fall favorites

Butternut Squash Ricotta Cheesecake

November 18, 2014 by Erica

It’s inevitable that some recipe ideas cool their heels on my to-make list for months (or even years), while others make their way from brain to belly in a matter of hours. After waxing eloquent about the butternut and ricotta combo last week, I’ll let you guess which category this cheesecake falls into…

Cut to me preheating the oven while I make a 10 pm grocery store run for squash, ricotta, and eggs.

With my brain swirling with butternut and ricotta recipes after making those twice-baked squash, I became so enamored with the idea of a squashy dessert that I almost scrapped the savory recipe altogether in favor of this cheesecake. Luckily, I convinced myself that you could handle two butternut ricotta recipes in the span of a week. And you totally can, can’t you?

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Twice-Baked Butternut Squash with Ricotta and Sage

November 11, 2014 by Erica

Twice-Baked Butternut Squash with Ricotta and Sage, a.k.a. The Day I Fell In Love With Ricotta Cheese.

Discovering new ingredients is one of the most rewarding parts of writing this blog. I can only imagine what a cooking rut I’d be stuck in if I wasn’t always brainstorming new recipes!

But seriously, in 2+ years of writing this blog, why has no one told me about ricotta?

I mean, I knew about ricotta, but I’d be surprised if I’ve ever used it. I’ve only ever known it in stuffed shells and lasagna, dishes which (let’s be honest) I’m too lazy to make. But as I was planning this twice-baked butternut squash, Deb from Smitten Kitchen made these Squash Toasts with Ricotta and Cider Vinegar. I served them as an appetizer a few weekends ago, and though I ended up using goat cheese instead out of convenience, it occurred to me that ricotta would be the perfect thing to add creaminess to this twice-baked squash.

Waaaas it ever. The tangy ricotta and sweet, smooth butternut are a match made in heaven. Which brings me to the whole butternut part of the equation…

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Not Your Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe Roundup

October 31, 2014 by Erica

Happy Halloween! We’re celebrating with… pie?

Halloween isn’t so much my thing, but I am (obviously) a huge Thanksgiving fan. And there’s a chill in the air and I’m finally getting into the whole fall flavors thing, let’s take those Halloween pumpkins and turn them into pies!

But first let’s play a game: apple pie, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie – how would you rank them?

Pecan is head and shoulders above the rest for me, then apple, with pumpkin coming in a distant third. Plain old pumpkin pie just never really does it for me, but it’s Nate’s favorite, which is why I decided that this year I’m going to make a super trashed-up pumpkin pie. We’re talking not-your-Grandma’s-pumpkin-pie. (Although I’m sure your Grandma makes a killer pie.) But in my perfect, dreamy pumpkin pie… there might be some liquor. Or some chocolate. It might be vegan. I haven’t decided yet, because there are so many options! And because I want you to be riddled with the same indecision, I present to you: Not Your Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe Roundup.

We’re going to raise a few eyebrows around the Thanksgiving table this year!

Trashed Up:

Bruleed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie from Bon Appetit

S’mores Pumpkin Pie from Love & Olive Oil

Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Cheesecake from the Food Network

Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Toffee Pie from Recipe Girl

Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie from Martha Stewart

Savory Pumpkin, Ricotta and Caramelized Onion Tart from An Edible Mosaic

Chocolate Pumpkin Tart with Gingersnap Crust from Completely Delicious

A Little Somethin’ Somethin’:

Double Ginger Pumpkin Tart from Fine Cooking

Rum Pumpkin Pie from Epicurious

Maple Pumpkin Spice Pie from Simple Bites

Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Crunch and Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream from the Food Network

Pumpkin Tart with Anise Seed Crust from Epicurious

Pecan Pumpkin Butter Pie with Cinnamon Caramel Sauce from Williams Sonoma

Pumpkin-Praline Pie from PopSugar

On the Lighter Side:

No-Bake Pumpkin Pie from Minimalist Baker

Vegan No-Crust Pumpkin Pie from Chocolate-Covered Katie

Raw Pumpkin Pie from The Rawtarian

Mini Vegan Pumpkin Pies from Love & Lemons

Pumpkin Maple Pecan Bourbon Ice Cream (Vegan)

November 25, 2013 by Erica

It finally happened – I reunited with my ice cream maker!

It’s been a few months since we painfully broke off our summer romance. But pumpkin season seemed like a pretty good excuse for another little fling.

Now, I’m not so sure that today is the day for recipes. I mean, do you already have your Thanksgiving menu planned? Probably. And I, for one, will not be cooking anything too adventurous between now and then. However, I thought this might be my last chance to share something pumpkin-related with you in 2013, so I just couldn’t resist. This recipe is too good to stash away for a year!

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