Aimee’s Pretty Palate: Hey, Pumpkin!
It’s here! The fall season has commenced, and whether Mother Nature agrees to show us mercy and bring us crisp air and tumbling leaves of burnt orange, amber and gold, we are going to capture the cozy spirit of fall in our kitchens, are we not?
Sweet, savory and endlessly versatile, pumpkin is our star ingredient and our ticket to bringing the autumn magic to every bite, despite potentially needing to shed even the lightest cardigan come Turkey Day.
Let’s kick things off with a show-stopping Puff Pastry Brie Pumpkin. A golden, flaky internet sensation creation that’s as beautiful as it is delicious, especially with my twist, a homemade pumpkin butter filling. That’s right, pumpkin butter. Rich, velvety and perfectly spiced, it’s like spreading fall on all the things—muffins, toast and in this case, baked brie. It is the ultimate appetizer for any fall table, whether Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving or just your monthly book club.
For something sweet, my Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Loaf combines warm spices, and you guessed it, pumpkin purée for a cinnamon-kissed treat sure to please. The pecan praline streusel topping sends things over the top. You can certainly leave it off if you wish, however.
So join me in tying on your apron, lighting a cinnamon candle and baking up some autumn comfort recipes, one pumpkin-filled bite at a time.
Catch you next month, pumpkins.
Puff Pastry Brie Pumpkin
For Pumpkin Butter:
1 cup pure pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 rounded tsp. pumpkin pie spice
¼ cup apple juice
½ Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. unsalted butter
For Puff Pastry Brie Pumpkin:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but still cold
½ cup pecans, chopped
½ cup pumpkin butter
8 oz. brie wheel
1 egg
Pretzel stick and greenery for garnish
Combine pumpkin purée, sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, apple juice and apple cider in a saucepan; whisk until thoroughly combined and heat over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until mixture thickens and begins to reduce, about 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add butter and whisk until it disappears. Set pumpkin butter aside.
While waiting for pumpkin butter to cool, assemble the brie pumpkin.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
On a floured surface, roll puff pastry into a large square, about 10 inches.
Transfer puff pastry to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread pecans in the center, about the size of the brie wheel. Add about ½ of the pumpkin butter on top of the pecans. Place brie on top of the pumpkin butter.
Wrap puff pastry around brie and pinch edges to seal it.
Use kitchen twine to create pumpkin-like indentations, tie and trim. Flip wrapped brie so that the kitchen twine knots are on the bottom.
Brush the top of the brie pumpkin with egg wash.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow pumpkin to cool for about 5-10 minutes, then carefully cut away twine. Add a pretzel stick to center and garnish with greenery. Serve warm with crackers or crostini.
Note: You will have extra pumpkin butter. Store the remaining pumpkin butter in the refrigerator and enjoy on toast.
Makes 8 servings.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Loaf
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
½ cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
3 tsp. cinnamon
For Pecan Streusel Topping:
¼ cup cinnamon sugar mixture
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup light brown sugar
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick baking spray with flour and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.
In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup granulated sugar and 3 tsp. cinnamon to create cinnamon sugar mixture. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Add dry ingredients, a little at a time, to wet ingredients. Stir in pumpkin until completely combined.
Pour 1⁄3 of batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with a heaping Tbsp. of cinnamon sugar mixture. Top with batter and, again, sprinkle cinnamon sugar. Top with remaining batter and another Tbsp. of cinnamon sugar. *The remaining cinnamon sugar will be used for the streusel.
Use a long skewer or butter knife and swirl batter.
To remaining cinnamon sugar mixture, add flour, brown sugar, butter and pecans for topping. It will be crumbly. Add to top of batter.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool on a baking rack for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan.
Makes 1 9 x 5-inch loaf.
