for the pie.   I had been seeing a beautiful leaf-topped pie all over Pinterest, and decided I wanted to try that with my little cutters I got from Williams-Sonoma.  I busted out my little leaf cookie cutter and cut out about a million leaves and placed them over the top of the apples with a little water to help hold them together.  I finished with an egg wash and a sprinkle of sugar.  Here's a shot of the pie before it went into the oven.....

DOUBLE TWO-APPLE PIE

Adapted from: Joanne Chang, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe

1 box store-bought pie crust (2-pack) or your favorite recipe of Pate Brisee (you may need more than one pie crust for the leaves, depending on the cutout size)

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick

2 medium Macintosh or Rome apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons sanding sugar, pearl sugar, or granulated sugar

Roll out one of the pie crusts to fit a 9-inch pie pan.  Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pie pan, leaving a small lip at the edge of the pan.  Place the pie shell in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill the shell with pie weights or dried beans, and blind bake for about 30 minutes, until shell is a light brown.

In a medium bowl, combine the apples, brown sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon, toss until the apples are coated evenly.  Let this sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so that the apples soften (allows you to pack more of them into the pie).

When the pie shell is done baking, remove it from the oven, and take out the pie weights and parchment  paper.  Pile the apples into the shell, pressing them down to fit more in.

Roll out the other pie crust and using a leaf cookie cutter, start cutting out leaf shapes, as many as you can.  When you have cut all of the shapes out, start attaching them to the outer edge of the crust, dipping your finger in water as you go to help adhere them to the crust.  Continue attaching the leaf cut-outs, moving in concentric circles toward the middle of the pie.  Make sure that you leave small gaps here and there to let the steam escape.

Brush the top of the crust with the beaten egg, and then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, or until the pie is golden brown.  The apples should be soft and easy to piece with a small knife.  Let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before serving.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

The pie can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:

Turning the Table Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - I'm Lovin' It - Fusion Fridays - Fun Stuff Fridays - Sweets for a Saturday - Friday Food - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm....Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday -  T' Time - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Bake With Bizzy

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Our family had a terrific day down in Newport Beach with our extended family (all 38 of us!).  

I love these little monkeys!

The boys couldn't have had more fun.....although a fun day was pretty much guaranteed for them since there were 16 other kids to run around with (or do the trampoline with, which they did all day long).   Our sister-in-law did an amazing job with the tables, as usual, in spite of the fact that she had to move the tables inside because of the threat of rain (it ended up being a beautiful day).

My job this year, as usual, was to bring desserts......so I brought a bunch!  This year I brought a Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake, an Apple Pie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge, Oatmeal Milky Way Brownies, Graham Cracker Toffee Bark, and Oreo Turkey Pops.

The Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake is another recipe that I've had in my arsenal for a number of years, courtesy of Martha Stewart.  It's a great dessert to make for something like Thanksgiving, since you don't need a large slice of it....it is rich!  The only change I made this time around was in the crust.....instead of using graham cracker crumbs I used an equal amount of gingersnap crumbs.....just to give it an extra little zing.  I did notice that the flavor developed more when this got a chance to sit for a day or two, so it's a perfect make-ahead dessert!

BOURBON PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Source: Martha Stewart

For crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (or gingersnap crumbs)

1/2 cup pecans (1 3/4 oz.), finely chopped

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For filling:

1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

3 large eggs

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

For topping:

2 cups sour cream (20 oz.)

2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional)

Garnish: Pecan halves

Make crust:

Invert bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (to create a flat bottom, which will make it easier to remove cake from pan), then lock on side and butter pan.

Stir together crumbs, pecans, sugars, and butter in a bowl until combined well.  Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1/2 inch up side of pan, then chill crust 1 hour.

Make filling and bake cheesecake:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl until combined.

Stir together granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in a large bowl.  Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes.  Reduce speed to medium, then add pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour filling into crust, smoothing top, then put springform pan in a shallow baking pan (in case springform leaks).  Bake until center is just set, 50 to 60 minutes.  Transfer to a rack and cool 5 minutes.  Leave oven on.

Make topping:

Whisk together sour cream, sugar, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl, then spread on top of cheesecake and bake 5 minutes.

Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 3 hours.

Chill, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours.  Remove side of pan and bring to room temperature before serving.

Note: Baked cheesecake can be chilled, covered, up to 2 days.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm.....Dessert! - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - These Chicks Cooked - Link it up Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Turning the Table Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - I'm Lovin' It - Fusion Fridays

My Pumpkin Pie

I know everyone has been sharing their pumpkin pie recipes this month.....so I figured it was time to share mine! I've been making this pie for about 10 years now, and although I occasionally will stray and try different recipes (last year was Dorie Greenspan's Caramel Pumpkin Pie), I always come back to this one.

This recipe is basically Martha Stewart's pumpkin pie recipe.....with one change that was a fortunate mistake I made way back when.  You see, the ingredient list for the pie included heavy cream.  If you actually read through the directions, the heavy cream was to make whipped cream to top the pie with.  However, because all of the other ingredients in the pie just get dumped into a bowl and whisked together, I happened to include the heavy cream as well.  As soon as I had realized what I had done I was thinking of dumping out the bowl and starting over.  When I realized I didn't have any other cans of pumpkin, I decided to give this one a try.

I'm soooo glad I did, because I've made it this way ever since!  The heavy cream helps the pie get a sort of custard-y lightness and texture, as opposed to the denseness that some pumpkin pies get.  It may take just a bit longer to bake, because of the extra liquid.  The hubby absolutely loves this one.......I have to keep him from eating the whole thing!

Oh, and one last thing......I usually use a pie plate that doesn't have fluted edges like this one does, so that I can decorate the crust.  Since I couldn't decorate the crust this time I decided to separately bake some pie crust cutouts (the cutters are from Williams-Sonoma), and then add them to the pie after it had come out of the oven.  It's up to you whether you make your own pie crust, or use a store-bought.  I used one from Trader Joe's this time (they're in the freezer section), and it was definitely the best store-bought crust I've ever tasted!

PUMPKIN PIE
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 10-inch pie crust
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Fit the pie crust into pie pan; create the edge of your choice.  Using a fork, prick the dough all over.  Transfer to the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.

Add pumpkin to a large bowl.  Add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, eggs, evaporated milk, and heavy cream, and whisk until well combined; set aside.

Cut a circle of parchment paper or aluminum foil, and fit into the pie shell, extending above the edges.  Fill with dried beans, and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove parchment and beans, and bake 5 minutes more.  Remove pie crust from the oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Pour the filling into the pie crust.  Return the pie to the oven to bake until all but the center is set, about 50 minutes to an hour.  If the crust gets too dark, cover the edges with foil.  The filling will be slightly loose in the center but will firm up as it cools.  Place on a wire rack until completely cool.  Transfer to the refrigerator until well chilled, about 2 hours or overnight.  Serve the chilled pie with whipped cream.

Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
A Themed Baker's Sunday - Monday, Mmm....Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Full Plate Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - This Week's Cravings

Oreo Turkeys 2011

This past week I've posted some of the turkeys that I made for Thanksgiving last year, the turkey cakepops, and the Oreo turkeys.  I didn't feel like doing repeats this year, so I came up with a compromise and did Oreo turkey pops.

If you still need a primer on how to do Oreo pops, hop on over to How Does She?, and they'll give you all the basics.

To put these gobblers together you'll need:

Double Stuff Oreos
Mini Oreos
Harvest candy corn (or regular candy corn)
orange chips from a pack of Rainbow Candy Coated Chips
royal icing eyes (whatever size you want)
mini heart sprinkles
lollipop sticks
milk chocolate candy melts
dark chocolate candy melts
styrofoam blocks to place the pops in

First off, you're going to make the heads of these cute little guys.  Melt the milk chocolate candy melts in a microwave safe bowl.  Take a mini Oreo and dunk it in the melted chocolate and use a fork to scoop it out and shake off the excess.  Slide the mini Oreo off of the fork and onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper.

Add on the royal icing eyes, the orange chip for the beak, and the heart sprinkle turned upside down for the waddle.

Let the turkey heads cool and firm up as you move on to the body of the turkey (and the pop part).

Melt the dark chocolate candy melts in a microwave safe dish.  Line up your double stuff Oreos on a wax paper lined cookie sheets and separate the sides of the Oreos.  Take the end of a lollipop stick and dip about 1/2 inch to 1 inch in the melted chocolate then press down into the frosting of the Oreo.  Place the other half of the cookie back on top.

Once the chocolate inside the Oreo has cooled, dip the entire Oreo into the melted chocolate and gently shake off any excess.  Place the pop on the wax paper, and then carefully place one of the turkey heads in the middle of it.  Let cool and harden.

To add the candy corn feathers onto your turkeys, you'll want your dark chocolate candy melted but on the cool side, so that it will harden faster.  If the candy melts are rather warm, let it cool off a bit before proceeding.  Place a few of the pops in the styrofoam block, so that the pops are standing upright.  Break off the tip of the candy corn, so that there is a flat surface for them to stick to, and the dip the candy corn partially in the melted chocolate.  Place the candy corn on the top of the turkey in the groove where the frosting of the Oreo is, and hold till it begins to set.  If you do this when the candy melts are melted but not warm this will happen much faster.  Keep going till you're done.  I only did three candy corns per turkey because I am not patient.  If you are, then I think that five candy corns would look adorable!

Then all you'll need to do is pack these bad boys up!  I always bag them individually and then place in a basket, since we travel to our Thanksgiving celebration.

Have fun, have a very Happy Thanksgiving, and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Full Plate Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm.....Dessert!

Turkey Cakepops

Aren't these little turkeys cute?  I made these for last year's Thanksgiving, along with the Oreo Turkeys I posted earlier this week.

With so many kiddos at our Thanksgiving celebration (at last count there are 18 kiddos in our family celebration), I'm always trying to think of things that the kiddos will have fun eating.  I may have been overthinking this a little bit, but I ended up using a white cake mix with vanilla frosting for these cakepops, instead of my usual red velvet and cream cheese frosting.  I just wasn't sure the reaction I'd get if you bit into a turkey cakepop and it was red inside.....that seemed like it might be a little gross?

I sure do love the look of these guys....but I gotta say.....doing a project like this is time consuming!!  You definitely need to give yourself some time to put this together.....baking the cake, cooling the cake, crumbling the cake, mixing with frosting, rolling into balls, chilling the cakeballs, dipping into chocolate, then decorating and bagging.

To pack them up to take somewhere, I always use my trusty basket.  I put a couple of styrofoam blocks on the bottom, cover it with basket filler (that shredded paper stuff), and just start poking the turkeys in there.  Cakepops are definitely always a hit when you bring them somewhere, not to mention they are pretty cute decorations.

Check out Bakerella for all your cakepop tutorials......be creative....and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Sharing Sundays - Monday, Mmmmm.....Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Anything Goes Linky - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Pin'Inspiration Party - Thanksgiving Traditions - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Food - Fun Stuff Fridays - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - A Themed Baker's Sunday

Oreo Turkeys

Do you know what you're making for Thanksgiving yet?  We go to my brother-in-law's in Newport Beach every year, and I'm the dessert-bringer (big surprise, right?).  We've got a huge crowd there, so there's always tons of food.  I think I ended up bringing five different things last year.

One of the things I made last year were these Oreo and candy turkeys to use as placecards for the kid's table (there are around 18  kids at our Thanksgiving).  I made little toothpick flags with the kids'  names and poked that into the chocolate and placed them at the table.  Because I made these pretty late the night before Thanksgiving, I wasn't too concerned with making all the details perfect (Ugh, those feet!).....but you know what?  The kids loved them!  Oreos and candy glued together with chocolate?  What's not to love?

Do you want to give these a try?  Go to Our Best Bites for a fantastic step-by-step of how to put these together......Enjoy!

Now pardon me while I go try to figure out what I'm bring this year.......

This post is linked to:
These Chicks Cooked - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Fusion Fridays - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sharing Sundays - Monday, Mmmmm.....Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Thanksgiving Traditions - Link It Up Wednesday - A Themed Baker's Sunday