Pumpkin galore – Pumpkin cream cheese pie bars

Pumpkin cream cheese pie bars

I know that posting a thanksgiving-y recipe on the very same day isn’t nice. But I’ve got a good excuse: I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving! Because in Mexico we have turkey for Christmas, as is proper. With pears and potatoes and lasagna. As is right. And of course by that I mean as we’ve always done chez moi. : )
But back to the thanksgiving issue. I actually made this for a themed dinner, and since it’s pumpkin season regardless of the holiday and the puree was homemade, I was left with about 1 lt. extra of the stuff. And the stuff is so yummy! You can make all sorts of pumpkin dishes, apparently something  I’d never been aware of because we just don’t have that tradition. But now I am, and the inevitable pinterest search for pumpkin recipes did not disappoint. (Which probably means that I will disappoint and keep posting pumpkin truffles and pumpkin bread and pumpkin soup way past the appropriate date. I’m not even sorry). So, to begin with! Pumpkin cream cheese pie bars. This recipe, which I found originally at Taste of Home, is actually a bit complicated. But definitely worth it…pumpkin meringue over creamy cheesecake? Definitely worth it. And besides, the layers are so decorative you might want to make them just because of that. And you can cut them into decent-sized bars, or just make one large cheesecake! Sounds good right? Read more for the recipe. Continue reading

Ultimate richness – Spiced orange & grand marnier pound cake

Spiced orange and grand marnier pound cake

 

I don’t know what it is about pound cakes that’s so good….maybe it’s the in between-ness of a cake and a pastry, or the soft texture that just goes so well with milk or tea, or the variety of flavors…I don’t know. I just know that its great. And you know what else I know is great? Grand Marnier. I know this because its given me plenty of fun, in margarita shape. And because crepes suzette will always hold a special place in my heart. And because creme brulĂ©e is also one of my top-choice desserts. So a grand marnier pound cake? Why yes please! And mix it up with a ton of spices, and a dense, springy texture which will soak up the liquored up syrup, and you’ve got the richest, most delicious drunk pound cake. Which will also keep over a week, ( I know because as usual I overdid it and made two) making it a great treat for guests, or to accompany a cup of black tea, with a dash of milk. Sounds interesting? Read more for the recipe.

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It’s worth the marinating – Tamarind and orange glazed steak

tamarindorangebeef

You know when you’ve been wanting to cook something for a while and then when you finally do it turns out great because you’ve been thinking so much about it? That’s what happened to me with this recipe. I’d had my mind on it for about a week, and then when I saw a few photogenic oranges lying around in the kitchen I decided it had to be done. So I went and got all of the ingredients missing only to come home and find that someone had turned the oranges into juice. And so it stayed on my mind for even longer until I came across some good-looking oranges again. And I’m glad it did! Because the combination of sweet orange juice, with the tartness of the tamarind pulp, and the bitterness of the orange peels could not have turned out better. Seriously, this might be my new favorite glaze-y sauce. And I’m sure it goes great with chicken too, in case you don’t eat beef. And to top it off, if you serve it over a bowl of white rice, you can eat it with chopsticks, because there’s nothing to reassure you of the deliciousness of something as holding the bowl in one hand and then picking every single last grain of rice with your chopsticks, right? Read more for the recipe. Continue reading