Pumpkin Week 2012 - Pumpkin Cake…Literally :)

So at first I wasn’t sure how to end Pumpkin Week 2012, but then my sister, Meredith, was coming for a visit and since I wasn’t there for her birthday I decided to make her a cake.  I was inspired by yesterday’s post of favourites.  Amanda from I Am Baker’s pumpkin cake.  Well not the high tech innards, but just the pumpkin design itself.

So I made her this cake.

The cake itself is a chocolate pumpkin cake and it’s iced with a vanilla bean buttercream.

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Cake

For Two 10x 2-inch cakes (55-70mins)

• 4 cups plus 2 tbls flour
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tbls cocoa
• 2 scant tsp baking soda
• 2 scant tsp baking powder
• 2/3 tsp salt
• 5 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 3 sticks unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 scant cups sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2tbls packed light brown sugar

1. Preheat oven t 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
3. Cream butter, pumpkin puree and sugars together.
4. Add eggs, one at a time.
5. Alternate adding yogurt and flour mix until just combined.
6. Divide into three 9” pans.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let cool and ice.

Recipe: Vanilla Bean Buttercream

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup shortening
• 8 cups icing sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1. Cream butter and shortening together.
2. Add icing sugar.
3. Add milk 1/4 at a time.  If too firm add more milk 1 tbsp at a time.
4. Add vanilla bean paste.
5. Colour as required.

I hope you enjoyed this years Pumpkin Week, I know I did!  Until next year.

Also don’t forget that I’m holding a Jack-O-Lantern contest.  Your carved pumpkins or a decorated version (cake or cookie).  Just upload them to my Facebook page or email me your submission at trilogyedibles@hotmail.com.  The judges are my daughters, so I take no accountability :)  The prize will be fun and yet to be purchased. There will be one for carved and one for edible. It’s just a totally fun contest.  So let’s see your fun pumpkins.

Thanks for looking!

Pumpkin Week 2012 - The Favourites!

Everyone who reads a blog always wonders what the bloggers favourites are, so I asked several of my and yours favourite bloggers what their favourite pumpkin recipe was or their favourite pumpkin themed treat was and this is what they said!

Haniela’s – Hani’s favourite from this year is her Black Cat Chevron Pumpkin Cookies

The Baked Equation – Melissa sent in two of her favourites.  Her’s is Pumpkin Spice Caramel Corn

And Melissa’s favourite from another blogger are the Pumpkin Fritters from Not Your Momma’s Cookie. 

Sweetology – Trisha’s favourite recipe are her Pumpkin Kolache’s with Cinnamon Cream

Sweet Things Toronto – Juanita submitted the most adorable Halloween themed cake (with a pumpkin) that I’ve ever seen.

Flour Box Bakery – Anne’s anything but a jack-o-lantern cookies are so amazing.  I love that she didn’t feel the need to make them the expected way!

The 21st Century Housewife – April submitted her favourite pumpkin cake from a post earlier this fall.

Jill FCS – Jill, as you know spear headed the Go Bo Bake sale and wanted to share with you LilaLoa’s awesome cookies as her favourites from this year!  In her words “Not only are these modern and funky and awesome, but they were designed and made by the biggest heart ever. They totally epitomize Bo’s message — “Love each other, help each other, have your neighbor's back. If you see someone in need — even a stranger — reach out and help. This world can be a better place if we care and help each other.”

Sparkling Sugar Sweets – Brandy went a different way, she decided to share with you her favourite pumpkin dog treat.

Bake at 350 – Bridget shares with you her favourite pumpkin chocolate chip bar that she says they make every year!

Crazy For Crust – Dorothy wanted to share her Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Biscoff crust and Meringue Ghosts!  These are super cute indeed!

The Partiologist – Kim submitted the cutest pumpkins imaginable with her Popcorn Ball Pumpkins. 

MyCakeSchool.com – Melissa, as you know, makes some pretty amazing cakes and shares her tips on her website but she wanted to submit I Am Baker’s fun surprise cake – “I Am Baker has my vote for her surprise on the inside pumpkin cake from a while back-- it makes me smile!”

I want to thank all these amazing bloggy friends for participating in this years Pumpkin Week 2012!

I hope you’ll stop by each one and tell them hi from me :)

Thanks for looking!

Pumpkin Week 2012–Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

So if you are new to Trilogy Edibles you may not know that our family is crazy nuts for brownies.  I’ve made them several ways.  When thinking up different recipes to use for this years Pumpkin Week, I knew I had to make a brownie.

Sure, anyone can just throw pumpkin in place of some of the butter, but I wanted to make these extra special.

Now after all the raspberry swirl cheesecake bars, I guess the swirl was the way to go.  But my regular brownie recipe has the cocoa incorporated early and then I thought, it’s time for a switch up.  So I kept the cocoa out and when the batter was made, I then split it in half and put 2/3rds the cocoa into one half and 1/2 cup pumpkin into the other.

The pumpkin side was much thinner than the chocolate but when swirled, it came together quite beautifully.  These are moist and light and just fabulous tasting, certainly giving the original a run for it’s money.

Recipe:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Melt butter and add in sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs and vanilla.
2. Divide into two bowls.
3. In first bowl, add pumpkin puree and mix together.
4. In second bowl, add cocoa and chocolate chips.  Mix together.
5. In prepared 8”x8” square pan, pour in chocolate batter.
6. Pour the pumpkin batter on top of chocolate and then stir to get a swirl.  Since the chocolate is thicker, you’ll need to stir from the bottom up.
7. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until knife inserted comes out clean.
8. Let cool and cut into squares.
9. Enjoy!

These were pretty damn good warm (sometimes a girl just can’t wait).  I think I’ve gained all the weight I’ve lost with all these pumpkin recipes.

Thanks for looking!

Treat Day Wednesday–Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oh yes, I pumpkinized treat day but shhhhh don’t tell the kids:)  Well not yet anyway.

Sometimes you gotta do whatever you can to get them to try different things. To Abby and Rowan these are just chocolate chip cookies and the girls just gobble them up.  What they really are, are pumpkin in place of half the butter, so in fact they are low fat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies :)

Is it wrong to lie to your kids?  Absolutely!  I totally told them what was in them after they said they loved them.

Recipe:

• 1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Cream butter, pumpkin and sugars until fluffy.
2. Add egg and vanilla.
3. Add the remaining dry ingredients.
4. Using a small ice cream, scoop onto baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
5. Let cool
6. Enjoy!

These cookies are delish (the dough is pretty awesome too, yes I ate some.  Don’t judge).  So next time you make cookies, replace half the butter with pumpkin.  Trust me!

Thanks for looking!

Pumpkin Week 2012 - Pumpkin Gingerbread Streusel Muffins

Day two of pumpkin week is upon us! I never thought that pumpkin was so versatile, so I am pleasantly surprised.  I mean I’ve been using pumpkin in place of oil for a long time, but rarely let the pumpkin shine for the main flavour.  As I was thinking up ideas for this years recipes, I tried to think of things that I thought would go together and I believe today’s combination is one that will stand the test of time.

Not only does pumpkin and chocolate go together, so does pumpkin and gingerbread!  I mean way better than I could have hoped for :)  I love gingerbread, both in cookie form and in loaf form.  Adding the pumpkin really makes a moist muffin and in my opinion, that’s essential.  There is nothing worse than a dry muffin.

Recipe:

Struesel:

• 1/4 unbleached flour
• 1/4 packed brown sugar
• 1/4 dry oats
• 2 tbsp cold butter

1. Combine flour, sugar and oats. 
2. Cut butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like lumpy oatmeal
3. Set aside.

Muffin:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp pumpkin spice mix
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. Add remaining ingredients and combine until well mixed.
3. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop into prepared muffin pan.
4. Top with streusel.
5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let cool and enjoy!

These would be an excellent addition to any brunch or with a big ol’ cup of tea (that’s how I roll)!

I hope you enjoyed today’s pumpkin recipe and thanks for looking!

Sharing With These Pages including Today’s Creative Blog

Pumpkin Week 2012–Pumpkin Spice Fudge Dip!

Welcome to 2012’s edition of Pumpkin Week.  Last year was a lot of fun, but I think the recipes I’ve put together for this week are even better.  I’ve also asked your favourite bloggers what their favourite recipes or pumpkin inspired cakes and cookies are and I’ll be compiling them on Friday.  Yup you’ll have to wait :)

First up, as the blog post title indicates is Pumpkin Spice Fudge Dip.  I LOVE FUDGE, my hips not so much.  Something about the sweetness and the crubliness (I know it’s not a word) makes fudge one of my all time favourite treats.  I thought, how would it work as a dip?  Well let me tell you, AWESOME!

Now there are many ways to make fudge but I think the easy fudge tastes just as good as the fudge that takes forever to make.  And really, who’s got that kind of time these days????  So that’s what I did.  I made the quick fudge and then by adding the pumpkin puree to it, kept the fudge super soft so it would work well as a dip.  Grab your favourite cookie or pie crust dippers and dip away!  Careful, it’s addictive and sadly not low calorie :)

Recipe:

• 1 pound white chocolate pieces
• 1 can condensed milk
• 4 tbsp pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice blend

1. In a medium saucepan over med-high heat, mix all ingredients together until chocolate melts.
2. Pour into bowl.
3. Chill until set.
4. Enjoy!

See! Simple, easy and divine!

So I hope you’ll stay with me this week for some pretty awesome pumpkin desserts!

Thanks for looking!