FYI: It’s official – I have a new favorite pumpkin pie!
In March?!: Yeah, I know – go figure!
Exposé: Lost in the mysterious depths of my freezer, I had completely forgotten about this pumpkin pie that I had picked up from HoneyBaked last Thanksgiving along with their highly-praised turkey, but with incessantly cold weather lately and an explicit vacancy in the dessert portion of our menu the other night, March seemed like as good a month as any to partake in a little comfort food of the pumpkin variety!
Praise: Right out of the oven, the filling literally melts in your mouth, but that’s not to say that it wasn’t just as good once cooled down, either.  A perfect blend of cinnamon and pumpkin results in a pie that’s sweet, but not too sweet, and most certainly stands out from your average, run of the mill pumpkin pie that’s touted every which way come the months of autumn.  Seriously, I’ve never tasted a pumpkin pie that’s both this memorable and this good.
Regrets: If I have but one, it’s simply that I probably won’t be able to snag another until Thanksgiving rolls around again, but it definitely makes creating the holiday feast a little easier knowing that I can snag both the turkey and the pie from the same place!  I know that another nine months from now, I’ll certainly be thankful for this blessing of a pumpkin pie…

Mantra: Sometimes the best-laid plans … suck.
Exposition: I’ve been looking forward to making this variation on pumpkin pie ever since the cookbook arrived in the mail, but I’ve got to say that there was a certain level of disappointment when I pulled my own attempt from the oven and couldn’t help but notice that it, well, didn’t look quite like the picture. It’s hard to tell with the photo above, especially also lacking the original cookbook photo for comparison, but just follow me that the streusel on top was intended to look a lot more crumbly and a lot less, how do I say … poop-like.
Groans…: I know, I know…
For What It’s Worth…: The flavor behind this pie is still present and actually quite nice – the ginger definitely gives it a bit of a kick, and the streusel even still tastes pretty good … unfortunately it’s appearance just leaves something to be desired.  If I made it again I’d probably add in some extra cookies to the streusel recipe – I think making it just a little drier would’ve made a big difference.
The Recipe: Unfortunately I can’t link to the actual recipe because Pillsbury doesn’t seem to have this one online, however you can find it in the November 2009 / Thanksgiving edition of their cookbook series.  Alternatively, although you didn’t hear it from me, if you try Googling the title of this post, there might be a couple of other blogs at the top of the search results that have posted this same recipe unofficially…  *wink wink *

Preface: With advance apologies to my local Publix Bakery, as I think I may not have exactly the correct name for this delicious, albeit extremely rich treat…
Inspiration: Sometimes great pumpkin treats appear when you least expect them, such as in this case, where a simple trip to the store for baking supplies also turned up a great option for dessert as well!
The Breakdown: The cake – incredibly moist, no doubt thanks partially to the cream, and also bearing a very sweet pumpkin flavor … this is what so many pumpkin desserts that I sample should taste like, but often times fall short of the mark.  The frosting – a sort of cream cheese blend, was incredibly sweet – pretty much what you would expect (and enjoy!) on a carrot cake, and I’ve got to say that the combination works equally well with pumpkin, too.  The crumble topping – this was a bit of a mystery to me because the rest of the cake and frosting was so overwhelming that I honestly didn’t really pay much attention to it, but I’m pretty sure even just by looking back at its appearance that it had some flavor to it also.
Recommend?: Definitely – this one probably takes the cake so far as the best pumpkin dessert that I’ve tasted this year!   I should probably also note that I did circle back later on in the week to see if I could jot down the name for this post and they didn’t have any out at the time, so I’m not sure how often even during the holiday season they have this little treat available … needless to say, if you find yourself passing by the bakery case and notice some on display, you’re most certainly going to want to pick up a slice or three for dessert that night while you can.

Salutations: Welcome to Nostalgia 101!
History: These cookies bring back a lot of great memories from my childhood.  My Mom has always been really big into the holidays with decorating around the house and singing the songs and just generally getting everyone else in the spirit of whatever season it may be, so it kind of goes without saying that she jumped at every opportunity to come in and help with all of the Halloween and Christmas and Easter parties that we would have at school during my elementary years.  Her cookies in particular have always been a distinct favorite, so it seemed only fitting to feature her Halloween specialty when I started writing this blog.
Contents: I don’t have the exact recipe handy, however I can certainly say that these are definitely very authentic pumpkin cookies, in that they’re very dense and you can taste the rich flavor of pumpkin from your very first bite.  The frosting is a simple buttercream frosting that she uses for just about everything from cakes to cookies to brownies, so it’s very sweet.  The smiley decorations to give our pumpkins their faces are simply M&Ms here, although I do remember that on occasion she would also make use of candy corn as well.
Benchmark Revealed: With this post, I’m going to be honest and say that at least as far as desserts are concerned, these cookies are very clearly the benchmark to which all other baked pumpkin goods are compared … and not simply because my Mom makes them, but because they’re truly delicious.  There’s no skimping on the pumpkin – you know from the moment you see that goofy smile exactly what you’re getting into, and these cookies soundly deliver on flavor as well as fun.  What better way to relive your childhood than through a cookie that smiles back at you?!

Preemptive Note: Don’t judge this piece of cheesecake solely by the picture above…
Furthermore: In fact, go here to Olive Garden’s website and check out their promotional photo for yourself before you even continue reading – it’s ok, we’ll wait!
Validation: See what I’m talking about?!
The Story: I actually picked up this slice of cheesecake last night after seeing a similarly persuasive photo in the restaurant, however a to-go box was in order because they don’t seem to believe in the concept of “portions” at Olive Garden.  Sadly as you might assume from the above photo, this delicious-looking dessert didn’t exactly travel well between the car and the refrigerator the following day.
Looks Aside: While not the best piece of pumpkin cheesecake I’ve ever had, it was still enjoyable and whatever remained of the caramel sauce and cookie crumbles added a nice bit of flavor and texture to each bite.
Verdict: Appearances aren’t everything – let the flavors speak for themselves.  Just for God’s sake, go easy on dinner so that you’ve got enough room for dessert!

Origin: “Treat” number two of three, as found on the dessert buffet during lunch in the Unicorn Cafe, where you can find hot dogs and hamburgers at midnight and fresh-made pizza 24-hours a day!  (sadly, no pumpkin pizza…)
Results: Ok, so I’m going to be blunt – this one sucked. It was the worst pumpkin pie I’ve ever tasted in my life, very easily the worst dessert I tasted on the entire cruise, and I barely even managed to eat the first bite before pushing it away for something more favorable.  I guess maybe the keyword diet should’ve been a clue, but oh well – as they say when you’re on a beautiful vacation in the tropics, life goes on!

Reminiscence: I remember fondly looking forward to Bob Evans when I used to live up in Northern Michigan, primarily because we didn’t have any IHOPs or Waffle Houses around, so it was pretty much the only place you could go to have breakfast at 7:30pm and after a long day’s work, sometimes there’s just nothing better than a hot stack of flapjacks with a side of bacon and a smile to help soothe the soul…
But on with the Pumpkin!: As you can see, this was a relatively small piece of pie – my entire meal, in fact, because I’d actually just recently eaten prior to killing some time during lunch with my in-laws, but as they knew all too well, if there’s one thing that I can’t turn down, it’s a piece of pumpkin pie and thus here we are!
Size Isn’t Everything…: Although tiny in stature, this little bad boy packed quite the pumpkin – it was one of those pumpkin pies that has sort of a thick and sticky consistency, which I kind of like because it reminds me of the pumpkin pies we used to have around Thanksgiving.  The top of the pie even almost has somewhat of a pumpkin film over it – just a slightly thicker skin over the top that hardened over the inside, but still melds in with the rest of the filling when you cut through it with your fork.
Hit the Spot?: You betcha – probably one of the better pumpkin pies that I’ve had in the last couple of years, restaurant-baked or otherwise.  Nice job, Bob Evans crew of 10119 Horace Avenue; Tampa, Florida 33619!

Thought Process: After a long streak of less than exceptional pumpkin products this season, it seemed necessary to skip ahead to something that I knew wouldn’t suck.
History: I’ve actually enjoyed Edy’s seasonal offerings for a number of years – they also do a great peppermint ice cream at Christmastime that I really like, but for now we’ll just have to savor in the perfection of this autumnal treat.  And in fact, I had originally planned on blogging about this one last year, but time managed to get the best of me and when I finally got around to it, they’d already cleared the shelves in preparation for that aforementioned peppermint variety.  So needless to say, don’t wait around for this one!
Actual Flavor: rich, but not overpowering; actually tastes like a pumpkin dessert, as opposed to a dessert featuring a hint of pumpkin
Special Feature: Topped with the amazing Smucker’s Pumpkin Spice Topping, this is easily the best pumpkin-based bowl of ice cream you will ever eat.
Recommendation?: Hell yeah!  Whether you’re looking for something to go along with grandma’s fresh-baked pumpkin pie or even just a cool dessert for a relaxing evening around the fire, Edy’s has got the cure for what ails ya with this special, pumpkin-y treat.

Recipe: from Nestle’s own verybestbaking.com
Slogan: “Brownies made out of pumpkin? A perfect holiday brownie.”
Actuality: dry and uninspired
Exposé: I was actually kind of psyched to put together this one, but even before I put the pan into the oven, the taste of the batter itself left me skeptical … almost as if it’s possible that maybe I have bad ingredients or something because even the licking of the bowl, which is usually the most rewarding part of making brownies, was disappointing.  For lack of a better term, the batter had a very dry taste and even after baking, they don’t resemble any brownies I’ve ever enjoyed.  Not to mention the “pumpkin” flavor is non-existent – I don’t know what, but something must’ve gone wrong here.
Your Thoughts?: I don’t really feel confident in trusting the comments from this recipe’s source because out of hundreds of comments on the site, I didn’t see anything even remotely negative, however I would still like to hear what you – the devoted pumpkin enthusiast – thought on your own!  Just follow the link above and whip up a batch in your own kitchen, then come back here and post a comment to let me know if I’m just way off base here or if maybe they’re actually not “honestly some of the most delicious cake brownies you’ll ever eat,” as per the fan-moms on Nestle’s site…

Motive: redemption
Level of Success: SUPERB!
Explanation: What can I say – after this little pumpkin anomaly, I just didn’t feel right ending the weekend without posting something a bit more representative of the pumpkin legacy … especially when posts these days have been few and far between as it is!  That said, with the calendar being about as far away from the traditional fall pumpkin season as possible, it took a bit of creativity to come up with a pumpkin dessert this time of year…
Recipe: While I was actually intending to create the pumpkin cheesecake brownie recipe found on the back of the No Bake Jell-O box, not reading the directions thorough - *ahem* – lead me to create something slightly different, but I like to think just as tasty!
Contents: While the recipe called for two No Bake Jell-O products – one box of the pumpkin pie mix and one box of the cheesecake mix – I accidentally picked up a tub of that Kraft Ready-To-Eat cheesecake filling instead, which was a bit tricky come construction time because I actually only had about half of the crust that I needed (both boxes would come with crust, but I only had one), but making it in a smaller pan ended up resolving that one rather easily.  As for the filling, first I simply added a layer of the cheesecake over the crust, then mixed some more of the cheesecake into the pumpkin pie mix before adding a layer of that.  The final consistency was in no way what I would consider brownie-like (this was a fork-required treat), but the flavor still rang true nonetheless.
Final Judgment: The soup was way too warm for a hot Floridian weekend in late spring, but this dessert, on the other hand, being cool and somewhat light was just the opposite.  Granted, I’m not sure if you can actually find the Jell-O pumpkin pie mix in stores this time of year (mine was leftover from last fall), but if you can, here’s a simple way to indulge in a sweet, pumpkin-y treat when anything warmer would be uncivilized!

Ahhh, the best part about cooking - licking the bowl!

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