Pumpkin Bread Puddin'

So obviously there is a bit of a trend here with the pumpkin posts. I love me some canned pumpkin. It's true. Collin Murray loves the canned pumpkin too and so when I came across a recipe for pumpkin bread pudding, I figured, what the heck, it must be delicious.

Baking puddin'

The recipe was easy enough. Cut stale bread. Melt butter. Mix some things with a whisk. Combine. Bake. Easy, yes: tasty, uhh, sort of. It wasn't that it was bad. It's just that is was not fantastic. I would call it mediocre and not even Collin Murray could muster a greater compliment then that. Nevertheless, here is the recipe, enjoy?

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk (any percentage will do)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs plus 1 extra yolk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
5 cups cubed stale bread (I used Really old sourdough)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the butter in a 8x8 inch square baking dish and then toss it in the oven to melt while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients. Using a bread knife, cut the stale bread into 1-inch (or so, don't get out your ruler) pieces and place in a large bowl. Mix the cream, milk, sugar, pumpkin, eggs, salt, and spice together in a medium mixing bowl until smooth. Carefully remove the baking dish with the melted butter from the oven and pour the butter over the bread cubes, tossing gently to ensure they are all coated with a large spoon or tongs. Place the bread back into the baking dish and pour the pumpkin liquid over it. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the custard is set in the middle of the dish.

Ready to eat puddin'

Pumpkin Pie is All About Compromise

I always like to celebrate American Thanksgiving because well, I'm half American. I mean, I probably would celebrate it even if I wasn't American because I love Thanksgiving but I suppose my citizenship is just an easy excuse. The only problem with Thanksgiving in my opinion is that one is expected to make pie. I'm going to apologize in advance and say I really hate pie. I don't mind eating it but really, I sort of hate, despise, dare I say loathe, making pie. The problem is, Collin Murray loves pie. He could eat it morning, noon and night. Enter this recipe, my compromise, a graham cracker crust and a no-bake pumpkin cream cheese filling, topped with deliciously slightly sweetened whipped cream. 

I found this recipe on this delightful site called Joy the Baker and it was the perfect end to a delicious Thanksgiving meal. And though it may seem that one could only make this recipe for Thanksgiving, I think it would be the perfect end to any fall meal.

Yum.

Almost No-Bake Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream
adapted just a touch from Joy the Baker

For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon molasses
2 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

For the Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

To make the crust, in a medium bowl, combine graham crackers with sugar, salt and melted butter and using your hands, coat all the crumbs in the melted butter. Press the crust into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom -- you will have to be careful, it's quite crumbly. I like to use a measuring cup to evenly press the crust into the sides of the tart pan, it's easier then using your hands when a crust is crumbly). Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely before adding the filling.

To make the filling, beat the softened cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar to the mixture and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree and beat until combined. Spoon the filling into the tart shell slowly because there will be more filling then there will be room for in the tart pan (at least there was for me). Let tart chill in the fridge overnight so that everything can get all happy and tasty.
To make the whipped cream, beat together the heavy cream and confectioner's sugar until soft peaks form. Spoon over the tart and enjoy!

I even enjoyed some for breakfast...

Operation Wedding Cake: Meet Mr. and Mrs. Penguin

I know, I know, I said I was done with the wedding cake stuff but I promise that this really is the last of it now. And no, thanks to my experience with making my wedding cake in New York, I will not be making my wedding cupcakes for our wedding reception -- not happening, just ask Collin Murray. However, I did manage to finish Mr. and Mrs. Penguin for the reception. They will be set atop a cake which will be set atop a tower of chocolate and red velvet cupcakes...I think they make a damn cute couple.

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Penguin