t o m a t o e s & t e q u i l a

This year for Thanksgiving we went to my in-law's house and had a lovely, traditional Thanksgiving. It was a great day and a melancholy one too - I missed being with my family a lot and thought of them often throughout the day. Just silly little things like how I LOVE Stove-Top stuffing and so my Mom always makes sure we have it for Thanksgiving dinner. How my sister loves mashed potatoes and thinking about the year she inadvertently catapulted a spoonful on the ground after some over-zealous scooping and too much leverage. The year we mashed potatoes from Yukon Golds instead of Russets which turned into essentially wallpaper glue - of course the entire family thought they new how to fix them and one by one took over for 5 minute intervals only to leave the potato "glue" worse off than they had found it. Oops. I have such wonderful memories of holiday's with my big, silly family.

This year was lovely too, just different than being with one's own family. I was in charge of dessert for which I decided to change things up and do a Pumpkin Mousse Parfait. Still very Thanksgiving-ish given the pumpkin and whipped cream but this dessert was cool and light, yet flavorful at the same time. I really enjoyed it and I think everyone else did as well. It was a nice change of pace. This could be made for any fall dinner party.

PUMPKIN MOUSSE PARFAIT RECIPE
(Ina Garten)

1/4 c. dark rum
1 packet (2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin powder
1 (15-ounce can) pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 extra-large egg yolks
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 c. cold heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Sweetened whipped cream (You can follow this Ina Garten whipped cream or just whip up one cup of cold heavy cream. Either way, this is in addition to the heavy cream listed in the ingredient list above, you essentially new two batches of whipped cream - one to fold into the pumpkin and one to layer into the parfaits)

8 to 10 chopped ginger cookies (store bought is fine)

Crystallized ginger, for decoration, optional

Place the rum in a heat-proof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Set aside for 10 minutes for the gelatin to soften.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg yolks, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set the bowl of gelatin over a pan of simmering water and cook until the gelatin is clear. Immediately whisk the hot gelatin mixture into the pumpkin mixture. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture.

To assemble, spoon some of the pumpkin mixture into parfait glasses, add a layer of whipped cream, then some chopped cookies. Repeat, ending with a third layer of pumpkin. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. To serve, decorate with whipped cream and slivered crystallized ginger.

As you know, I am always on the hunt for exceptionally delicious yet quick and nutritious meals. As you also know, this can be a tall order. So when I find things that knock my socks off, I simply must share them. This pizza - with some small adjustments for time - is totally amazing. The hubby ate 3/4 of the pizza in one sitting - he was very proud of himself. The original recipe from Cooking Light calls for making your own whole wheat pizza dough. Rather than doing that, I used a pre-made pizza crust which you can buy either in a plain or whole wheat variety. Cutting out this step made this recipe really fast (about 15 minutes total) and required almost no actual cooking. The most I did was cut up a pear and measure out my ingredients. I strongly recommend that this pizza be made while pears are in season. Pears can be very fickle and rather awful when not in season. So, just wait! Wait for the good stuff and you will thank me!

PEAR & PROSCIUTTO PIZZA
(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 1/2 c. (6 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
4 c. fresh mâche or baby spinach (I used mixed baby greens since they were on sale - use whatever you like)
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used dried since it is what i had on hand)
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 oz. very thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
2 ripe Starkrimson or red Bartlett pears, cored and thinly sliced (I found that one large pear was enough)
Preheat oven to 450°.

Place dough on baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until crust is crisp and golden and cheese is melted. Combine remaining 2 teaspoons oil, mâche, and the remaining ingredients, except the prosciutto; toss to combine. Arrange salad over crust. Arrange prosciutto on top.

So the hubby and I moved...again. We seem to move a lot. The benefit of which is getting to go through all of your stuff and purge - doesn't purging feel good? I hate stuff, it clutters my life and my brain. The good news is that we are now in Denver and have re-integrated ourselves into modern civilization. In the midst of this moving process I managed to take some photos of fall in Monument, CO and also make a batch of Cappuccino Brownies that my sister sent me the recipe for.
These brownies are obscene. No seriously - they are so decadent I'm not even sure what to make of them. I personally think they would have been perfect without the cream cheese layer - but others loved them and I have had several requests for the recipe, so what do I know? Regardless, they are very pretty and as such are ideal for a crowd pleaser. In other news, I have found myself in quite the cooking rut and am very much hoping that the change of scenery will insight and new wave of culinary creativity. Tonight I am trying a slow-cooker chicken in a Thai peanut sauce - fancy, no? If it turns out well and you all (yes, you) behave yourselves I might share it with you.

CAPPUCCINO BROWNIES RECIPE
(tasteofhome.com)

8oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 c. butter, cut up
2 tbs. instant coffee granules
1 tbs. hot water
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. all purpose-flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts

Topping:
1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
6 tbs. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze:
4 tsp. instant coffee granules
1 tbs. hot water
5oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbs. butter
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

In a microwave, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Dissolve coffee granules in hot water. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Stir in vanilla, chocolate mixture and coffee mixture. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture until blended. Fold in walnuts.

Transfer to a greased and floured 13-in. x 9-in. baking ban. Bake at 350 F. degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For topping, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until blended. Add confectioners' sugar, cinnamon and vanilla; beat on low speed until combined. Spread over bars. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

For glaze, dissolve coffee granules in hot water. In a microwave, melt chocolate and butter; cool slightly. Stir in cream and coffee mixture. Spread over cream cheese layer. Let stand until set. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.