Pumpkin Souffle, a recipe to amaze

I have no time. School is crazy and I'm dying to be on the plane to Arizona. Each day seems to pass slower than the rest and although I'm very much enjoying my studies, work, the upcoming ugly sweater party, etc, I just want it to be 10 days from now!

I light of class and apprehension of moving and the holidays I haven't tried much more pumpkin creations so instead I'll leave you with the best pumpkin souffle recipe I have every found. The pumpkin flavor and spices are perfectly balanced AND you can make everything, put the souffle's well wrapped in the freezer and pop them out to bake anytime you have a craving (quite possibly one of the most delightful discoveries I've made while experimenting with a new recipe. Ever.)

enjoy!

Spiced-Pumpkin Soufflés with Bourbon Molasses Sauce

Serves 8

• Active time:25 min
• Start to finish:45 min

Gourmet, November 2008

Though these delicately spiced soufflés reach toward the skies, they capture the fragrant earthiness of pumpkin. Best of all, this airy alternative to pumpkin pie leaves you satisfied, not stuffed.

• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided, plus additional for coating ramekins
• 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin (from a 15-oz can, not pie filling)
• 10 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• Equipment:

  8 (6-oz) ramekins

• Garnish:

  confectioners sugar

• Accompaniments:

  bourbon molasses sauce; unsweetened whipped cream

• Whisk together milk, cornstarch, spices, and 1 Tbsp granulated sugar in a small heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking, then simmer, whisking, 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and whisk in pumpkin. Transfer to a large bowl and cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in lower third. Butter ramekins and coat with granulated sugar, knocking out excess, then put in a large shallow baking pan.
• Beat egg whites with salt in another large bowl using an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Add remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar a little at a time, beating, then beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Fold one third of whites into cooled pumpkin mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Divide mixture among ramekins, mounding it.
• Bake soufflés until puffed and golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve immediately.

Cooks’ notes:

• Pumpkin mixture (without egg whites) can be made 1 day ahead and chilled.
• Soufflés can be assembled 1 hour before baking and kept in freezer.
• Baked soufflés can be repuffed if necessary in a 400°F oven 10 to 12 minutes (serve quickly, as they will deflate a little faster the second time around).

A Lesson in Pumpkin Pie

With all this pumpkin tasting going on I thought it would be appropriate to share some recipes of mine for my most revered pumpkin creations. This first one is very dear to my heart in that I actually put it to the test by doing my own pumpkin pie throw down comparing fine cooking, bobby flay, bon appetit, and libby's pumpkin pie recipe. After all the pies were made an my team of judges placed their votes I ended up making my own recipe which I believe is the best pumpkin pie recipe to date.

So here is the recipe, perhaps it will make it's way to your family's table this holiday season.


Libby's on Left, Heavenly Pumpkin Pie on the Right

 The BEST Pumpkin Pie.

Filling:

15 oz pumpkin puree
½ c dark brown sugar
2 T granulated sugar
1 T corn syrup (or light molasses)
1 T flour
1 ½ t cinnamon
¾ t ginger
¼ t cloves
¾ t pumpkin pie spice
¼ t salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
½ vanilla bean split, seeds scraped (optional)

1 ¼ c heavy cream

Crust:

Pick your favorite recipe or go with the store bought kind. Crust is always a challenge for me so it's not fair for me to include a "best" crust recipe when I simply do not have one. Vodka and super chilled butter and butter/shortening combinations all seem to add something different but it really depends on your preference and effort you feel like putting in.

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. When mixed pour into a fine mesh sieve and strain (I swear this makes a difference and gives the pie an incredibly smooth texture that is reminiscent of flan and other ridiculously delicious custard desserts. Do not leave this part out, if you don't have a find mesh sieve then go get one, it's worth it.

Pour strained ingredients into pie crust and bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350-325 and bake for another 40-50 minutes until jiggling in the center is more like set Jell-O than liquid sloshing*. Let cool for 3-4 hours then dive in.

Notes:

*On bake time, custard pies will crack if over baked and should be taken out just before you think they're done, you know, like a good cookie should be. It will continue to bake a bit more and set up as it cools and it's nice to have a pretty pie. Other things I've found to help this are using a ceramic pie plate or a hot water bath and glass pie plate.

**The heavy cream can be part half and half or hearty milk but of course the cream is super rich and yummy. The spices can be flexible. If you don't have dark brown sugar, use molasses, if you do have dark brown sugar, use corn syrup.

time. to. CELEBRATE!

Thanksgiving is coming and what a time to be thankful! Life has been fraught with intensity the past week; I suppose for me that is about par for the course. We had six exams, some standard and other comprehensive for 10 week courses, with a pending week long break to follow and to say it was “stressful,” is a mild description.

With the potential for incredible turmoil it actually worked out quite well and ended up being a fabulous day. The last exam today went very well (similar to the previous five) and we all met up for breakfast afterwards. Breakfast was delicious, I’ll have to yelp the Canadian Honkers praises later, and the bloody mary was quite fitting for the wrap up of hematology. After breakfast I made it home to do some laundry and put my life back together and ended up having a lovely conversation with the folks at my leasing office, despite the shitty factor of neighbors, barking dogs, and sad excuses for air circulation and safety here, they are really quite wonderful.

Somewhere in there my friend called and said she would like to be my roommate which is a HUGE relief 1. Financially, and 2. To know that I will be living with such an incredible girl; she really is fantastic. So with laundry done, tests done and a roommate I headed out for some shopping! I bought some dishes at Kohl’s:

How cute are my new dishes?!

and caught up with an old friend I'm seeing for thanksgiving while I shopped. After that I swung by Apollo to visit with a friend and came home for some venison, vino, and du chocolate:


Hogue Cabernet Sauvignon and Godiva Peppermint Chocolate



and now I am indugling in these and enjoying some Bette Midler in That old Feeling.

Happy Friday and Happy Thanksgiving week.

I am thankful for:

1. friends who end up as roommates.
2. good exam grades
3. a job I love and now do not need.
4. pumpkin.
5. Houge winergy
6. Chocolate
7. Venison (oh my goodness, how have I not discovered the deliciousness of this meat before?!)
8. Break. and Friends.
9. and more :)

Review: Pumpkin Hershey's Kiss

The pumpkin sampling continues! This, I have to confess was not a legitimate commercial pumpkin tasting. I happened to be at the store and there was a demo booth with some samples and this happened to be one of them and I went for it. Nonetheless, I think it merits a review so possibly someone out there will know the answer that inevitable question that will arise this holiday season, “to buy the chocolate or not to buy the chocolate?”

(I’ll have you know that I left the store, and did not give into my dark chocolate craving. When I left I realized that I forgot something and had to go back to the store later; the chocolate craving struck again. This time I actually pulled the chocolate bar off the shelf, schlepped it around the store with me for all too long, and ended up leaving it “accidentally” on the counter while waiting at the register. Worst. Mistake. Ever.

The lesson: always. always buy the chocolate bar.)

That being said, I’ll introduce the next victim: Hershey's Pumpkin Kisses:

The kisses are not too bad. They have a much softer taste than I expected: creamy, smooth pumpkin, with a nonabrasive spice. It was not chocolate par-se, if anything it had more of a white chocolate thing going on which I don’t categorize with true, deep, dark, passionate, chocolate awesomeness that real chocolate is, but it was quite yummy. As far as my pumpkin tasting goes I think Hersey’s actually did a good job at capturing a harvest custard dessert in a solid foil wrapped candy form. It has the right texture, a suitable pumpkin flavor, and was not overwhelmed with inappropriate spice like so many other seasonal foodstuffs are these days. I did not necessarily want another one, but I also did not regret the sampling.

My recommendations for the kisses are if you purchase them, have one or two, put a few in a bowl for guest to snack on when they come over and know you will be able to resist most of the time. The rest of the bag could be used to make some incredible snickerdoodle blossoms.

mmm...mmm... gooooood...

P.S. who else cannot get enough cinnamon lately? holy moley.

Tuesday.

Review: Coldstone's Pumpkin Ice Cream

The commercial pumpkin product sampling continues. This week's victim: Coldstone Creamery's Pumpkin Ice Cream




Let me just go right out and say it. I love ice cream. and I love pumpkin. I my body needs them like it needs oxygen. Are you understanding my situation? Okay. Good.

So I dove on in and went with an incredible ice cream company to see how their harvest pumpkin creation of the season stacked up against the rest. I got the pumpkin ice cream on half and cinnamon on the other with graham cracker pie crust on top (this is similar to my Dairy Queen visit you might notice. Sometimes crunch is important). Overall the ice cream was not bad. It did live up to the Coldstone name and provide a lusciously smooth creamy texture and full depth of flavor. I was happy that I got the cinnamon along side as a sort of palate cleanser; cinnamon is an important antioxidant you know. The pumpkin flavor is not bad, I did notice an orange background that I do not believe is appropriate with pumpkin (harvest season, yes, pumpkin, no) and a certain attempt at spiciness that every franchise I stop by seems to be striving for and just not getting. After a few bites I found myself enjoying the tasts that included cinnamon in them more and the pumpkin less and less. In summary, Coldstone's pumpkin ice cream is in fact good ice cream; it is not, however, an quencher of true pumpkin satisfaction.

The highs:
- Darn Good ice cream: creamy, smooth, luscious. Oh lordy.
- The Cinnamon ice cream.

The lows:
- Keep trying Coldstone. Pumpkin means pumpkin. Not orange. Not spices.

Lastly, I do want to note that even though I was seeking out pumpkin in this endeavor and it did not meet my expectations, the cinnamon ice cream completely did and I would recommend it to anyone. Heck, get a pint and take it home. Have it with some apple pie and let your world be changed; or do this with it:


Here's a few recipes on foodgawker.

Review: McDonald's Pumkin Shake

Friday's Victim: McDonald's Pumpkin Pie Shake

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

Holy crap I had no idea McDonald's would be the one to capture the true essence of pumpkin in their milkshake but hot damn they sure as hell did it and did it well. I am not pro McDonald's in the same way I'm not crazy about WalMart; they both are huge corporations serving lazy, poor quality seeking individuals who just want to "get the job done," aside from the the occasional cheap craving for something completely void of nutritional, culinary, raw, epicurean, value. This shake, however, is phenomenal, and worth every bit of the McDonald's endorsement experience.

A photo for the curious:



So it's not the greatest picture but it does show the important features:

1. Layer of vanilla on the bottom. My constant complaint so far in all the "pumpkin" products is that there is too much of some non-characteristic pumpkin flavor (orange, spice, water, etc) and what they all lack is a creamy texture; this is mandatory in anything that claims to be pumpkin. The vanilla layer of this pumpkin shake completely satisfies this attribute and completes the creamy custard pumpkin goodness that is this shake.
2. The pumpkin layer. it's just what it needs to be: pumpkin. No more, no less. Just pumpkin.
3. Whipped cream. It's piled on, it's delicious, and it blends in perfectly.

So, my synopsis:

The highs:

• Everything. The whole shake is awesome. Pumpkin flavor is great, vanilla background gives it creamy, body and deliciousness, and doesn't disguise the pumpkin but rather enhances it. Oh my goodness it's yummy.
• It's the best pumpkin product I've had by far to this point.

The lows:

• If I had to pick one thing it would be the cherry on top. I'm not a big fan of maraschino cherries, in that I hate them, and they should just do some harvest spice goodness similar to DQ's blizzard and that would be perfect. The solution is to pass the cherry off to a friend and pretend like it never happened.

Good golly I think I want another...

Review: Pumpkin Spice Jell-O Pudding

before I get started... I GOT THE APARTMENT! (excuse the girl moment) EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now onto bigger matters, Tuesday's victim:



So I have a confession. I made this with soy milk and completely compromised the intention of Jell-O corporate's holiday abilities. In the word of Gilly, "sorry."

Nonetheless, the review:

The highs:

• It's pudding and it's instant. I love pudding. Instant gratification in this category is a good thing and gives this product a big step in the right direction.
• It also has good balance. I'd say it's a little heavy on the spice region and could do more pumpkin-ing but I'm learning that "pumpkin" and "pumpkin spice" are two very different things fulfilling two very different cravings.

The lows:

• This one, like the blizzard, also lacked in the creamy department. The saving grace is pudding easily and frequently comes with some kind of whipped topping and that takes this dessert/snack to a whole new level. I also am hesitent to put this in the low category since I made it with soy milk instead of whole.

Suggestions:

• Eat warm and with whipped cream.

Regrets:

• Why have I not made this before?!!

DQ Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Review

I think I'm going to embrace harvest season by reviewing everything commercial and pumpkin I can find so this will be somewhat of a string of posts. I'm going to start with Dairy Queen's Pumpkin Pie Blizzard because, well, it's on my way home and I have zero self control.

Today's victim:



High points:

• The spices on the whipped cream are perfect and awaken harvest within the soul.
• I ordered graham cracker crumbles on top. This was a good choice.

Low points:

• The flavor. It's like the unbaked pie but like an old can of Libby's was used. It's all over too watery, too spicy, and has an orange-like background that isn't very pleasant. Maybe it has something to do with the DQ - Orange Julius affiliation.
• They should redo their whipped cream at least for this drink. Being harvest seasonal only it wouldn't hurt to play on the thick custard background intended in pumpkin pie and bump up the whipped cream this time of year to something a bit heavier. Maybe Coldstone or Culvers could lend them a hand.

Something I'd rather have instead: Pumpkin Pie Breve. Find a coffee shop, make sure they have pumpkin pie (not pumpkin spice) syrup/sauce, and have them put it in a breve. You might as well be drinking a pie. Oh lordy, lordy. If you need a location, the first place I had this was Seattle's Best, but Dunn Bro's in the midwest and other small cafe's will have it. If you go to Starbucks you're SOL.

Until tomorrow, happy pumpkining :)

weighing on my mind

I want to get this apartment:

I already thought I had it, then thought I didn't. and now I think I have it again. It's more than I can afford but it's what I'm ready for. I want to afford and have nice things. This is something nice. I should have it.

I'm afraid to live on my own in a new town. I think I'll get lonely and cry. This is very possible. However, at the same time I really do enjoy my freedom and even tonight and today, I had a good time hanging out with friends and I'm happy to be home, with roommates out of town, on my couch on my own. Maybe this is a good change? I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this... I also am afraid that this is what I'll be always: alone.

I realized last week that I really enjoy who I'm becoming and I'm about ready to share that with someone else.

Other things:

- I broke my baking pact in lieu of friendship bread. I freaking love this stuff and I'm sharing most of it :) which I think friends are worth a slight detour :)

- I'm anxious and nervous to start work tomorrow. I think it will be really good to meet people outside of class but it always weighs on me a little when I think about how much time and energy making new friends can be.

- Christmas cannot come soon enough.

- This last week of school was really hard. I hit a wall, of sorts. Not a typical wall, but rather one more like a matress. made of Jell-O pudding. fashioned from apathy. I'm hoping that this break will give me time to explore the other things in life that energize and revive me. I'm so exhasted from dilligently studying every second... I just don't have much more left to give. It's time for a change of pace.

Take Home Lesson:

Life By Pintrest:

Today I...

got a job...

got locked out...

started looking for an apartment. again...

sweat at the gym. and running for the bus...

enjoyed fozen pizza...

avoided homework...

got a bad grade...

wanted to cry...

felt alone...

felt mad...

felt rushed...

watched Mean Girls...

and found myself searching for comfort in pintrest:

progress

I am not a very patient person. When things are changing and I'm aware of it, I want it to happen now. I know things take time, I know you can't force things into being because whatever is "supposed" to happen will if you just let it, but god is it terrible waiting.

I found out about a month ago that both of my roommates are moving out, leaving me with a $850 delapedated townhouse to pay for. Solo. Awesome how that is convenient for them and 100% shitty for me. Anyway, today was good progress. For a Monday I took a Chemistry test and felt pretty good about it, got an interview for a part time job at a sweet little coffee shop, and have a brand new apartment on hold for me.

Connie had a big day.

The comfort of having a plan, even if it means double rent payments, is just heavenly. I think I'm going to celebrate with a brownie :)

Note to self: always have brownies.



NOM. NOM. NOM.

I love...

Sometimes you learn the most about yourself and other just by seeing a simple list of likes and dislikes. Today has been a bit of a rough day and so I'm going to give you a list of things I like. So here you go, I appologize if most of them revolve around things that go in your mouth and tickle your tummy.

1. I love the way brownies smell when they infiltrate every molecule of air in the house.
2. I love being in a wine club.
3. I love Pike Place Market and the Seattle area in general - really you can't go wrong with the pacific north west.
4. I love Louis C.K.
5. I love and appreciate honesty; whether good or bad I think news is best when it's true.
6. I love thanksgiving.
7. I love my family.
8. I love fall, mostly for the flavors but oh goodness, peacoats, leaves, apple picking and crisp air in your lungs all have a place in my heart as well.
9. I love music.
10. I love dancing.
11. I love learning.
12. I love good coffee in the morning
13. I love contrast.
14. I love endorphins.
15. I love a good night's sleep.
16. I love the sunrise.

Ah... the list goes on. More on that later.

Final thought: when life gives you hell for no reason there is only one solution:



Make sure to have them at night when you go to bed after said bad day and for breakfast when you wake up the next morning.

New Beginnings

I'm committing to blogging beginning today. A little about myself: I'm in love with food and baking and love to see it change people's lives. I will blog about many things, life, love, ups and downs and no matter what my heart longs to be in the kitchen; there is not trouble too big that a brownie can't fix and most of the time, the brownies bring in a friend to share with. So with that, I've got some brownies about to come out of the oven and I hope you enjoy your stop in my life story through my food.