pumpkin Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Pumpkin Caramel Pull-Apart Bread

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 13:47:33 +0000

A lot of you have been making my Apple Cider Pull-Apart Bread, so I decided to come up with a pumpkin flavored one since we have now moved into November. I use a Pumpkin Caramel recipe from my book, 100 Morning Treats, which is incredible paired with the fluffy, soft bread that’s also fun to eat, pulling apart each delicious slice. The sugar filling for the dough has cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg giving it warm flavor throughout. Easy Pumpkin Caramel This caramel topping for the pull-apart bread is easy to make, and there is no thermometer involved! Most of the ingredients are combined together and cooked on the stovetop, including the pumpkin (which is in the caramel, not the dough). I think this caramel tastes best with a nice splash of bourbon, but if you don’t want to use alcohol you can omit it. How To Make Pull-Apart Bread: Although this bread is a little time consuming to make, it is always worth the effort. What can I do to make this recipe ahead? For overnight Pull-Apart bread: Assemble the pull-apart bread in the Pullman pan, but do not let it rise at room temperature. Cover the pan loosely with […]

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Pumpkin Doughnut Bundt Cake

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 12:39:32 +0000

I have been a fan of Bundt cakes for decades, as their elegant shape and endless flavor possibilities have always been intriguing to me. The first Bundt cake I ever made was at The Blue Heron Coffeehouse in Winona, MN; I was working an evening shift and it was painfully slow, so I bopped into the kitchen and decided to get a jump-start on the morning baking. Bundt cakes had always been a big seller in the morning hours, and the fact that they often tasted better the next day made them a good place to start. Two hours and one flip later, my Bundt cake was out of the oven, and even though part of it stuck to the pan (the fault of an inexperienced Bundt-cake-maker) I was enamored with my beautiful creation. I have been making them ever since. I often associate Bundt cakes with breakfast, as I have spent many early mornings nibbling on them (they do, of course, also taste delicious in the afternoon and evening hours.) It may be the result of working in coffeehouses for years, but a sweet treat in the morning, paired with coffee in any form, is my preferred breakfast of […]

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Creamy Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cakes

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 14:59:26 +0000

After making my Creamy Jammy Coffee Cakes for quite some time, I decided to experiment with pumpkin for fall-themed miniature cakes. These little streusel cakes are made with the base of my Pumpkin Bars; they bake up moist and flavorful, and pair beautifully with the cream cheese and pecan streusel. I definitely love that combination, as I have a much loved recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Streusel, too. I must admit I do prefer them in this larger form: there is a significant cream cheese layer, and the streusel stays put much better. I use 4 inch [5 cm] springform pans to make these mini cakes, so they bake up with perfect edges, and release easily. They’re the perfect individual serving. You can also this recipe in a 9×13 inch pan if you’d like, it works great just as written. However, I’m always up for a more substantial cream cheese layer as you see in the photo below this paragraph. So for the filling I used 12 oz [340 g] cream cheese and 1/3 cup [65 g] granulated sugar, along with the 1 large egg. You’ll see the full notes for baking in this size of pan in […]

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Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 00:19:28 +0000

Why Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Pie Is Our Favorite This is almost straight-up pumpkin pie; as much as I like this famous dessert, I find a little crunch is essential, so I like to serve mine brûléed. While my children look terrified at the thought of anything other than whipped cream topping their slices, I find most guests enjoy the added layer. But, not to worry! If you just want your pie the old-fashioned way, you can omit the crème brûlée topping and serve with whipped cream. Something To Know This is a recipe from my new book, Baking for the Holidays. I have gotten quite a few DMs and emails about it – there is a typo in the recipe, and I just want to clear up confusion you may be having, and give you the corrected recipe! In the ingredient list, it calls for the pie crust to be fully baked, but in the directions it says partially baked. It should be FULLY baked (I find this helps the bottom crust stay nice and crisp when the pumpkin pie filling is added). If you are worried about the exposed crust getting too dark, you can cover the crust around the edges […]

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Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 19:44:36 +0000

My dear friend Scott brought me a pumpkin cake last week – a thick 9 x 13 cake with a giant mound of cream cheese icing. After sneaking pieces of it for days, I finally asked him for the recipe, and he kindly emailed it over. After reading through it, I realized that I had the recipe – it was identical to the pumpkin bars I made at almost every bakery and coffeehouse I worked in previously. It had been years since I made them, but being inspired by the tasty cake I set to work and made them in bar form for my children (who were also huge fans of the cake). I spent an afternoon tinkering with the recipe *just* a bit – trading some granulated sugar for maple syrup and brown sugar, bumping up the spices, and adding a little more cream cheese and a little less powdered sugar to the frosting. We all appreciated the changes, and my mom even asked me to bring the bars (instead of pumpkin pie!) to Thanksgiving. I’m considering it. Making the Best Pumpkin Bars Is Easy! They are easy to assemble, serve a crowd, and are absolutely delicious. If you […]

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Pumpkin Spice Bread with Cream Cheese Icing

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 00:12:04 +0000

One of my favorite holiday treats is pumpkin spice bread and I make quite a few loaves every year, some for giving, some for keeping. This version comes from Michelle Lopez’s new cookbook, Weeknight Baking. It’s based on a recipe from the Tartine: A Classic Revisited cookbook, and it is quite delicious. Michelle makes hers with granulated sugar sprinkled on top instead of the cream cheese icing, but I couldn’t resist piling it high with frosting. I highly recommend checking out Michelle’s new book; it focuses on recipes that come together quickly, use ingredients found in your baker’s pantry, and store well. Some more recipes from the book I can’t wait to try: better-than-supernatural fudge brownies, the silkiest pumpkin pie, overnight liege waffles, and cheesecake bars (you can find them laced with pumpkin filling over on Zoe’s website). *********************************** Pumpkin Spice Bread with Cream Cheese IcingFrom Weeknight Baking by Michelle Lopez Notes: I always bake my quick breads in a Pullman pan without the lid on – I prefer their tall sides for both protection against batter leaking and aesthetics. However, a 9 x 5 pan will also work. If you would rather top the pumpkin spice bread with sugar instead […]

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Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 03:53:03 +0000

Pumpkin SconesThese scones are a family favorite, and might be what we wake up to this Christmas morning. They’re tender, flaky, with just the right amount of pumpkin and a shiny maple glaze. I like to cut them into triangles, but you can also use a biscuit cutter if you prefer, or cut them into squares. “If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm it.” —Lucy Larcom Scones Technique I had been making scones the same way for years – an adaption of Ina Garten’s Strawberry Scones from her first cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa. However, I changed things up after stumbling upon a genius idea from Cook’s Illustrated. Their scone recipe included folding the dough over several times to create multiple flaky layers. I applied this technique to my tried and true recipe, and my perfect scone was born. NOTES: Putting another baking sheet nestled directly underneath the one the scones are on helps keep the bottoms of the scones from browning too quickly before they fully bake. If you like the bottoms extra crisp, you can just use one pan. Measuring Flour Throughout my recipes posted on this website, 1 cup of flour equals 142g. Please note that 1 […]

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Streusel

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 16:11:53 +0000

Yes, it is pumpkin season, and the famous pumpkin-cream cheese-streusel combination finds its way yet again into many baked goods. I do have a delicious recipe with that combination up on my site in Creamy Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake form, but have come to realize that a muffin size version of that dessert is always much needed. These muffins are crazy good; the pumpkin and spices are balanced perfectly and the cream cheese center tangy and sweet. How to Know When These Muffins Are Done Baking: The only tricky part about these muffins is knowing when they are done; the cream cheese layer stays wet throughout baking. Stick a wooden skewer into the muffin all the way to the base to check on the muffin layer – if there is still wet pumpkin batter on the skewer, it will need to bake longer. Storing Pumpkin Muffins Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins can be stored in plastic wrap or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Before serving, I like to gently warm the muffins (a few seconds in the microwave works great), just until the cream cheese filling is no longer cold. More Pumpkin Recipes:

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homemade pumpkin pie with whipped cream

Sarah Kieffer — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 08:06:03 +0000

Several people asked for this recipe after I posted a photo of the pie on Instagram, so here it is. This is the pumpkin pie I’ve made at the last couple Thanksgivings, and it’s gone over quite well my family gathering. It is dreamy-creamy, and boasting of pumpkin flavor. This one is adapted from several favorite pumpkin pie recipes, but the main two it is borrowed from is Yossy’s Winter Luxury Pie from her beautiful book Sweeter Off The Vine, and Cook’s Illustrated’s Pumpkin Pie from Baking Book. If you don’t want to use crème fraîche (it will add a subtle tang of flavor), you replace it with whole milk instead (so one cup whole milk total). I decorated the cake with whipped cream and roasted pepitas. I personally love the crunch they give. ********************************* I am going to admit publicly that I am one of the many that start playing Christmas music in November. However, I am well aware that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for holiday tunes (for instance, if I look over and my husband has crazy eyes, I know it’s probably time to put on something else, ha). I’ve created two playlists in Apple music that have […]

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Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 04 Nov 2018 19:12:00 +0000

I normally prefer fried donuts if have a choice, but they can be a lot of work and the kitchen aftermath is not always worth the effort. I make these baked pumpkin donuts every fall and never hear any complaints – they are muffin-y in taste, but delicious none-the-less. This recipe was actually originally for muffins, but I prefer them in donut shape – they bake up quite nice, and aren’t as dense with the smaller height and the hole in the middle. Other similar recipes you may enjoy: Vanilla Donuts with Pumpkin Pastry Cream, Brioche Donuts with Chocolate Bourbon Glaze, Pumpkin Poundcake with Chocolate, and Pumpkin Scones. ***************************************** A few things: Baked From Scratch Magazine has their Holiday Cookie issue out. I contributed a few recipes to it, and you can find it here. The Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes a Day book (affiliate link) is available for pre-order! I’ve worked on the last four Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day books, and helped photograph this new book. It’s a wonderful collection, and I’ll be sharing from it later this week. It’s a *little* early for Christmas music, but this Ingrid Michaelson Songs For the Season […]

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