Now, usually when I am making a pumpkin pie I stick with the Libby’s recipe. I know, I know…in a rut..but there is just not that much that can be improved there for a traditional pumpkin pie. This time, though, I wanted something that was sultry, and smooth, and sophisticated…sort of like the Libby’s recipe wrapped up in black leather, you know?

You have to start with a fresh pie pumpkin for this recipe. There is just no other way to do it. You are going to roast that pumpkin until the natural water in the flesh is mostly gone and it is dark, intense, and the very essence of pumpkin. I found that when I used pumpkin from that state the texture of the whole pie was different, still creamy but thicker and more like a ganache in texture, although not in taste of course!

Perfect with an espresso.

You are going to roast the pumpkin much like I showed you in the Pumpkin Smackdown post. Remove the seeds and as much of the stringy stuff as you can.  Instead of roasting it at the 375F recommended in that post you are going to bump the oven temp. up to 400F.  Place it on a cookie sheet flesh side up but don’t oil it. You want it to caramelize. Now, this is tricky, but you are going to roast it for about 2 hours, depending on the size of the pumpkin. You will have to check it often to make sure that it doesn’t go from caramelized to carbonized.

Take it out when it looks like this and let it cool.

Once it has cooled remove the blackened parts. Scoop the flesh into a …a….one of these (I can’t remember what it is called, this one was my mom’s and it is OLD)

You could probably use a food processor but the texture will be different. If you don’t have one of these unnamed old objects then mashing by hand would be your best bet.

The resulting pie is spicy and smooth, intensely sweet but not cloying. Give it a try; I think it would be amazing in small tarts.

Pumpkin Pie Noir

• 1 9 inch crust, unbaked
• 1 cup of roasted, caramelized, sieved pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbs bourbon
• 4 tbs unsalted butter, melted and allowed to brown to a dark brown
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon ( I used vietnamese)
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch of Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Candied ginger and confectioners sugar for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Add ingredients in order and beat well
3. Pour into pie crust and bake 15 minutes
4. Reduce the heat to 375 and continue to bake about 30 minutes or until pie tests done. A knife inserted just to the left of center should come out clean
5. Allow to cool and serve with candied ginger.

Serves 8-10

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

So…I don’t know if you realize this but we are in to November and that means that Thanksgiving is almost here for those of us in the US. I thought that from now until Thanksgiving I would concentrate on those things that you might want to serve Thanksgiving Day.

So…This week is desserts week. Starting with dessert only makes sense. I seriously plan my dessert menu first in any situation. Not only will there be recipes for desserts but I will be doing a lot of extra linking to desserts that I have seen around the Internet.

What’s up? Well….I am not sure about everything…but you will be getting the recipe for the Whiskey Sour cake (pictured above)  that Kelly at Evil Shenanigans just about dared me to make… We’ll be doing pumpkin pie, and some other desserts, both classics and new.

Like dessert? Hang around this week and see what’s cookin’!

image:MaryeAudet

Post from: Baking Delights

O.k…I know, Saturday blogsurfing hasn’t been happening.  I miss it.  You miss it.  My schedule is packed tighter than a Pork Terrine right now. Seriously.

But, better late than never, right?

I have been hungry for sweets as you will be able to tell when you check out these amazing posts.  Sorry for the lack of commentary.

Orange Pudding Cake (Cookerati ) I have made a lemon version, and a chocolate version..but I haven’t had an orange version in eons decades a long time.  I am imagining this made iwth clementines or blood oranges.

Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Dipped Strawberries (Abby Sweets) And the award for best use of cheesecake goes to…..

Cherry Crumb Cream Cheese Bars (Bunny’s Warm Oven)  Run, don’t walk.  Oh yum.

If you haven’t taken a look at the Baking Delights Flickr group lately you really should!  And while you are there, join us! Amazing photography.  Everyone else does a pretty good job too.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Champagne Frosting (Creative Confectionary)  Chocolate? Champagne? I am so there.

Oreo Crunch Brownies (Eat Me Delicious)  You know those days where the whole thing stinks and you just want to go home, grab something good, a movie like Princess Bride, and veg? Well, here’s the good thing to grab.  Just slap a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream on it.

Cinnamon Espresso Cake (Vanilla Sugar)  This is what I want for breakfast tomorrow.

Warm Cream Cheese Snickerdoodle Tart (Peabody) Wow.  Peabody’s stuff is always amazing.  This is a step beyond that…

Simply Adorable Lemon Cupcakes ( Kitchen Wench)  These really are seriously (and simply) adorable.  Check out the marziapn bees.

Artisan Sweets is a new discovery for me, although I am sure everyone else knew about it…anything on this blog, anything…just pick one.

That’s it, folks.

Image:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I like tea cakes.  They aren’t too sweet, they aren’t hard to make, and they aren’t impressive, they are just comfortable to have around.

Sort of like reading a book that does not challenge you in the least but satisfies you deep inside, you know?

Tea cakes.  A really good tea cake should look nice enough to put on a tea table but be plain enough that you can serve leftovers for breakfast next to some eggs and bacon.  Right?

This one will do it.

I made this with the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter baking sticks I was reviewing.  You can use those or you can certainly use real unsalted butter.

This cake is not too sweet, with a subtle lemon and Earl Grey flavor.  Really nice for tea or with breakfast, or a snack, or even dessert with maybe some fruit.  It goes together easily, keeps for a long time, and makes the house smell nice.

Can you really ask for more than that?

The original recipe is out of a very old cookbook that I have.  It is based on a recipe called Thrifty Poundcake, from the 1930s.  I changed ingredients and flavors but it is still thrifty, and still really good.

Earl Grey Tea Cake

• 3 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter baking sticks  (1 cup)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup Earl Grey tea
• Juice of 1 lemon
• zest of 1 lemon

1. Sift dry ingredients together, stir in lemon peel
2. Cream butter with sugar and vanilla until fluffy.  Add eggs and beat well.
3. Mix tea and lemon juice
4. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternatingly with tea mixture.  Beat well after each addition.
5. Grease a bundt pan and flour it.  Pour in batter
6. Bake at 350 for 1 hour
7. Cool for five minutes and then turn pan upside down
8. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar or glaze with lemon glaze

Lemon Glaze

• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• Enough confectioner’s to make a thick glaze

Mix together and drizzle over cake.  Grate lemon zest over top.

As you can see I tend to glaze mine and then sprinkle with a little confectioner’s from a shaker.  It just looks prettier that way!

Images:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

The Sees Candy Giveaway is going to be this weekend.  Our family got hit by a major bout of stomach virus..hitting each of us one at a time.  Needless ot say I haven’t felt much like dealing with candy.

Anyway.  A rep for Pillsbury contacted me and wants to sponsor a giveaway of two Pillsbury classic brownie mixes.  There will be two winners chosen.

Now here is the cool thing.  From now until Decembe 31 Pillsbury is sponsoring a Make America Sweeter contest. Here is the information I recieved:

1. Submit an essay on how you make America sweeter with Pillsbury baking products (Cake, Brownies, Quick Bread, Frostings, or Flours) – like bringing treats to seniors or hosting a bake sale at your house of worship
2. Include a photo or short video illustrating your sweet gesture
3. Entries can be submitted online at www.pillsburybaking.com/campaign or by mail to Pillsbury Make America Sweeter Contest, P.O. Box 8501, Prospect Hts., IL 60070.

That is so cool! Oh..the prize??  What is the prize you ask? Check this out!

The winner will receive a $5,000 kitchen makeover and runners-up will receive products from KitchenAid® and Pillsbury.  Plus, a $5,000 donation will be made to Feeding America^TM to help end hunger in the country.

How cool is that?

But that’s not all! Anyone who enters the contest and publishes the image they entered to Baking Delights FLickr group with the photo labeled Pillsbury contest will ALSO be entered in a drawing to win a 25.00 Gift Certificate to their choice of Amazon.com or Cooks.com.

How is that? Like it?

Here’s what you do.

For the brownie mix: (each separate thing is one entry, leave it in a separate comment)

• Leave a comment between now and Saturday at 11:59 p.m.
• Blog the contest linking to this page
• Check out the recipes at Pillsbury and leave a comment telling me the one you think you would like to try.

For the $25 gift cetificate:

• Post the image that you entered to Pillsbury’s contest on Baking Delights FLickr group
• Leave a comment here telling me that you did by January 5, 2009

OR,

• post a image of what you made with the Pillsbury Brownie Mix
• Leave a comment here that you posted it by January 5, 2009

So…get ready…get set….GO!

images:Pillsbury, used by permission

Post from: Baking Delights

Ready?

Let’s go…

Recipe Girl:Pumpkin Dulce de Leche Pie

Culinary Concoctions by Peabidy: Mini Pumpkin Turtle Cheesecakes

Abby Sweets:Pumpkin Creme Brulee

(are you seeing a pattern here?)

Bunny’s Warm Oven: Chipotle Rice Casserole (grin)

Elle’s New England Kitchen:Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies

Picky Palate:Milky Way Cookies…(did she know they were my favorite candy?)

Cafe LynnyLu:Espresso Caramels

Engineer Baker:Apple Spice Mini Cakes

Now, y’all know there is nothing that I like better than a really adorable cake.  Right?

Glass Slipper Cakery: Cheese and Wine Cake

Courtney and I share a comfort food…. Coco Cooks:Spiced Apples

Don;t forget about the flickr group for Baking Delights!  Also..don’t forget to check back on monday to find out the details of the big Hershey’s giveaway..

have a great weekend!

Image:Brie….(c) Marye Audet 

Post from: Baking Delights

I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is a mere two weeks away. It is going to be fun this year because Erin and Jon (my daughter and son in law) and their kids will be here this year…but sad too, because Chris will be in Iraq still.  You  gotta feel sorry for the boy, here I am writing a food blog, publishing a cookbook…and the only thing I have sent him is colloidal silver, echinacea, and other herbs and natural medicines…LOL!

What is that quote about the cobbler’s kids not having shoes?

Anyway I did several Thanksgiving posts last year that you might find helpful.

1. Pictorial guide on preparing a turkey
2. Sage Stuffing
3. Anise and Vanilla Carrots
4. Make Ahead Sweet Potatoes
5. Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios
6. Roast Beets Turnips and Onions
7. Make-ahead Dinner Rolls
8. 25 Best Thanksgiving Pie Recipes, Ever
9. Pumpkin Crisp (kids can make this one)
10. Thanksgiving Foods Kids can Make

Here are several Thanksgiving Menus (including a vegetarian one) that I put together.

image:maryeaudet

Post from: Baking Delights

I had no idea what to name these.  First, I thought that peanut butter and jelly bars would be good, but that did not describe the copious amounts of chocolate in these…Peanut butter chocolate bars did not hint at the unrestrained use of Hershey’s Dark chocolate pieces filled with raspberry…So…Name them what ever you like…just try them.

Here is the deal…Moist peanut butter bars sweetened with brown sugar …mini peanut butter cups, raspberry filled dark chocolate, semi sweet chunks and bittersweet chunks folded in…..Spread carefully in a 9 x 13 inch pan to make sure that the squares were generous…topped with more peanut butter cups, raspberry filled chocolate, and chocolate chunks…Baked to perfection…served warm…perhaps with a dollop of vanilla ice cream?

These are for those days when you need an extra five thousand calories in your diet.  Go for it.

Peanut Butter and Everything Else Bars

13x 9 inch pan

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup butter, unsalted
• 2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed (I use light brown sugar)
• 4 eggs
• 3 tablespoons vanilla
• 1 1/4 c peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 6 ozs bittersweet chunks
• 6 oz semi sweet chunks
• 1/2 cup mini peanut butter cups
• 1/2 cup raspberry filled dark chocolate pieces

For topping:

• 1 cup mini peanut butter cups
• 1 cup raspberry filled dark chocolate pieces
• 1/2 cup semi sweet chunks
• 1/2 cup  bittersweet chunks
• 1 cup peanuts if desired

Preheat oven to 350

1. Mix butter and oil until creamy.
2. Add sugar and beat for 3 minutes until smooth.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
4. Beat in vanilla and peanut butter.
5. Mix baking soda and flour and stir in.
6. Fold in chocolate.
7. Spoon into greased 13 x 9 inch pan, smoothing top.
8. Sprinkle liberally with topping ingredients.
9. Bake for 35 minutes or until done.
10. Cool for 20 minutes before cutting in squares.

Image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I looked at the calendar and I was amazed.

Oh my gosh! It will be Thanksgiving  in about a month!  I am usually so prepared but this year has absolutely been insane!

So, have you begun to plan your Thanksgiving menu yet? If not we better get started!

Just wanted to remind you about some Thanksgiving-friendly posts from last year that may help…

Step By StepGuide to Preparing a Turkey has pictures for every step! I worked with the bird with one hand and took pictures with the other!

25 Best Pies for Thanksgiving need I say more?

Cooking with Kids-Cranberry Sauce

10 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes that Kids can Make

Make Ahead Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

Make Ahead Bourbon Spiced Sweet Potatoes

Sauteed Lemon Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios

There are others on site…but these are some of the best, I think, for a tradtional Thanksgiving with a gourmet twist.

image:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Sopapillas are wonderful, there is just no other way to say it…Hollow squares of fried dough, dusted with sugar, and served with honey to pour in the hollow middle part.  Every bite is sweet, and sticky, messy and incredible.

You have to serve them hot.  And you HAVE to eat all of them at that meal. You can’t save any for later.  Why? Because cold sopapillas are as disgusting as the fresh ones are good. Just. Don’t. Go. There.

Here in Texas they are often served as the dessert at the small Mom and Pop Mexican restaurants.  They are perfect because they are simple, inexpensive, and actually quite filling.  Did I mention delicious? Did I mention my addiction to them?

When you drop them in the fryer be sure not to crowd them and only do about 2 or 3 at a time depending on the size.  As soon as the float to the top start spooning the hot oil over them to make them puff even more.  Turn them once and take them out of the oil when they are golden.

Sopapillas

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and shortening until it is crumbly. Stir in water and  mix until the dough is smooth.

Cover and let stand for 20 minutes for the gluten to relax.  Meanwhile heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.

Roll out on floured board 1/8  thick. Cut into large-ish squares. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain.  Dust with confectioner’s sugar or granulated sugar and serve hot with honey to pour in the hollow centers.

Image:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights