Dessert Quest Recipes

After quite a few people asking me for the recipes of this years dessert options, here they are, in time for you to make them for your Thanksgiving!!




Mile High Pumpkin Caramel Pie: I found this YEARS ago in a Rachael Ray Magazine. It was a fan submission, and thankfully I wrote it down since I threw out the magazine on accident one day. I am not sure if it's online, especially since I changed the name and can't remember the original one, but if you want to search for the original one, go for it.

Mile-High Pumpkin-Caramel Pie

Ingredients

• 24 Squares chocolate graham crackers, crushed (1 ½ cups)
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 LG egg white, plus 3 whole eggs
• 2 ¾ cups heavy cream
• 1 15-oz can pure pumpkin puree
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp salt
• 28 caramel candies
• 1 oz bittersweet chocolate for grating

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir the graham cracker crumbs and butter until combined. Press the mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of the 9-inch pie pan; freeze until set, about 15 minutes. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork and lightly brush on the pie shell. Bake for 10 minutes; let cool.

• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the 3 whole eggs, 1 cup cream, the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt until just combined. Pour into the pie shell and bake until just set, 40-45 minutes. Let cool slightly, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• In a bowl, microwave the caramels with ½ cup cream at high power until melted, about 1 ½ minutes. Stir until smooth, then let cool to room temperature.
• Using an electric mixer, whip the remaining 1 ¼ cups cream until soft peaks form. Drizzle in the caramel and beat until well blended. Spoon the caramel whipped cream on top of the pumpkin filling and refrigerate until completely chilled. Before serving, coarsely grate the chocolate on top of the pie.

Brownie Pecan Pie: This I actually received in my inbox today from one of my all time favorite blogs in the world: www.bakerella.com. I haven't tried it, but, it does sound and look super yummy!!

http://www.bakerella.com/my-kind-of-pie/

(this below is copied directly from her blog)

Brownie Pecan Pie

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SUPER-FUDGY VERSION
3/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon self-rising flour
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups pecans

1 package brownie mix and ingredients listed on the box

2 frozen deep dish pie shells

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OR

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BROWNIE BASE VERSION
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon self-rising flour
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups pecans

1 package brownie mix and ingredients listed on the box

2 frozen regular pie shells

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• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place brown sugar in a large bowl and work out lumps. Add flour and stir together until the flour disappears.
• Add corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until thoroughly until combined.
• Add melted butter. Fold into mixture until it disappears.
• Loosely beat two eggs in a separate bowl and fold into mixture until the eggs disappear.
• Stir in pecans and set aside.
• Prepare brownie batter as instructed on package.
• Remove two frozen pies shells from freezer and divide brownie batter evenly between the two. (Deep dish for fudgy version and regular-size for the brownie version.)
• Spoon pecan pie mixture evenly between the two pie shells.
• Bake fudgy deep dish version for about 40-45 minutes. Place a large sheet of foil across the top of the two pies for the last 10-15 minutes to avoid pie crust from browning too much.
• Bake brownie regular pie shell version for about 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool.

FYI – The fudgy version is really good refrigerated and I liked the brownie version best at room temperature.

And lastly, the Chocolate and Pumpkin Pie Shortbread Bars. These are from another of my favorite blogs (I seem to follow a lot of these things) Picky Palate. www.picky-palate.com

http://picky-palate.com/2010/09/23/chocolate-and-pumpkin-pie-shortbread-bars/

(below is copied and pasted directly from her blog)


Chocolate and Pumpkin Pie Shortbread Bars

2 sticks softened butter

1 Cup granulated sugar

1/4 Cup packed light brown sugar

1 3/4 Cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 Cups canned pumpkin

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 Cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips

Sprinkles of choice if desired

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined.  Slowly add in flour and salt until dough forms.  Press into the bottom of an 8×8 inch baking dish that’s been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

2.  To prepare pumpkin layer, mix pumpkin sugar, cream, eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg into a mixing bowl until well combined.  Pour over shortbread layer.  Bake for 45 minutes or until pumpkin layer is golden brown.

3.  Let cool for 30 minutes then cut into bars.  Melt chocolate over a double broiler or in microwave until smooth then spread over bars.  Sprinkle with white sprinkles if desired and serve room temperature or chill until ready to serve.

12 bars