Create pumpkin desserts with a little twist for the holidays
Thanksgiving is coming up next week and for many people it’s
about sharing a comforting meal with family and friends. That’s
often the case with me, but in recent years it’s also become about
trying out new recipes. Some of them are favorites of former
coworkers such as a dressing with sausage, apples and pine nuts.
Another is a turkey smoked slowly with sprigs of rosemary. Other
recipes have come from Food Network, magazines or Web sites. Though
Thanksgiving is often about traditional favorites, I like to find a
new twist on the old classics. This year I will be trying a brined
and roasted turkey recipe courtesy of Alton Brown, as well as
Brown’s made-from-scratch green bean casserole. That means cream of
mushroom and onion strings not from a can, but made from fresh
ingredients.
Create pumpkin desserts with a little twist for the holidays
Thanksgiving is coming up next week and for many people it’s about sharing a comforting meal with family and friends. That’s often the case with me, but in recent years it’s also become about trying out new recipes. Some of them are favorites of former coworkers such as a dressing with sausage, apples and pine nuts. Another is a turkey smoked slowly with sprigs of rosemary. Other recipes have come from Food Network, magazines or Web sites. Though Thanksgiving is often about traditional favorites, I like to find a new twist on the old classics. This year I will be trying a brined and roasted turkey recipe courtesy of Alton Brown, as well as Brown’s made-from-scratch green bean casserole. That means cream of mushroom and onion strings not from a can, but made from fresh ingredients.
I already tried out a couple pumpkin recipes in the search for something that everyone in the house will enjoy. I think it might be un-American, but I’ll admit it. I don’t really like pumpkin pie. I’m not much of a pie fan in general, but there is something about pumpkin pie that makes it easy for me to resist at Thanksgiving every year and instead I go for a slice of cherry or apple pie. But other people in my family are very big fans of the Thanksgiving favorite so this year, I decided to look for some desserts that might please everyone at the table.
One of the recipes is for a low-fat dessert that swaps out some of the butter and oil in a cake for a can of pumpkin. The glazed chocolate-pumpkin bundt cake had a subtle pumpkin flavor and enough chocolate punch to make me like it. The other combines the sweet and creamy flavor of coconut milk for a pumpkin tart.
Enjoy a few new recipes this Thanksgiving or stick with the old traditional ones – just make sure to share them this holiday.
Glazed chocolate-pumpkin bundt cake
Recipes courtesy of www.eatingwell.com
1 c. all-purpose, flour
3/4 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
1 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, (not Dutch-process)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. nonfat buttermilk
1 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin puree
3/4 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. light corn syrup
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Glaze and garnish
1/2 c. packed confectioners’ sugar
1 tbsp. nonfat buttermilk
2 tbsp. mini chocolate chips, or toasted chopped nuts
To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup bundt pan with cooking spray.
Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.
Blend 1 cup buttermilk, pumpkin puree and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in whole egg and egg white. Stir in oil, corn syrup and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the rack, about 2 hours.
To glaze and garnish cake: Combine confectioners’ sugar and 1 tablespoon buttermilk in a small bowl, stirring until completely smooth. Place the cake on a serving plate and drizzle the glaze over the top; garnish with chocolate chips (or chopped nuts) while the glaze is still moist.
Pumpkin coconut tart
1 1/4 c. white whole-wheat flour
1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 tbsp. cold reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchâtel)
Filling
1 1/2 c. canned unseasoned pumpkin puree
3/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. dark rum
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
3 large eggs
1 c. “lite” coconut milk
Garnish
1/3 c. unsweetened coconut chips or flaked coconut, toasted (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 11-inch round or 8-by-12-inch rectangular removable-bottom tart pan with cooking spray.
To prepare crust: Combine flour, almonds, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely ground. Add butter one piece at a time, and then cream cheese by the tablespoonful, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan (it will be crumbly), spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides to form a crust.
Bake the crust until set but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
To prepare filling: Beat pumpkin, 3/4 cup sugar, rum, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in coconut milk. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and pour in the filling.
Bake the tart until the filling is just set (the center may still appear soft, but will become more solid as it cools), 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until chilled. Remove the pan sides before slicing. Garnish with coconut, if desired.
Melissa Flores will be spending Thanksgiving trying out new recipes on her family and friends, as well as feasting on traditional favorites. She can be reached at [email protected].
