Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

In the last post I wrote about our love for pumpkin spice everything. Since then, I have been working on making pumpkin spice whoopie pies in my kitchen.  My new friend, Hannah, from church, made them for an event in September and we were all wowed by them.  Have you ever made Whoopie Pies? I hadn't. She told me they were simple– a Rachael Ray recipe from online.  I added it to the top of my "to make list".

Then, I was in Anthropologie a week or so after that, looking for a birthday gift and saw a big table stacked with the YUMMIEST CANDLES I HAVE EVER TASTED  SMELLED, a huge bowl of adorable turquoise and red kitchen timers, and piles of cookbooks. I smelled every candle (and resisted eating them):  Angel Food Cake, Apple Brown Sugar, Pumpkin Souffle, Whipped Cream and Pear...

And pulled a few cookbooks to peruse, plopped into a nearby gazillion dollar arm chair and thumbed through the cookbooks.  One was a cookbook from an American bakery in London with an entire chapter devoted to Whoopie Pies. It was inspiring and beautiful and seemed so very practical. A Whoopie Pie--what a fun treat.   It’s a hand-held individual cake. It’s like a cup cake, but easier to frost and less messy to handle.

So after this experience, I was all-the-more motivated to make the pumpkin whoopie pies. Hannah was right.  They were simple to make and REALLY yummy! After my first batch, I had a few things I wanted to see if I could tweak, so I made them again and I am not sure that my alterations accomplished much. (Except that I got to take this batch #2 to my Monday class and offer some homemade goodness to my students).

The first time I made them, I felt that they were too puffy, which I thought could have been about scooping them too small.  In my research of the significance of Whoopie Pies, I kept reading that one of the novelties of them is their largeness – of which mine didn’t qualify. I tried in batch #2 to make them larger, which made them a smidge flatter, and certainly more “traditional” but also much harder to eat, as they were too big for single servings.  I also found the first batch to be sticky. I don’t remember Hannah’s being sticky at all. So I thought I would brilliantly dust them with powdered sugar. Which looked lovely and made them not stick… for about an hour until all of the powdered sugar melted into the cake.  Sigh.

I am still learning about these little treasures and want to make a whole variety of different flavors. I don’t quite yet know which cake recipes can transfer well into Whoopie Pieness, but I would love to find out.  I suspect it needs to be a firm enough cake to be picked up and handled.

Speaking of learning…I read that Whoopie Pies originated in New England and are the official treat of Maine.  I love that.  I want an official treat of my state.  Do you know your state's "official treat"? Rumor has it that they were called whoopies because when men would open their lunch pail, and see that their wife had put one in it, they would exclaim, “WHOOPIE!”.  There is also a belief that they were made from leftover cake batter (I guess when there was too much to fit in the pan) and they would just make a couple of little "pies" out of it.  [When I told Dave this, he asked, "why would you EVER have any extra cake batter".  He thinks if there wasn't a pan big enough, he would have gladly eaten the batter].

Here they are:

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
adapted from Rachael Ray

1 1/2 sticks  (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree

1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp plus 2 pinches salt

1 2/3 cups flour

Cream Cheese Filling: (this is double of her recipe on the frosting.  I'd rather have extra than skimp)

8 ounces cream cheese, chilled

2 cups confectioners' sugar

(Add a little orange zest for some extra pizazz.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.

Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another.

I can't believe Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away!  I'm looking forward to eating pumpkin goodies, of some form.

Lucy and I gathered our branches and made our Thankful Tree today (an annual tradition). We'll continue to add our paper leaves in the coming days, with a record of things for which we are grateful.  I am so glad to have a visible reminder of GRATITUDE in this season. 

Something About Pumpkins

What is it about Pumpkins?

Is it because it's SEASONAL that we like them so much?  At our house, we are into them. I love to look at them,  decorate with them, carve them, bake with them, cook with them, even drink them!

And pumpkin stuff only comes once a year...it's an Autumn tradition!

I think we connect pumpkins with the turning of colorful leaves, the cooling weather, pulling out sweaters, and anticipating the holidays.  

kind of fuzzy photo of the cool pumpkin branches
at Trader Joes

The other day, I walked into Trader Joe's and saw these Mini Pumpkin Branches.  How terrific are they?! I wish I had an event to justify purchasing them for an arrangement!  They are real (though they look almost fictional).  In addition to these beauties,  there was a food rack with all manner of pumpkin items including: pumpkin butter, pumpkin spice bread mix, pumpkin spiced tea, and even pumpkin spice granola.

The farmer's market is brimming with pumpkins, gourds, squashes and mums...of all shapes and sizes.

And then, there are Pumpkin Spice Lattes.  I imagine they top the list of Pumpkin Favorites for most people.

On September 4th, Starbucks sent out the word (via signs, tweets, etc.) that Pumpkin Spice Lattes were back.  I think for some people, this announcement meant that the season of autumn officially began.  People flooded the stores evidently, because the news reported last month that the onslaught of customers caused a shortage of Pumpkin Spice Syrup at many Starbucks stores. Customers were despairing!

The Jam's Pumpkin Pie Latte

My friend Melissa sent an Instagram of the Pumpkin Pie Latte that she had at the Jam (a local coffee/tea shop near Belmont) a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't get it out of my mind.   I made my way there a few days later and the sign on the counter said, "Pumpkin Pie Lattes are back: Made with Real Pumpkin...Epic".  I have to agree.  Theirs are EPIC.






Last fall, my friend, Sharon, made  pumpkin syrup for some home-made lattes at a gathering and it was delicious! I was inspired to try to make some myself, so I started digging around on Pinterest to find a recipe for homemade Pumpkin Coffee Syrup. I found a lovely one on Annie's Eats (always a lovely BLOG to peruse).  I made a batch, tried it out, approved it, and then filled a glass bottle with it to give as  an October birthday gift.

I made a latte for Asher, at his passionate request, who loves a coffee drink whenever he's "allowed".  He gave it a thumbs up.  (Of course he loved the whip and extra pumpkin pie spice sprinkled on top!)

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

borrowed from Annie’s Eats

1½ cups water


1½ cups sugar


4 cinnamon sticks


1 tsp. ground nutmeg


½ tsp. ground ginger


½ tsp. ground cloves


3 tbsp. pumpkin puree

Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.  Toss in the cinnamon sticks and whisk in the remaining spices and the pumpkin puree.  Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, without letting the mixture come to a boil.  Remove from the heat and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes. (Annie says to strain syrup through fine mesh, but I didn’t have to do so). Pour in your container of choice.  Store in the refrigerator.

To make a pumpkin spice latte: combine 2 ounces of hot coffee or 1 shot of hot espresso (about 1-1½ ounces) with 5-6 ounces of steamed low-fat milk.  Stir in 1½-2 tablespoons of the pumpkin spice syrup.  Taste and adjust amounts accordingly.  Top as desired with freshly whipped cream, ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. (You can even drizzle with caramel sauce)!

(If you need a jar and you live in Nashville, my husband would love for you to have one of our jars.  I have a thing about keeping jars for repurposing, and the space under the kitchen sink is teeming with them!)

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October
O hushed October morning mild, 
thy leaves have ripened to the fall; 
Tomorrow’s wind, 
if it be wild, 
Should waste them all. 
The crows above the forest call; 
tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild, 
begin the hours of this day slow, 
make the day seem to us less brief...
 - Robert Frost

(thanks to Margaret for this beautiful excerpt 
that you shared this week via your blog... I just had to pass it along)

Chimichurri – I Could Almost Drink It!

Have you experienced Chimichurri? It's an Argentinian Sauce, similar to Pesto, but made with a Parsley base.  If you haven't, you must! It was love at first taste for me.  A couple of years ago we went to Eastland Cafe for dinner with friends. In our life, this is considered special-occasion, high-style dining – since eating out in our world usually does not include table cloths, servers, and low lighting.

(I wrote here about the dilemma I face when upscale dining, regarding the salad and main dish courses.)

I struggle with the fact that meat is typically not my favorite part of the meal, and yet it is seen as the main attraction on most menus.  Everything else is simply building up to this apex.  I had difficulty ordering at Eastland Cafe because of this very dilemma.  So, I opted instead to order a salad and some sides.  I felt good about the decision.  I had fried green tomatoes, a beet-topped green salad, a sweet potato dish and something else that escapes me now.  It was all very tasty.  However, I have to report that the highlight of the meal, for me, was the fresh, warm bread and bowl of chimichurri for dipping that was brought at the beginning of our meal.  Oh my....a party for the taste buds! It was so good, I almost drank it.  This began my love (and pursuit) of chimichurri.

I talked to my creative, culinarily friend Rich about it (who happens to be an amazingly creative photographer as well), because I figured he might have a recipe for it.  This summer, he made it happen.  And it was everything I dreamed it to be! He served it poured over grilled flank steak and it was a hit. We all, including the kids, went crazy (Asher went a little crazier than the other kids, but they all loved it). We served it with roasted vegetables, braised purple cabbage and crusty bread.  During the meal we felt compelled to pour the chimichurri over the veggies and dip our bread into it.

We made it the other night and I was able to take a few photos to share with you.  We had a few tablespoons of the chimichurri left.  I saved it.  (If you know me you are not surprised by this). We had some left over pasta noodles in the fridge, so the next day I tossed them together and Shazam! a tasty lunch.  It's delicious on any meat, fish or vegetables.

Chimichurri

borrowed from Simply Recipes

1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems

3-4 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves (can substitute 2 tsp. dried oregano)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp. coarse salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Finely chop the parsley, fresh oregano, and garlic (or process in a food processor several pulses). Place in a small bowl.

Stir the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a measuring cup.  Adjust seasoning to taste. Pour oil mixture over parsley mixture and stir until well combined.

Serve immediately or refrigerate.  If chilled, return to room temperature before serving.  Can keep for a day or two.

Flank Steak

Flank Steak

Salt and Pepper

Lemon juice
Worcestershire Sauce

Pat meat dry. Sprinkle generously with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper (on both sides).  Dash  Worcestershire Sauce and the juice of a lemon over it (on both sides).

Cook on heated grill over high heat to sear it.  Do not overcook it. 

Rich says the rarer the better.

Chimichurri is so simple.  It takes only a few minutes to make and yet it can transform a meal.

Which, by the way, simple, delicious recipes like this create somewhat of a problem in my life.  Being the tightwad that I am, and loving really tasty food it is hard for me to justify paying $25 for dinner, when it can be made simply at home for a fraction of the cost! And you get to have leftovers! (Not to mention you can do this while wearing your sweat pants).

In Memory of My Beloved 3rd Grade Teacher

This week I got the news that my beloved 3^rd grade teacher, Mrs. Stookbury, died after a valiant fight with cancer.  It saddens my soul that this bright shining light in the world has passed on.  I know her family and close friends must be aching with loss.  I heard that her last months were painful and debilitating.  And in light of this fact, I am glad that she no longer has to suffer.  I'm so thankful that I got to be one of her many, many students in her years as an educator.

I have been thinking about her all day.  I have only fond memories of her.

She was SUNSHINE at Sequoyah Elementary School.  She was an ANCHOR in my childhood.

Mrs. Katherine Stooksbury

Now that I am a mom and have had children this age, I feel even more indebted to Mrs. Stooksbury.  What a significant influence teachers are in the lives of children!!  

Parmesan Rosemary Muffins - A Game Changer

Seven years ago, I saw this magazine in the newstand called Weekend.

The cover drew me in. A beautiful photo, great design, intriguing headlines.  I bought the magazine and quickly became a fan.  I bought a few more when they came out.  

I struggled with reading a magazine called "Weekend" since my life, with young children felt like it never included a weekend.  Of course, there were Saturdays and Sundays, but not what I would consider a weekend. Groundhog Day, you know?  Every day is much the same, and when the weekend comes,  while there is a shift in schedule, the days are still filled with bottom wiping, meal preparing, disciplining, noisiness, exhaustion and duties.  It is hard to relate to a magazine called Weekend that features articles about day trips, house projects and book reviews.  And includes photos of people lying on rafts in floppy hats, and napping and reading novels, and hosting candlelight dinner parties with adult friends.

Cracked Out on Cracker Toffee

I have cooked several things lately that I am excited to share with you: Pulled BBQ,  Black Bean Torte,  Homemade Sushi, Chicken Salad, Rosemary Parmesan Muffins and thick French Toast, to name a few.  I was deliberating about which should be this week's post and then Cracker Toffee (A.K.A. Crack) resurfaced in my life and I can't stop thinking about it.  It quickly rose to the top of the "to post" list, when my co-worker Patsy asked for the recipe.  So, here's what happened: I innocently went to a baby shower last week for my friend Stephanie.  I knew the treats being served would be delicious, as the hosts are all great cooks.  And then I saw it. There on the serving table was one of my favorite confections: Cracker Toffee.  I love it and haven't had it in a long time! I ate one piece, and a slice of poundcake with Strawberry Coulis, along with caramel corn, and banana pudding adorably served in repurposed glass baby food jars.

Chicken Bryan A.K.A. a party in your mouth

At the beginning of my blogging adventure, two years ago, I wrote about a tradition of ours called "The Celebration of Daves". It's a celebration meal honoring Dave Hunt and David Thomas – two incredible, food-loving men, prepared by their food-loving, food-preparing wives.  This tradition has stood the test of time.  (We think it's been about 14 years). The four of us (David, Connie, Dave and I) are all highly motivated to continue this sweet annual ritual. We love this tradition because it is food and friends, period. We don't get to spend much time together, especially as couples.  And we all love good food, so this dinner is one we cherish and anticipate all year long.

connie and me a decade ago
aproned and cooking for the
Celebration of Daves

(In addition, Connie and I love to work together in the kitchen and it's such a rare treat).  We most often hold this celebration in late July or early August.  However, this year, with schedules and an early start to school, we just finally had our dinner last week!


When Connie and I were on the phone discussing menu options, we were tired and stumped about what to make.  We decided to ask our honorees if they had any requests.  When I asked Dave, he said, "Oh, it doesn't matter!" and then, "What about Chicken Bryan?"  I said, "Oh that would be delicious and special, however, it requires grilling, which I fear will be tricky for us to pull off with all of the rest of the cooking inside without someone to monitor the grill."  (I wanted to protect him from managing the grill on his birthday celebration meal.)