Pumpkin Pie Cappuccino
(Pumpkin Pie Cappuccino © 2006 Nika)
My perfect thanksgiving would have a complete lack of turkey meat and loads of desserts, especially pumpkin pies. I am allergic or super sensitive to baked turkey so if I eat any leftovers, I become lost in a world of pain and freaky hallucinations.
I am much more into sides, desserts, and the drinks.
I have designed this month’s “Designated Driver Drink” to do at least double duty: provide a decadent drink that starts off the Thanksgiving holiday with a turbo-caloric bang (something we all need right?) and satisfy the pumpkin pie craving. There is nothing light, dainty, or delicate about this drink. It is meant to be deeply satisfying in a purely hedonistic way. The use of pumpkin as a drink base is practically a mandatory meme in the food blogosphere these days. A Nice Cuppa has a similar coffee based drink, give it a try!
If you find yourself having a cold Thanksgiving, serve these piping hot when the kids and adults come in from playing outside. This drink has no caffeine so it’s fine for the kids. The adults might appreciate a little addition of original Kahlua or perhaps Kahlua Especial, a darker and richer handcrafted formulation that might stand up better to the flavor-dense pumpkin base of this drink.
Pumpkin Pie Cappuccino
- 1 can of pumpkin (Use the kind with no added ingredients, as sold for making pumpkin pies. Make your own from scratch if you like!)
- 3/4 can sweetened condensed milk
- Baked Puff Pastry or pie pastry rounds (sized to fit in the cup)
- Whipped cream to garnish (Use your favorite - homemade, cool whip or from the can!)
- Pumpkin Pie spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, all up to you. Try not to make it taste like chai though.
Directions:
Preheat oven to temperature suggested on dough package. Cut dough into rounds that are just small enough to fit in the top of your serving glasses. Bake until a golden brown. Set aside to cool.In a sauce pan, put 1 can of pumpkin pie filling, 3/4 can sweetened condensed milk, and spices. Whisk to mix.
Heat until desired temperature. If the consistency is too thick for you, thin with some cream or milk. If it is too thin, add pumpkin pie filling until it is as you desire it.Pour the heated mixture into heat safe irish coffee mugs, top with the pie dough round, whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon or powdered chocolate. If you want to spike this drink with a liqueur, add it to the drink in the pan, off the heat and before poured into the mugs. Use a whisk to incorporate the liqueur.
(Cream tartlets © 2006 Nika)
If this is an early afternoon snack for a Thanksgiving feast that is served at night, you might want to offer something along with the Pumpkin Pie Cappuccinos. I suggest something less flavor intense such as these very simplistic cream tarlets. If you feel they are too simple you might want to add a filling such as chunky cranberry sauce or perhaps some pudding for the kids.
Cream Tartlets
Directions:
Thaw pie dough to a cool pliable room temperature.Preheat oven to temperature suggested on dough package.
Spray a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.
Using a round cookie cutter, cut rounds from the pie dough that just fit inside the mini-muffin tin wells.
Press the dough into the wells and then poke holes through the dough all around and on the bottom. This keeps the dough from simply puffing up into odd shapped puffy non-shells.
Bake until lightly brown. You will need to watch them as they will cook sooner than the pie dough package suggests (they are much smaller than a regular sized pie).
Cool.
Add desired filling and the top off with pretty dollops of whipped cream.
Sprinkle with desired topping such as powdered chocolate (if you used chocolate pudding or ganache as a filling) or perhaps cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
Serve immediately.
Some Ingredient Resources:
Beautiful pictures, Nika!