They call me easily amused, but at least I have a good time…

My Thoughts: If I’m only able to try one pumpkin cheesecake this season, then it’s just gotta be Sara Lee – nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee…
Ingredients for Success: 1 part awesome cheesecake, 1 part awesome pumpkin pie, 1cup of Sara Lee’s enthusiasm for making superior baked goods
Flavor: The only way this could’ve possibly been any better would be if I had thought to drizzle a little of that Smucker’s Pumpkin Spice Topping over top … and I might just do that with my next piece tomorrow!  Simply put, this cheesecake is a pumpkin dessert at its finest – a nice and heavy, but still smooth (not dry), and every single bite was infused with a wonderful pumpkin spice flavor.  Heavenly…
Value: Sara Lee also gets a bonus star for not only producing a delicious pumpkin cheesecake, but also an affordable cheesecake.  I picked up this baby at Wal-Mart for a mere $5.99, which compared to the whopping $17.99 that Target wanted for a Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake that I saw the other day, is quite the sweet bargain!

Cake or Bread?: They call it cake, however note that I picked it up off the shelf because it looked like what I truly think pumpkin bread should look like.
How Should Pumpkin Bread Look?: Soft & very moist, with a shiny, pumpkin-y “sheen” across the top.
How Should Pumpkin Bread Taste?: Well, in the abridged version – better than this.
Elaboration: While Wal-Mart’s cake/bread had the consistency that I’ve been searching for in a good pumpkin cake/bread item, it just didn’t taste like pumpkin and not for nothing, but that’s a pretty important part of what we’re looking for around here!  I really wanted this one to work, but true to Wal-Mart form, looks can often be deceiving.  Upon opening the container, the entire batch as a whole did have a very faint scent of pumpkin, but one bite and they could’ve just called it really moist, but no one distinct flavor cake/bread.

Caveat: Don’t let yourself get caught up on the name – it’s really just cream cheese.
Found At: Super Target (where else this year?!)
Flavor: Yes!!!  This, baby, is the real deal – a delicious, creamy, cheesy spread for your breakfast eatables that brings forth the sweet flavors of pumpkin without tasting absolutely horrible.  As with many pumpkin-based foods, the color truly speaks of the flavor – very good, indeed.
Try It On…: I had mine on a fresh, plain bagel to ensure that I really got to savor the flavor, but I’m sure it would go equally well on other breakfast pastries as well.

Foreward: After the last less than favorable post regarding pumpkin pie, I felt it was necessary to end Thanksgiving on more of a high note…
First Impression: Jackpot!
Flavor Scale: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being awesome, this tasty treat definitely scores an 11!  I originally snagged this jar in the ice cream section as a new way to spice up a sundae, but tonight we proved that ice cream is only the beginning of this topping’s arsenal.  Boasting the consistency of caramel, but with a very distinct and sweet pumpkin flavor, this is by far the single best pumpkin flavor additive that I’ve discovered this season, hands down!  A rich aroma makes clear that you’ve got a great topping from the moment you’ve removed the lid, and once it’s been drizzled across the dessert of your choice – look out!  I first tried it on a piece of New York-style cheesecake from The HoneyBaked Ham Company with amazing results, and I’m sure by the end of the weekend I’ll have tested it on actual ice cream as well.
Buy Factor: This stuff is so good I’m definitely picking up a second jar to stash away for a rainy day – the expiration on my current jar isn’t until 2010, so there’s definitely no worry of spoilage.  The only challenge you may face is in actually finding the stuff – I found my at Target, but I’ve yet to see it at any other grocery store, so keep your eyes peeled and it nothing else, this is one pumpkin flavor that’s definitely worth a road trip!

Origin: Village Inn boasts that their pies are the best in America, so it seemed only fitting to put that claim to the test on this most thankful of days.
Flavor: Ummm … so-so at best? It was definitely a pumpkin pie by definition, but not really anything spectacular and certainly not the best … at least not by this pumpkin aficionado’s standards. The crust was very dry and flaky and didn’t retain any of the pumpkin flavor at all, and even the filling itself seemed too thick / not moist enough for my tastes.
Caveat: It seemed somewhat obligatory that I feature a pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, of all days, but was just too lazy to actually make one myself…which is clearly what I should’ve done in the first place. I hereby promise to do this one right sometime before the end of the year and whip up a real pumpkin pie in my own kitchen, complete with the graham cracker crust that beats the pants off of that crusty, dry stuff…

Another Pie Side Note: While not specifically pumpkin-related, we also sampled a second pie from Village Inn as well – their French Silk Pie which is basically a “highly regarded” chocolate cream topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings – and not for nothing, but it wasn’t really anything fantastic, either. I mean, it was pretty to look at, but in terms of the best pie in America? Didn’t even come close. Just food for thought…

In a Word: Yummy.
In Several More Words: Wow – what a find!  I honestly didn’t really expect to find too many more pumpkin treats this time of year as we make our way into Christmastime, but low and behold as I wandered throughout Super Target earlier this evening in search of the ingredients for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving feast, who knew I would stumble upon such greatness?!  Once again, the Target Bakery delivers awesomeness in the form of dessert!
Flavor: Almost as good as the pumpkin cookies that my own Mom makes, with a delicious combination of chocolate and pumpkin these little puppies are nearly just as good.  And although I could clearly see the chunks of white chocolate in the cookies, it honestly didn’t taste as much specifically like white chocolate as merely chocolate in general, which seems to result in a great combination.  My only disappointment was that there were only six cookies in the package, and those certainly didn’t last long around our house…
Recommendation: There was only a single package of these left on the shelf and I nearly passed them by because I was in such a hurry to finish shopping and get home, but if you happen to see them in your local Target bakery in the next couple of weeks, I highly recommend spending the $3.49 for this little piece of heaven!

Level of Surprise & Excitement: high!!!
Explanation: I know that I’ve been slacking a little with regards to pumpkin ice creams this year, but in my defense I only saw Edy’s Pumpkin Ice Cream in the store a handful of times and by the time I had the room in our freezer to warrant picking up a carton, they’d already been shifted aside in favor of the Peppermint and Eggnog flavors for Christmas. If anybody, I had always expected the great Ben & Jerry to be the ones to put out an awesome pumpkin-flavored ice cream, but never did I find such a flavor … until this limited edition kind of day.
Flavor in Comparison: Last year I reveled in the flavors of Edy’s and Cold Stone, but in comparison neither hold a candle to Ben & Jerry’s – simply put, this was an awesome carton of ice cream! It tackled the delectable combination of pumpkin and cheesecake previously sampled a la muffin, but did it better. Smooth, creamy, and full of a rich pumpkin flavor in every spoonful.
Ranking with Regards to Other Ben & Jerry’s Flavors: Fairly high, at least in my opinion. My favorites have always been Peanut Butter Cup, Karamel Sutra, and of course, the always patriotic Stephen Colbert’s AmeriCone Dream, but as seasonal substitute, Pumpkin Cheesecake is a nice addition to the catalog and I would certainly welcome its presence in freezer sections on a more regular basis!

Appropriate Tagline: “Not just for coffee anymore!”
Back Story: I’ve actually been passing this stuff on the shelves for the last two months, but always passed it by because except for a few rare exceptions, I really don’t drink coffee.  Nonetheless, I do enjoy a nice hot chocolate on the occasional chilly winter day here in Florida and have had my eye out unsuccessfully for some type of pumpkin hot chocolate mix all season.  It actually wasn’t until seeing some of the Christmas holiday varieties (candy cane, gingerbread, etc…) that I thought maybe it might be worth a try as a way to spruce up my hot chocolate after all…
Mission: Accomplished!: Seriously, I should’ve picked up a bottle of this stuff two months ago – wow!  A seemingly perfect blend of pumpkin and the associated spices, and I think it worked even better simply because I wasn’t having to taste around the coffee flavor that I’m not particularly fond of.  If this stuff didn’t have an expiration date on it, I’d pick up an extra bottle to hide away for a rainy day.
Final Recommendation: Hurry to your local grocer’s dairy section and try to pick up a bottle while you still can!  Granted, the gingerbread flavor sounds interesting, too, but then again, this website isn’t exactly called Love Me Some Gingerbread, now is it???

Mental Note: website idea for when I finally run out of pumpkin options…

Source: side of the box recipe from Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread
Ease of Construction: Not too bad, except it’s kinda hard to cite a timeframe on this particular baking project because halfway through I realized that I was all out of plain, old white sugar and had to run to the store.  Pretty straight-forward recipe, though.
The “Oops” Factor: It’s kind of tough to tell from the photos, but about ten minutes out of the oven these puppies sank like there’s no tomorrow and I have no idea why!  Any ideas?
Flavor: While not the prettiest to look at, these muffins were quite awesome and I’d eagerly bake them again this season if it weren’t for so many other recipes that I still want to give a try!  The only addition that I could possibly suggest would be to consider some way to help flavor the cream cheese filling – granted, I did omit the small quantity of lemon peel from the recipe because I hate lemon and maybe that would’ve helped, but all in the same, maybe a little extra pumpkin spice or something?

Either way, still a quite tasty recipe – great for breakfast or in my case, a very late night snack!