Pumpkin Cream Pie w/ a Ginger Cookie Crust
Posted: November 29, 2011 Filed under: Cookies, Dessert, Holiday, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: baking, Christmas, dessert, holiday, pie, pumpkin, sweets, Thanksgiving 8 Comments »
If you’re one of those people who only eats pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, then this post may upset you. I have three words of condolence: get over it! Sorry to be brash, but for me, pumpkin season is from October (possibly September as well) until the end of December. Moreover, there are many folks who enjoy pumpkin pie on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Pumpkin-palooza is far from over. If I had it my way, we’d be eating pumpkin all year-long! For now, 3-4 months a year will have to do.
Pumpkin pie is good. Is it amazing? Eh, not in my book at least. I love a good slice on Thanksgiving, but it’s not my favorite pumpkin product. And I know there are a lot of folks who don’t like pumpkin pie at all. The texture can be a bit off-putting for some. The possibility that holiday dinner guests may have a distaste for pumpkin leads many people to make multiple pies to please multiple palates. But what if there was a light, fluffy, creamy pumpkin pie to please even the pickiest pumpkin pie haters?
Good news, my little cookies: there is.
Allow me to introduce you to Pumpkin Cream Pie with a Ginger Cookie Crust.
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Magic Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Posted: November 22, 2011 Filed under: Cookies, Dessert, Holiday, Snacks, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: baking, chocolate chip cookies, cookies, dessert, Fall, pumpkin, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, snacks, Thanksgiving 7 Comments »
I must confess: I’m not a huge fan of any packaged box/mix/dough when it comes to cooking and baking. This is because, 99.9% of the time, homemade is better (and it’s usually cheaper too). As I have expressed to you little cookies before, my philosophy is this: if you’re going to make something, you should make it right & do it homemade. However, there are minor exceptions (Pumpkin Poke Cake, for example). It doesn’t happen often, but on occasions I find reason to use some sort of store-bought item.
These Magic Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies perfectly prove this point.
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Sweet & Simple: 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Rice Pudding
Posted: November 16, 2011 Filed under: Dessert, Healthy, Snacks, Sweet & Simple, The Smart Cookie Cook | Tags: cinnamon, dessert, easy, Fall, food, healthy, low calorie, low fat, pudding, pumpkin, rice pudding, simple, snack 12 Comments »
Contrary to what some people may think, having a food website does not mean you cook and bake elaborate eats every single day. In fact, with life constantly forging ahead at full-speed, I usually wind up eating quick and simple things more than I do the fancy and indulgent. This is especially the case when it comes to dessert. I rarely have time to make a fancy dessert, so I find myself getting creative. If you want a delicious dessert to curb your craving for something sweet at the end of your day but don’t have time to bake, then you’ll have to work with the time you’ve got.
That, my little cookies, is where this 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Rice Pudding comes in. You need only 2 things to whip it up: pumpkin butter & a rice pudding snack pack. Stir it up and eat up! And, if you’re feeling extra indulgent, you can add a dollop of whipped cream.
Like this:
Thanksgiving Dessert: Personal Pumpkin Poke Cakes
Posted: November 14, 2011 Filed under: Dessert, Holiday, Vegetarian | Tags: baking, buttercream, butterscotch, cake, caramel, cinnamon, dessert, food, frosting, nuts, poke cake, pumpkin, Thanksgiving 10 Comments »
When I say “personal,” I mean these cakes could easily feed two people, but why would you ever want to share? Having your own personal cake allows you to either indulge in the whole sweet treat in one fell swoop or pace it out and prolong the enjoyment. The choice is yours, my little cookies.
Regardless of how you choose to scarf ‘em down, you simply must make these Personal Pumpkin Poke Cakes. They are so good, unlike anything I’ve had before. It’s a whole new pumpkin experience, which I am always happy to partake in.
The cakes are so incredibly moist, and why wouldn’t they be? You’re almost always guaranteed a moist, delicious cake when you bake with pumpkin. Then, the cakes are poked & soaked with a sweet cinnamon-caramel sauce, along with sweetened condensed milk. It’s totally indulgent, but surprisingly, not overly so. It is just sinful enough.
Judgement Time: IHOP’s Holiday Hotcakes
Posted: November 10, 2011 Filed under: Breakfast, Holiday, Judgement Time, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: breakfast, eggnog, food, holiday, IHOP, nuts, pancakes, pumpkin, review, syrup 11 Comments »
I. Love. Pancakes.
Doesn’t everybody? I know there has been an ongoing waffles vs. pancakes debate, but for me, pancakes will always take the cake. They’re fluffy, floppy, fun, and delicious. Nothing gives me such child-like glee as to inundate a stack of these golden cakes in rich maple syrup then stick my fork straight through the fluffy interior. Pancakes and syrup may be a simple thing, but MAN, are they good!
You can imagine how a place like IHOP might just be heaven for me. True, I have often contemplated moving in and spending the rest of my life in a pancake utopia where all of my maple syrup-covered dreams come true. I decided to go to college instead, but if the whole “higher education” thing doesn’t work out, at least I’ve got that as a back up plan.
When I heard IHOP had released a line of new Holiday Hotcakes, I HOPPED right on over (I’m sorry, I had to). It was once of those situations that, from the moment I learned of the Holiday Hotcakes’ existence, it consumed my every waking thought. I counted down the hours until I may go to IHOP and try some for myself.
Now, The Holiday Hotcakes come in three flavors: Pumpkin Praline (which consists of pumpkin pancakes topped with caramel sauce and candied pecans), Eggnog (regular pancakes layered with an eggnog-flavored cream and topped with butter rum sauce), and White Chocolate Chip Mint (regular pancakes with white chocolate chips and topped with peppermint pieces). I tried the first two, as I’m not a huge fan of mint (sorry mint-lovers).
