A New Fall Favorite

A while back I was asked to make a squash pie. Of course there was no description other than Butternut Squash Pie and Maple Ice Cream. So I started really thinking about how I could make this happen without looking like I had no idea what I was doing (that saying 'fake it til you make it' has become my motto) and without screwing up big time. Seeing as pumpkins are a squash, and they are close to the consistency of butternut squash, I hoped that they would hold similar baking techniques.

 

I pulled out my pumpkin pie recipe and began gathering the ingredients. But as I started measuring out the spices i remembered the "pumpkin" taste that everyone loves has less to do with the actual pumpkin and more to do with the spices used. I could make a fantastic butternut squash pie that really, just tasted like a pumpkin pie, and call it a day, but I wanted to make something different. I took out the cloves and all spice and just stuck to ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I also noticed that butternut squash, when pureed, is much creamier than pumpkin. It gave the batter a silky texture that I hope tanslated well after baking.

 

The finished product was great! At the restaurnt I primarily use a convection oven. It helps reduce the time needed to bake things but I forgot it also causes things to rise or souffle (sometimes when you dont want it to!). As I pulled the pies out I was a little nervous because they had souffled a lot and hoped it didnt dry anything out. It turned out that the silkyness of the butternut suash combined with the fluffiness from the convection oven made these pies even better than I could imagine. Yes, the taste is similar to a pumpkin pie, but I do believe there is a distinct difference because of the butternut squash. I may dump the pumpkin pie all together for Thanksgiving this year and go with the new creation!

 

 

 

 Of course I cant go without mentioning all the fun things going on at the restaurant for the big day tomorrow! I have been planning the cupcake of the week for weeks now! It is a black velvet cupcake with a pumpkin buttercream (that is to die for!) and I decided to go the extra mile and make little ghost garnishes for tonight and tomorrow.

 

 

Then there are the candy corn shortbread cookies! I found the idea just a few days ago and I have been eager to debut them! They are such a simple but unique treat. I just took a basic shortbread cookie recipe, divided it into three sections, used some food coloring, stacked them and sliced away! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I love being able to go all out just to keep up the spirit.

 

 

I just had to throw in one last picture of my pumpkin this year! It was suggested that I call him Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater and I have done just that!        

                Happy Halloween!

 

 Keeping It Sweet (and a little spooky),

  Amber



More Than a Pear

More Than a Pear

This week I decided to take a step in the "seasonal" fruit direction and go with something a little bit more homestyle. The above pictured delights are Cinnamon Pear Fritters with Maple Cream and Caramel Sauce. This was an idea I had early on in summer when I was looking for a summer dessert to do with apples. While this easily could have been switched out with apples, I decided to do pears because everyone has had an apple fritter, but not many have had a pear fritter. The sweetness of the pear came through so perfectly after being fried to just the right temperature. One thing that kept running through my mind this whole week was the caramel sauce. Was it too plain? Should it have been salted caramel? Cinnamon caramel? While I didnt have any complaints on it, I do think it could have been just a little bit better. Im still not sure exactly how though!

 

I am planning on really using pears this year and giving them their time in the spotlight. The light and fresh taste they bring can be so refreshing in the holidays that can be filled with thick and heavy pies and other treats. Not to mention, it is such a versatile fruit! I do think the trick of using pears has to do with thier ripeness. If you plan on baking a pear, it needs to be just a little under ripe and firm so it doesnt turn to mush. But if you are just chopping it up to serve as a garnish, be sure it is perfectly ripe and soft so it has the proper texture.

 

The struggle to find a place for citrus on my menu continues. I've done just about everything possible with lemon and nothing sells. I am so frustrated! Maybe its time to give orange a chance? For now I have replaced the Lemon Chiffon Mousse with a Fall Sundae that features pumpkin ice cream and maple ice cream. I have nothing against citrus, but if fall sells, then it stays!

 

 

Keeping it Sweet,

 

Amber

A Surprise Gift

On a Friday a few days back, as I am about to leave, the manager walks up to me with a bottle and says, "Here you go." This is something I am very use to...second hand fruit, odd flavored liquor, and "the rest" of what was once on the savory menu...I look down to see what it was I was handed and just about jumped for joy. It was a bottle of Salted Caramel Vodka! A legitimate flavor that I actually would like to use! Of course, I was on my way out, so any experiements had to wait until Sunday. But, of course, we cracked it open right then to see what exactly it tasted like!

 

As Sunday rolled around I already know what I wanted to make: Caramel Apple Pear Bread Pudding (above) with none other than the Salted Caramel Ice Cream. Immediatly I get to work figuring out the best ratios for the flavors I want. I added a splash (ok, lets be honest, I went a little George Jones and it was way more then a splash) of the Salted Caramel Vodka into the liquid part of the bread pudding and threw some brown sugar down on the bottom of the pan to get a caramelized feel. The finished product was a hit! I couldn't make it fast enough. This was with out a doubt, one of the best desserts I have made, and it is all thanks to an unwanted bottle of Salted Caramel Vodka.

 

 

On a more festive note, I am excited to debut my Black Velvet Cupcake. A recipe inspired by the traditional Red Velvet Cake with a wicked twist. I increased the cocoa powder to give it a stronger chocolate taste and of course dumped the red food coloring for black. It is topped with a Cream Cheese Icing this week, but I have plans to top it with Pumpkin Buttercream the week of Halloween to keep it in the fall flavors. I worry the black cake may put off hoity toity customers, but then again, they can brag all about how they have had Black Velvet Cake! We'll see how it goes!

 

Keeping It Sweet,

 

Amber

The Warm Fuzzies

Yes, it has begun! Fall is here and all of the cozy comfort yummies have taken their reign in my life. This seasons start has been exceptionally big because of the above pictured Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle. A success is a lack of description with this treat. It is layered with maple whipped cream and a graham cracker crumb, garnished with the ever tantilizing gingerbread cookie. The best part of it all is the sheer simplicity of it. I wanted to bring something to the table that could be desired, but also not so traditional. Achieving the proper spice ratio did pose a small problem, especially after constant taste tests. Alas, it happened! Thick cheesecake, fluffy cream, textured graham: this dessert will definitely stay on the menu for the duration of the holidays!

 

 

Along with the fantastic trifle, there has been a great creation of salted caramel ice cream. While it made its debut on the failure that was the pumpkin crisp last week, I have made a new Caramel Apple Bread Pudding for it to be delivered upon. Lets hope that round two can be a knock out. I have also begun the production of my mini pumpkin loaves that have become quite the hit. I think the new goal for this week will be getting a small pack of cookies out there next to the loaves so people can take just enough sweet home after their meals!

 

 

In other news, I have been aprroached with the fabulous idea of starting a youtube channel featuring short videos on how to make these treats! The brilliance of one friend can make quite a difference in the world of food and I am excited to be able to bring a little more sweet into people's lives. Keep an eye out for our debut!

 

 

Keeping it Sweet,

 

Amber

First of Fall

First of Fall

I almost couldn't contain my excitement of the arrival of fall this week. Well, lets be honest, I really didn't contain it what so ever! Just about every pumpkin recipe I came across this week that I haven't already made was either immediatly made or put on my to do list. Last night I came home with pumpkin spice pudding and my dad had to give me the "too much of a good thing" speech. Lucky for him, tonight we are having a collard green and parmesean soup baked inside a sugar pumpkin for dinner!

 

 While I talk a big game about pumpkins, the reality is that the special this week wasn't pumpkin at all. The pouch of heaven pictured about is a Apple Cranberry Galette topped with vanilla bean ice cream and garnished with cardamom caramel and candied pecans. For those of you who are asking what a galette is, its basically a neatly wrapped pie crust filled with whatever your heart desires. In this case it is a apple cranberry filling that has a touch of cinnamon sugar an a smidgen of orange zest to compliment the cranberries. I am very happy with how it came out and even more so with its popularity. I will chalk this up as a success and it might even make a second appearance in November or early December.

 

 

Though the main treat this week was sans pumpkin, the Sunday brunch muffin was full of the fall favorite. This pumpkin bread recipe is actually one of the best I have ever tried, I think it even beats out anything I have tasted at any restaurant. And I am not just saying that because it is my own! In fact, since the recipe got such a fantastic response, we are going to be making it into mini loaves of pumpkin bread to sell through the holidays. Come late November I hope to add a gingerbread loaf too (I'd better get started on that recipe!). I think this week was a great start to a tasty holiday season.

 

Keeping It Sweet,

 

Amber

So Long Sweet Summer

So Long Sweet Summer

As the summer is coming to a close it is a bitter sweet feeling that is stirring in me. On one hand I am so excited for the Pumpkin Cupcakes and Poached Pears that the fall holds, but on the other hand I am so reluctant to give up the berries and peaches the summer stands for. The cherry season was so short this year I had to make the most of the cherries while I had them. While Cherries Jubilee was a bit of a failure as far as popularity goes, the Cherry Berry Crisp made up for it. I must say my biggest victory this summer was the above pictured Peach Shortcake. Organic peaches soaked in vanilla bean bourbon are the high light of this plate, but I also loved how it was plated. Simple, but unique in a southern way. And nothing says southern like a mint leaf garnish. The full flavor of a peach is one of the sweetest parts of summer, but I am ready to give them up because I think I have made peaches just about every way possible on this earth!

 

While it is easy to fall into a rut of the same desserts and flavors, only using what is in season will keep you on your toes. I am looking forward so much to the warmth and spice that makes fall my favorite time of the year. I am ready to bring on all things pumpkin and spice! Not to leave fruits to the way side, there will be Apple Cranberry Crisps, Pear Tarts, and Figgy Puding in my future! I am excited for this chapter of the year to unfold and all the victories and failures that are to come.

 

 

Keeping It Sweet,

 

Amber