Thanksgiving pumpkin desserts part two: pumpkin bread pudding
I’ve been digging through all the pumpkin dessert recipes out there so you don’t have to! This is the second in my series of posts about pumpkin desserts, the first being about pumpkin cheesecake. In this installment, I want to turn my attention to one of my favorite desserts of all time (whether or not it’s made with pumpkin): bread pudding.
I love, love, love, love, love bread pudding. There is something so rustic and soul-warming about it. It’s the perfect texture due to the combination of bread and custard. Aside from that, it’s incredibly versatile. If you’re a chocoholic you can add chocolate chips, chunks, or sauce. If you love fruit, you can add just about any type of berry, bananas, apples, or anything else. Of course, if you just like bread pudding, there’s the great standby recipe.
Thanksgiving pumpkin desserts part one: pumpkin cheesecake
Thanksgiving is coming, and along with the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and cranberry sauce it also means pumpkin desserts! Yes, I usually eat so much at the main meal that I swear I won’t have dessert. If we’re being honest here, I’d much rather have another helping of stuffing over dessert, but at the end of the day, if Thanksgiving is about anything, it’s about gluttony (oh, and giving thanks), so there’s always room for dessert.
Every year I bring a pumpkin dessert to the festivities, because I know it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without something spicy and pumpkin-y to end the meal. Well, the first part of the meal, anyway, because later in the evening, the first round of sandwiches come out. In any case, I’ve tried to remain somewhat creative in my choices for dessert, avoiding the traditional pumpkin pie, and opting for something a little less obvious. Because of this, I’ve browsed through many recipes, and I want to share some of the ones I’ve tried and some of the ones I’ve wanted to try in a series of posts. This first entry focuses on pumpkin cheesecake!
Garlic soup, mushroom quiche, apple tart – It’s a Recipe Roundup luncheon menu!
Entertaining midday is a luxury many working folk don’t get on a regular basis, unless you throw a weekend luncheon. But I’m telling you, this is one of my favorite ways to enjoy good food and a small group of cherished friends or family. From the show-off-the-new-house-to-the-aunties luncheon, to the I-don’t see-my-girlfriends-enough-anymore luncheon, there is always an occasion to have someone — anyone! — over to enjoy some savory lunch fare. I admit, I got out of the habit when Owen came along, complete with midday naps that squashed the happy luncheon party.
My love for the luncheon has ironically come back in recent months, and I have to give all of the credit to Owen. Our local moms’ group has gotten into the habit of throwing a monthly pot luck lunch, and damn, we are having fun! The kids are old enough that they play well together and we can chat and visit and enjoy the recipes that turn up every month. And dare I say you might, on occasion, find some wine at our buffet?
If you love lunch as much as I do, I hope you’ll enjoy this luncheon menu I put together from some favorite recipes that crossed my path recently.
Could this chocolate truffle cake be any good?
I’m curious, I really am. This recipe for chocolate truffle cake is low-fat and has absolutely no butter in it. Really, the only fat comes from the low-fat milk in the recipe.
This is a problem for me on so many levels. First of all, I embrace fat in my diet. Butter? I’m all for it (as long as it’s organic). Coconut? Bring it on.
Also, the only flourless chocolate cake I have ever made is pretty much chocolate, butter, eggs and sugar, so I find it hard to believe the texture would be anything but … well, icky without the creaminess of the butter.
Bashing recipe bashers – Eat, Drink, and Be Snarky
Commence rant.
Alright, I have a bone to pick. There is something that’s been gnawing at me for a while and this past weekend it finally came to a head. I was browsing the internet, looking for appetizer recipes trying to find something that I could bring to a cookout. I kept going back and forth between my favorite two recipe websites: Epicurious and Food Network.
I was consistently discouraged, because I was making one vital mistake in my search for the perfect recipe: I was reading the online reviews and comments.
Green bean salad, cinnamon rolls, Ethiopian honey bread – Recipe Roundup
Everyone loves baked goods, right? Even those of us who are watching our carbs can live vicariously by reading these unique recipes (but I’d give anything for just one bite of coffee cake…). I’ve truly never even heard of two of them, and the other is an old favorite that’s been republished.
I’m pretty glad that some healthy, low-carb recipes came my way this week too, and I’m pretty sure the green bean salad would make a fabulous side dish for the raspberry chicken. Heck, serve the creamy carrot soup as an appetizer and you’ve got yourself a menu!
Coconut shortbread, lemon torte and sesame almond cookies – Recipe Roundup
Each week, fabulous recipes grace my in-box and pop up on my computer screen, and I’m sharing my favorites with you.
This week, desserts caught my eye. Luscious, sinful desserts, healthy sinless snacks and summery delights… gluten-free and/or flourless.
Anything that is wheat-free catches my attention, and there were a few offerings this week. The nicest thing about these treats is that they are designed to be gluten-free; they are not some classic cookie or cake recipe that is bastardized into a reasonable facsimile that is gluten-free and subpar.
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