As many of you may know, I recently collaborated with Marcie of Celebrating Moments by Marcie on a layout for a fun online party mag called Bird's Party Magazine Fall Edition. What an honor it is to be a part of this fabulous magazine. It is full of lots of fun and creative fall decorating and entertaining ideas, so be sure to check it out! And it's free and full of lots of great resource links!
Now, I contributed several delicious sweets for our beautiful dessert table and want to share some of the recipes and techiniques I used to make all these fun fall desserts.
First I would like to give you the recipe for Pumpkin Buttercream I created as it appears in the magazine on page 75. It really is scrumptious! (Don't tell anyone but I found myself eating the leftovers on store bought gingersnaps which I microwave for 15 seconds to make them soft and chewy again...soooo bad, but oh soooo tasty!)
Pumpkin Buttercream
by Marilyn Higgins of Whatever Whimsy
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening (Crisco)
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 lb bag confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Orange gel food color (optional)
Cream together softened butter, shortening, pumpkin, vanilla and spices in a stand mixer. Slowly add confectioner's sugar a little at a time. Mix until nice and fluffy. Adjust consistency with a little milk or added confectioner's sugar.
A few drops of orange food color can be used to get a brighter burnt pumpkin color (as seen on featured cake). This is optional. Basic recipe will have a lighter more natural color.
Another Recipe
When my friends and family got to taste test all the yummies from the display after the shoot they loved everything, but one item kept coming up as an overall favorite, the Pumpkin (Orange) Cream Cheese Truffles. Now, I adapted a recipe that I found at Whole Foods but with a few important changes to make them my own and to ease in preparation. Everyone loves the unexpected burst of orange flavor that is such a refreshing twist to the usual spiced pumpkin flavors of the season. So I have added "Orange" to the name because it just belongs there!
Now for the recipe not shared in the magazine for all of my blog friends! Try it and let me know what you think! Enjoy.
Pumpkin Orange
by Marilyn Higgins of Whatever Whimsy
These tasty truffles have a beautifully bright orange flavor that is a very refreshing change from the classic spiced pumpkin of the Autumn season.
Ingredients
24 ounces Vanilla Flavored Coating,( 8 oz for filling, the remaining 16 oz for dipping)
(can substitute vanilla flavored chips)
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, reserve some for garnish
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Melt 8 oz (4 squares) vanilla coating in microwave safe bowl at 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Place this in mixing bowl of stand mixer with remaining ingredients. Mix until well incorporated.
Freeze for at least one hour or until firm to the touch.
Scoop using a small cookie scoop or by rounded teaspoons and roll into balls. Freeze balls for 1 hour until set. Melt remaining vanilla coating and use for dipping. Remove from freezer, dip in vanilla coating and place on wax paper. Quickly garnish with gingersnap crumbs. Freeze until ready to serve.
Preparation Tips:
When zesting an orange use only the bright orange top layer for great orange flavor. The white, pith, underneath is bitter and not desirable in most baked goods.
Also, use a microplaner instead of a regular zester. This tool makes a much finer zest, resulting in stronger, bolder flavors!
If you are finding your pumpkin balls are softening too quickly before dipping, remove only a couple from freezer at a time.
I plan to give more tips and recipes for other featured desserts over the next few posts so keep your eyes open! Blessings to you all!
