4 delicious ways to freshen up your pumpkin baking this fall
This year, instead of celebrating pumpkin season with a traditional pie, consider showcasing the iconic golden squash in one of these desserts, each sourced from a different cookbook coming out this fall
osting a fall brunch? Try wowing guests with a Pumpkin Bundt Cake topped with a maple cream glaze. It has all the traditional pumpkin-pie spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice — with a maple- mascarpone glaze that takes it over the top. The recipe hails from New York food writer Samantha Seneviratne, whose new cookbook, “Bake Smart: Sweets and Secrets from My Oven to Yours” (( Harvest), hits bookstores on Nov. 7.
Looking for a show-stopping bake of the maximalist variety? Try the ambitious Pumpkin Cannoli Cheesecake Cake, which comes courtesy of Molly Baz, the former Bon Appetit food editor and online-video host whose first cookbook, 2021’s “Cook This Book,” rocketed up The New York Times’ bestseller list. She’s following that debut with another cookbook, “More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen” ( publishing Oct. 10 from Clarkson Potter) that emphasizes her love of bold, bracing f lavors — more garlic, more vinegar, more mortadella, more … well, basically everything.
Want a decadent and chocolaty take on pumpkin pie? Look for inspiration from Michael Symon, the grinning, shiny-pated genie of so many realityfood shows. He and Douglas Trattner teamed up to write “Simply Symon Suppers” (Clarkson Potter), a compendium of 165 recipes that includes a silky chocolate pumpkin pie recipe.
For a more straightforward, travel-friendly bake, throw some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies in the oven. That recipe comes from Colleen Worthington, cofounder of Kneaders Bakery and Cafe, which has locations across Western states from Nevada to Colorado.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Maple Cream
Source: “Bake Smart: Sweets and Secrets from My Oven to Yours,” by Samantha Seneviratne (Harvest). Serves 10. Adjusted for high altitude.
INGREDIENTS For the cake:
4 sticks (1 pound) butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 pound powdered sugar 4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 (15- ounce) can pumpkin puree (about 2 cups)
For the maple cream:
1/2 cup mascarpone 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon whole milk, as needed
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 12- cup Bundt pan. (Use a pastry brush and soft butter and make sure to get into every ridge.)
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Fold in the pumpkin.
Tip the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Rap the pan on the counter to knock out any air bubbles. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 70 to 75 minutes. Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.
Prepare the maple cream: In a small bowl, stir together the mascarpone, maple syrup and powdered sugar. Stir in a little milk, if necessary, to adjust the consistency; the cream should be thin enough for drizzling. Drizzle the cream over the top of the cooled cake to serve.
Pumpkin- Cannoli Cheesecake Cake
Source: “More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen,” by Molly Baz. Makes one 9-inch cake.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pan
1¼ cups raw, shelled pistachios (6 ounces)
1½ ounces crystallized ginger
1 orange
1 pound fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese
4 large eggs, divided use 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided use
2½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided use
2 tablespoons vanilla extract, divided use 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger 1 (15- ounce) can pumpkin puree
DIRECTIONS
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper cut to fit, if you’d like to more easily transfer the baked cake to a plate or cake stand to serve. Grease the parchment.
Make the cannoli cheesecake topping: Coarsely chop 1¼ cups raw, shelled pistachios. Set aside 2 handfuls for sprinkling later on. Transfer the remaining pistachios to a large bowl.
Finely chop 1½ ounces crystallized ginger (you should have 1/4 cup). Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of 1 orange in strips. Thinly slice them lengthwise. Now thinly slice the strips crosswise to finely chop.
Add the orange zest and crystallized ginger to the pistachios, along with 1 pound ricotta cheese, 2 large eggs, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk vigorously until smooth. Set the ricotta mixture aside for now.
Make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2½ cups all-purpose flour, cinnamon, cardamom, baking powder, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, freshly grated nutmeg and baking soda.
Finely grate enough of the 2-inch piece of fresh ginger to measure 1 heaping tablespoon. Add that to a large bowl, along with the remaining 2 large eggs, remaining 1½ cups sugar, the pumpkin puree and remaining 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
Add 1 cup vegetable oil and whisk until incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients in 2 batches, stirring just until no floury bits remain.
Assemble and bake: Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Add the ricotta mixture on top and spread it to the edges in an even layer.
Scatter the reserved pistachios over the top.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake layer comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen it. Release the cake, place on a wire rack and let cool before slicing. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
Source: “Simply Symon Suppers,” by Michael Symon and Douglas Trattner (Clarkson Potter). Makes one 9-inch pie
INGREDIENTS
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons ice- cold water
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 (15- ounce) can pure pumpkin
1 (12- ounce) can evaporated milk
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
DIRECTIONS
The pie crust: In a food processor, combine the flour, butter, salt and granulated sugar and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with small marbles of butter remaining. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of ice water and pulse until crumbly and the dough holds together when squeezed. If the dough appears too dry, sprinkle in another tablespoon or two of cold water, being careful to not overmix the dough. Transfer the dough to a plastic bag, press into the shape of a disc and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch round. Carefully press the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the dough to leave a 1-inch overhang all around. Flute or fold under the excess dough. Fit a large piece of parchment paper into the pie shell and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Leave the oven on but reduce the temperature to 325 degrees.
The filling: In the top of a double boiler set over medium-low heat, combine the semisweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate and butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves and stir to combine. Fold in the melted chocolate.
Place the pie pan on a baking sheet, pour the filling into the pie crust, and bake until the filling is set, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until cooled completely before serving.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: “Kneaders Bakery & Café: A Celebration of Our Best Recipes and Memories,” by Colleen Worthington (Shadow Mountain). Worthington is the cofounder of the Kneaders chain, which has locations from Nevada to Colorado. Makes 6 dozen cookies. Adjusted for high altitude.
INGREDIENTS
3 sticks butter, softened 1½ cups brown sugar 2 eggs, slightly whisked 1 (16- ounce) can pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger 1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed, cream together butter and brown sugar until butter starts to lighten and the mixture becomes fluffy.
Add eggs and pumpkin puree. Mix for one minute on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix again for one minute.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low speed for one more minute until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate and the nuts or raisins, if desired, by hand. Using a 2- ounce cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop into 2-inch balls. Place on baking pans lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15—17 minutes, until the outside edges are brown. Remove from the oven and let sit on the pan for 10 minutes to finish baking, then transfer to cooling racks.