Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I realize that pumpkin is technically more suited for the likes of November's seasonal eating.  You're probably thinking that perhaps I should have made an egg nog inspired whoopie pie or even basic chocolate ones flecked with peppermint candy canes. But ya know what?  I had already made these. Over a month ago. And I had already photographed these.  So I thought, the hell with it.  I'm posting them anyway.

Come to think of it, why do we, on average, only eat pumpkin one month out of the year?  It's sold year round in supermarkets, the canned version anyway.  It's delicious. It's healthy.  So why not?  Maybe I'll just have to make it my mission to change this.

Pumpkin or no pumpkin, however, whoopie pies are becoming increasingly popular.  Some even claim it's on its way to replacing the cupcake as the next "It" dessert.  There are others out there, however, who believe it's the French macaroon that is on its way to the top.  I prefer macaroons to whoopie pies, but macaroons take a skilled hand. (You might recall this from last December- a humiliating display of macaroon technique. I plan to give this another go within the upcoming weeks). The beauty of the whoopie pie although, is that there is basically an endless array of flavor combinations.  If it can work as a cupcake (or cake), it can work as a whoopie pie.  After all, whoopie pies began their existence as a way to use up leftover cake batter, which is merely plopped by the spoonful onto a baking sheet, the same way cookie dough is.

Now, the whoopie pie purist might be some what put off by my use of a cream cheese frosting in this recipe. Original whoopie pies were made with a marshmallow fluff filling, but that's not very fun.  Or creative.  Or very forgiving to flavor additions. So I'll make my whoopie pies any way I see fit.  And you can too.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Cake
recipe heavily adapted from Bon Appètit 

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoons finely grated orange peel

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a whoopie pie pan with nonstick cooking spray. (If not using a whoopie pie pan, use a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper). Whisk first 8 ingredients in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat pumpkin, sugar, and oil in another large bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to incorporate between additions. Mix in orange peel. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until just combined. Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into each cavity of pan; spread batter to the edges. Cavity should be about 2/3 full. (If not using pan, drop 2 tablespoons of batter on to prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon).

2. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when touched. Cool in pan 8 minutes. Remove cakes from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before filling. Repeat process with remaining batter. 

3. To assemble pies, spread frosting (or pipe with a piping bag filled with frosting) on the flat side of half the cakes.  Top each frosted cake with another cake.  Voila! 

*I poured sprinkles around the edges of the frosting for added decoration.  Chopped pecans would be yummy too!

makes 20-24 whoopie pies

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup butter softened

6 cups confectioner's sugar

6 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp maple extract (optional)

Directions:

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until blended and creamy.  Gradually add the confectioners sugar and beat until combined.  Add the maple syrup and extract if using and beat until smooth.  Store in refrigerator for up to one week. 

makes 3 cups

Pumpkin Latte Crème Brûlée

Even though we have been well into the fall season for quite some time now (and almost into winter for that matter), I still feel I should mention my love of pumpkin spice lattes, and how their arrival on the Starbucks menu gets me giddy with anticipation for the upcoming "sweater" weather every year. I had my first of the season a while back, when I was still living in New York, and the tantalizing aromas from the cinnamon and nutmeg combined with the rich espresso got me thinking: wouldn't these flavors make for an excellent dessert? I felt inspired. The wheels started churning and I began to brainstorm the perfect vessel for my pumpkin latte creation.

At first I thought cupcakes, perhaps with a pumpkin cake base topped by a mocha buttercream, but that idea didn't leave me too excited. After several "rough" recipes, I came up with the idea for a crème brûlée that would marry the flavors of pumpkin pie and a latte into one smooth and silky custard. I did some research on crème brûlées and the different ingredients and techniques often used to create them, and was able to come up with a recipe that I felt would mimic the pumpkin spice lattes I've come to love so much.

I am not a very patient person, so I really try my hardest to get a recipe right the first time around. I don't have the time or tenacity (or money) to try a recipe over and over until I get it right. (A personality trait I should probably work on...) So I have to say I was thrilled when this recipe came out damn near perfect on my first try. I felt I achieved the balance of flavors I was looking for, and everything went smoothly (even the texture of the custard) just as I had hoped. At least until I broke out the blow torch, which was an experience all on its own.

Pumpkin Latte Crème Brûlée

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half & half
1 cup pumpkin puree (just to clarify, this is the same as pure pumpkin)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon espresso powder
6 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup turbinado (raw) sugar, for topping

Special Equipment:
6, 4 oz overproof ramekins
kitchen torch

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325º F.

2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the first 10 ingredients (cream through espresso powder). Over medium heat, bring the mixture just to a simmer or until steam rises. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and salt. Gradually add cream mixture, while whisking to combine. Stir in vanilla.

4. Strain the mixture into a large measuring cup or bowl with a pour spout. Divide the strained mixture evenly among the 6 ramekins. Arrange filled ramekins in a baking pan, then carefully transfer the pan to the oven. Slowly pour hot water into the pan surrounding the ramekins. Add enough water to reach half way up sides of the ramekins. Bake custards until set around the edges, but still slightly jiggly (like jello) in the center. Depending on personal oven temperatures, custards in shallow crème brûlée ramekins should be baked about 20-25 minutes, while custards in standard soufflé ramekins should be baked for 25-30 minutes. Let the ramekins rest in the water bath for 5 to 10 minutes after baking. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let cool for another 20 minutes. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

5. When ready to serve, blot the top of the custards dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of turbinado sugar over each custard in ramekins. Using a small kitchen torch, melt the sugar by waving the torch flame 3-6 inches from the surface of the sugar. Heat the sugar until it is caramelized and no dry sugar is visible. Sprinkle another 1 teaspoon of turbinado sugar over each custard and continue to caramelize with the kitchen torch until a dark amber crust has formed on top of each custard. Chill the custards for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings

Note: the pre-caramalized custards can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Savory Pumpkin Soup

Every year, as the beginning of October rolls around, my annual craving for pumpkin kicks in, as if by instinct. This year, my hankering for pumpkin seems particularly strong. Besides actually loving the flavor of pumpkin, I now have another reason to feast on the orange flesh of this winter squash. I learned earlier this week that pumpkin, or more specifically the pepitas (or seeds) are, according to Mexican folklore, know to cure freckles! If I would have known that earlier in life, you can guarantee that I would have eaten a handful of pepitas everyday!  So in hoping that the pumpkin itself will lend the same skin transforming benefits, I have made quite a long list of pumpkin flavored treats to make over the next couple of months- I hope most of you enjoy this fall favorite as much as I do! To kick things off, I decided to begin the pumpkin-palooza with a savory soup recipe. 

I've actually made a version of this soup before, two Thanksgivings ago, and it seemed to be a pretty big hit. This time around, however, I changed up the recipe a bit by adding in a couple more ingredients- parsnip, turnip, white wine, and a touch of brown sugar- to give it more depth of flavor. Those of you unfamiliar with cooking with pumpkins, sugar pumpkins are best for food related purposes.  They work well in both savory or sweet recipes, pairing nicely with either rosemary, salty cheeses, and mushrooms, or honey, maple, and cinnamon. When buying sugar pumpkins, look for ones that are firm, feel heavy for their size, and have dull, not glossy skin. 

Last time, I prepared the soup using a food processor, a perfectly fine method, but I'm always looking for excuses to buy myself a new toy for the kitchen! Currently living in New York City has me on a pretty tight budget, but I felt I could justify the purchase of a new kitchen gadget, in this case a food mill, because one of my goals of this blog is to learn and implement new techniques and I figure this will hardly be the only time I use it- an investment in my culinary future! The purpose of a food mill is to properly puree the soup, making for a much smoother texture, but if you prefer a thicker soup, I would use the food processor (a blender or hand blender would work well too) approach.  Just note though, if you do decide to use a food mill, and you have one with various sized disks (fine, medium and coarse), stick with the medium. I goofed and used the fine disc and my soup was a little thin for my liking. 

I will admit that the garnish for this soup wasn't completely my idea. I stole the concept from an episode of Iron Chef America (best show ever!). I don't remember exactly what garnish was used, but I do know it sparked the idea for what I use here in this recipe: chives, shiitake mushrooms, and... bacon. (Do they have rehab groups for bacon addicts? Hi, I'm Karlie and I'm a pork-a-holic.) This year I also decided to add a drizzle of goat cheese cream. It's definitely not essential to the dish, but I think it adds a nice color contrast and hits on another note of flavor. Also, it might interest some of you to know that this soup freezes particularly well.  Skip the last step of adding in the cream, and store in air tight containers in the freezer for up to two months. Add the cream when reheating over a medium-high stove top. I think this soup makes for a great way to start a Thanksgiving meal, but it's also a great way to begin the fall season.

Savory Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:
1 small sugar pumpkin, halved, seeds and stringy fibers removed and reserved
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
1/2 cup water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 small parsnip (about 3 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 apple, peeled and coarsely chopped* (see note) 

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 small turnip (about 3 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 white onion
1 small shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)* (see note)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon packed light-brown sugar
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste 

(garnish and goat cheese drizzle below)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pumpkin halves, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until soft, about 50 minutes. Scoop out flesh, and puree in a food processor (you should have 2 cups).

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add reserved seeds and fibers from pumpkin, and cook for 4 minutes. Add stock, water, and thyme, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 9 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin puree, parsnip, apple, carrots, turnip, and onion, and cook for 5 minutes. Add shallots, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add wine, and cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes.

Strain pumpkin-seed mixture, reserving broth and discarding solids. Add broth to pumpkin-wine mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook 20 minutes. Let cool for 45 minutes to an hour.

Pass soup through a food mill into a clean saucepan, or puree in a food processor in small batches until smooth. (If soup does not reach desired consistency using a food processor, press it through a fine sieve to remove any remaining lumps.) 

Heat soup in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in cream, sugar, salt, and pepper, ladle into individual bowls, and top with garnish (below).

For the garnish and goat cheese drizzle:

Ingredients:

6 slices of center-cut bacon, chopped

10 oz shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

1/4 chives, minced

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 oz goat cheese

salt and pepper

a dash of nutmeg

Directions: 

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat; add the bacon and saute until crispy. Remove the bacon to a plate topped with paper towels, reserving the grease in the pan. Add the mushrooms and saute until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms from pan, place in a shallow bowl, add the bacon, and mix to combine.

Meanwhile, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, and reduce by half. Add the goat cheese and stir until combined. Season the cream mixture with salt and pepper to taste, and add just a dash of nutmeg. 

Garnish each bowl with about a tablespoon of bacon-mushroom mixture, a teaspoon of chopped chives, and teaspoon or two of the goat cheese cream mixture. Serve immediately. 

Makes 6 to 8 servings

*Note: I used a Honey Crisp apple, a sweeter variety as compared to ones like the Granny Smith. Also, instead of using both an onion and a shallot, one could use a whole white onion, skipping the shallot all together. I just happen to like the mild, garlicky flavor shallots tend to have.