Pumpkin Pie meets Cheesecake

A few days ago we celebrated Thanksgiving. Mom put together a fine feast with help from Dad. Because of work and scheduling, I took a very minor role in this year's celebration: I was on taxi duty to pick up my brother and his girlfriend from the ferry terminal. This meant that I couldn't be at the house to help with the preparations.

Usually each year we have a big feast with all the fixings. And when it comes to dessert, we usually offer not only pumpkin pie but also an apple pie. However, this year time only permitted for one pie; a pumpkin pie. It was delicious; not too sweet, not too heavy. Mom whipped up some cream with Bailey's and it was perfect. The drawback was that there was no leftover pie, not even enough for a second piece.

Which leaves me still craving pumpkin pie a few days later. So today I thought I would combine two classic desserts that I enjoy making: pumpkin pie and cheesecake. I didn't want to make one big dessert, so I opted to make tarts instead. And to be honest, I cheated a little. I had a box of Kirkland brand tart shells from Cosco in the freezer, and I thought, "Well, why not? I gotta use them up sometime."

The tart shells completed, I started with the filling. I just more or less added things into the mixer and gave it a whirl until it looked about the right consistency.

2 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

3 eggs

4 tbsp SpiceBox Whiskey

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp ground ginger

dash ground cloves

Oh yes! Did I forget to mention the SpiceBox Whiskey? I love this stuff for fall baking. It gives pumpkin pies an ADULT flare. I also like adding it to brown butter frosting. Or pecan cookies. But those recipes are for another day.

Anyhow, everything into the mixer starting with the cream cheese. Once that was smooth and creamy, I just added everything else in and let 'er spin until well blended. Then I poured the mixture through a funnel into a couple empty ketchup bottles (the large ones) that I've kept for this purpose. They are so handy for filling tart shells or muffin tins or anything where you need to control the pour of the batter from one place to another. I digress.

I separated the frozen tarts shells onto a rimmed baking sheet. I decided not to let the tart shells thaw out because I knew the baking time for the pumpkin mixture would take about 20 minutes and I didn't want the pastry to over bake while the filling was still firming up. Once the tart shells were each filled 3/4 full, I popped the tray into the center of the 350 degree oven and let them bake for about 20 minutes. When the center filling was firm and slightly domed with small cracks and no jiggle, and the pastry shells were a nice golden brown, it was time to take them out and set them on a cooling rack. 

When the tarts had cooled down, the domes had flattened back down and the cracks sealed up. Because the filling is more dense than a fruit pie, pumpkin pie sweats a little as it cools. This causes the top of each tart to become slightly glossy and caramelized, almost a bit of a brulee effect. Perfect for topping with a little dollop of that Bailey's whipped cream. 

A Pocket Full of Memories

Today I put on a coat that I hadn’t worn in awhile. Since January.  Thursday, January 13^th to be exact. How do I know this? The contents in the pockets.

Have you ever put on a coat or a jacket that you haven’t worn in quite awhile and discovered forgotten treasures in the pockets? Money maybe, a receipt from the dry cleaners, a candy from that restaurant you went to on your birthday.

The contents forgotten in a pocket often bring back sharp memories of how they got there. Take for example the items in my coat pocket.  A favorite hair clip that I had decided was gone forever. Did I remember that I had put it in my pocket back then? No. But today when I found it I remember clear as day that I wore it to the opera. Lucia di Lammermoor to be exact.

A lip balm. I’m always losing lip balms. And eventually, as is the case with today’s discovery . . . I find them again.

But the most poignant treasure was a little slip of paper with a name, a location time, and a number.  “So-and-so – Starbuck’s – 5:30 – 555-555-1234”. Written hastily in red and torn off a notepad.  And for a moment a hundred memories came rushing back. And it made me smile a little to myself.  The journey I have taken since that little piece of paper. The lessons I had to learn, what the heartache needed to teach me; the stronger person I am today.  Ah, if only I had known then what I know now.

I put the note back in the pocket. I may need to remind myself again one day.

. . the Pumpkins are coming, the Pumpkins are coming . . .!

look what has been growing in the fields around our house ! Just a couple weeks ago they were still green and hidden under the leaves. But then the sun came out for a few warm days and Presto ! . . .Pumpkins.

These certainly look like the ideal pumpkins for Halloween . . .bright orange, smooth surface, nice and round. But shape doesn't really matter when using pumpkin in recipes. I mean, does the pumpkin pie really concern itself with how it was shaped beforehand? Probably not. Still, the nice shape and lovely fall color do inspire me to be creative in the kitchen. Pumpkin Pie anyone?

Boots for a Fall Friday

It may be September, and the weather may still be warm . . but oh, how I crave these GORGEOUS boots from Rene Caovilla !

. .like pumpkin and spice and everything nice about fall !

Fall is in the Air

This morning I definitely felt the air was crisper and decidedly cooler. Walking to my studio I could see that the color of the leaves on the trees has really started to change. My observations were solidified by a large noisy flock of Canadian geese flying overhead. Gone are the languid and lazy days of summer. Fall is finally here.

The official autumnal equinox took place this year at 12:55am this morning, and marked the beginning of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere (those lucky enough to be living in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate vernal equinox and are marking the beginning of Spring . . .oh, to be in New Zealand or Australia right now!)

Sadly, from now until the winter solstice on December 21, the days get will shorter. Luckily in Vancouver we still get a number of sunny clear days in September and into October. However, the temperatures will continue to get colder as we tilt further and further away from the sun.

The good news is that this will provide the best conditions for producing colorful fall foliage - clear days followed by cool nights. If there is too much rain, or early frosts and freezing temperatures, then the colors won't be as vibrant. But too little rain and the leaves fall from the trees before they've even had a chance to change color. Instead of yellows and reds, the leaves quickly turn brown and die.

When I was young(er) my brother and I used to love piling up the colored leaves in our yard and jumping into them.

Then we would have to rake them up, only to jump into them again. This continued until the time a little slug found its’ way from the underside of one of the leaves into my mouth. At six years old, this was traumatic and promptly ended my days of jumping into piles of leaves. But I still have to give a little smile each time I see a small child running through the leaves. And I will admit I still find delight when I shuffle my feet through the fallen dry leaves and listen as they crackle and swirl up underneath me.

Happy Autumnal Equinox !

These Boots Were Made For Walking . . .

The cool weather of fall has definately arrived in Vancouver and along with it the rain. That means one thing for footwear . . BOOTS !

Personally, I can't think of any redeeming features of UGG boots or the woolly mammoth things I've been seeing some people wearing. I mean, how attractive is strapping two dead beavers around your calves before heading out the door?

That being said, every wardrobe should have a good pair of stylish boots (although judging by the lovely lady to the left, that's about all she's got in her wardrobe right now).

over the knee stretch boots from Victoria Secret

I had been looking for a great pair of everyday boots for some time. Sure, I already had a half dozen or so pairs in my closet, but either one was too tall or the other I didn't really care for the zipper. Then while browsing through the stalls at the flea markets in Amsterdam . . . I found them. My perfect boots. They are black leather to-the-knee riding boots, lined inside and with a low profile heel. I put them on and they just fit so perfectly and were so instantly comfortable I wore them walking around the canals for the next 4 hours. And at €20.00, how could I not buy them? I found out later after I googled the brand name that JJ Footwear has been a making custom sized boots in Holland for over 80 years, and my flea market find was roughly a $350.00 steal of a deal.

The right (emphasis on "right") pair of boots can add class to a pair of jeans and a dress shirt worn on casual Fridays at the office or can be worn with a jersey t-shirt dress and tights for a night out. Classic boots will also last many seasons and are definitely worth the investment.

1. Black boot by Prada, $1,200,
2. Animal print boot by Manolo Blahnik, $1,495,
3. Caramel boot by Gianni Barbato, $1,535,
4. Brown crocodile boot, by Rocco P, $1,195,
5. Patent leather Dolce & Gabbana boot, $1,450,
6. Greenwich flat high boot, by Louis Vuitton, $1,490,
7. Dexter boot, $268 at Anthropologie,
8. Cherry-picked boot, $228, at Anthropologie

Look for classic styles in fun fall colors such as rust red or plum purple. Again, pair these with dark denim, a white shirt, a wide belt and some draping gold jewelry for a chic polished look, as shown by these ladies below:

Happy Shopping and Keep on Walking . . .