Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Pumpkin Parfaits

Pin It Now! Pumpkin Parfaits

I haven't made a dessert in a really long time.  Most desserts I want to make involve flour.  And anything that involves flour is an automatic disaster in my kitchen.  I can't bake.  One of these days I think I will try and learn.  But until then I'm cool with stuff that doesn't involve much flour.  Like these grogeous, beautiful and very pretty pumpkin parfaits.

They really are so simple to make.  As long as where you live they sell canned pumpkin.  And where I live canned pumpkin is scarce.  Thankfully my good friend Mama with Flavor was nice enough to give me one of her cans of pumpkin!  I owe her my life now :)

Wouldn't these be beautiful on a Thanksgiving dessert table? Ooooh or for a fall brunch!  Or dessert for a dinner party!

Please make these :)

xoxo

B

Ingredients

  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2 1/4 tsp)

  • 1/4 cup cold water

  • 1 (15-oz) can pure pumpkin

  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 2 1/4 cups chilled heavy cream, divided

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided

  • 20 gingersnap cookies, coarsely crushed




  • Equipment:


    8 (6- to 8-oz) glasses





  • Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let soften 1 minute. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Whisk together gelatin mixture, pumpkin, brown sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl.


  • Beat 1 cup cream with 1/2 tsp vanilla until it holds soft peaks, then fold into pumpkin mixture gently but thoroughly.


  • Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream with remaining 1 tsp vanilla until it holds soft peaks.


  • Spoon about 1/4 cup pumpkin mixture into bottom of each glass, then sprinkle with some of cookies and top with about 2 Tbsp whipped cream. Repeat layers once, ending with cream.


  • Chill until set, at least 2 hours.



Cooks’ notes: Parfaits can be made 1 day ahead and chilled.




Recipe by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez via Gourmet.com


Friday, October 15, 2010

Thanksgiving Table Ideas

Pin It Now! Thanksgiving is next month!  Is anyone else as excited as I am?  This year will be my first year ever hosting Thanksgiving.  It'll be a small group, but people I absolutely adore and I want to make it special.  I think Thanksgiving is a holiday that deserves special attention to detail.  I think that if you are hosting dinner at your house you should set the table and have a center piece and set a mood.  The whole shabang.  Holidays are about memories and a huge party of those memories is the ambience.  Ambience helps create emotions and feelings.  People will always remember how your dinner and setting made them feel that year.  I don't want Thanksgiving at our home to ever be boring or simple.  Simple is any dinner any night.  I want to have candles and beautiful fall colors and a table setting that is inviting and meant for conversation.

This year I want to incorporate a semi-elegant setting with golds, browns, oranges, yellows and a little bit of red.  Here's my inspiration board:



1) I love the beautiful centerpiece and candles in this table setting.  This person did a lovely job at creating a festive atmosphere.  I think my only concern with this setting is that the centerpiece is so tall that people across from eachother couldn't hold a conversation.

2) Love the colors and the lanterns. (picture credit)

3) Good Housekeeping shared this creative idea for a candle centerpiece.  Nuts in jars!  Love it.

4) I think the leaf place settings are adorable.  And I love that the napkins are tied with brown ribbon.  I love details! (picture credit)

xoxo

B