Pumpkins, Sunsets, and "Le Poulet"

I don't know what causes this phenomenon during the autumn, but there have been some really spectacular sunsets recently, as we are very quickly leaving November behind us and venturing forth into December.  There was one sunset on Wednesday of last week that left me breathless--and wishing that I could have pulled over to the side of the road and taken a picture of it.  With the way that the clouds and the setting sun were arranged near the horizon, it looked as though just the tops of all the trees had been lit on fire and were glowing a vibrant red-orange, while everything below the treetops was cast in whisper-soft lavender twilight shadows.  It was gorgeous and really striking.

Alas, as I was en route to make a florist delivery, so I couldn't take a picture at that moment.  However, I was able to capture another lovely phase of the sunset later on.  Here are a few bits of sunset that I've caught lately...

The photo above is from last Wednesday, the evening before Thanksgiving Day.  My camera could not do that sky justice, but even at that, you can see how beautiful it was.

With that being said, I promised two pumpkin-themed recipes in my last post!  One is for my own version of a pumpkin pie smoothie, and the other is a recipe for the pumpkin chiffon tartlets that I made for Thanksgiving at my parents' home.  

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Ingredients:

   * 1/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

   * 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

   * 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

   * 1 Odwalla vanilla protein drink (or 1 cup of your choice milk)

   * 1 banana, sliced

   * 3-4 ice cubes

   * Your choice of sweetener, to taste

   * 1/2 tbsp. of pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, allspice, etc.)

Grind the oatmeal until it's a flour-like consistency in the blender, then add the pumpkin puree, the Greek yogurt, and the protein drink.  (I used a protein drink instead of milk when I first tried this smoothie, and liked the results much more than when I used just plain milk.  However, the smoothie will taste great no matter what kind of milk you use, so it's really just a matter of taste preferences. :D )  Blend these together until smooth.  Add the banana and blend again, until smooth.  Blend in the ice cubes, then add your choice of sweetener, if desired, and the pumpkin pie spices, until the smoothie is flavored to your liking.  Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Sidetracking for a moment...

"Le Poulet" is a very curious, very plump, and very endearing French hen, given to me for my birthday this year by my mom.  She sits on the backsplash of the oven and keeps me company while I cook, and she always seems so interested in what's going on in the kitchen...

Pumpkin Chiffon Tartlets

Ingredients: 

   * 1 box Pillsbury Ready-Made pie crusts (2 pie crusts total)

      (Yes, I used ready-made pie crusts here.  It was the more timely option, and Pillsbury pie crusts are nothing to sneeze at.  However, if you have the time and you really want to, by all means make the pie crusts from scratch!  They'll be delicious either way.)  

   * 8 oz. marscapone cheese (I used the Belgioso brand)

   * 3/4 cup pumpkin puree

   * 1 can Reddi Whip

   * 1/2 cup sweetener of preference

   * 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spices

   * Caramel sauce, for garnish

Cut the pie crusts into disks that will fit into muffin tins; you can make them smaller to fit mini muffin tins, or larger to fit regular sized muffin tins.  Bake them as directed on the pie crust box's instructions, but make sure to poke the crusts all over with a fork to help them bake evenly...

   Note: And keep an eye on them while they're in the oven!  The instructions on the box that I bought said to bake the crusts at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes; I baked my crusts at that temperature for 10 minutes, and they turned out just a tad bit too brown on the first round.  So I reduced the temperature to about 425 degrees Fahrenheit and cooked the crusts for about 8 minutes instead, and they turned out fine.  Ovens work differently sometimes, so my best advice to you is to just keep an eye on the crusts as they bake.  When they turn pale yellow/gold, take them out!  They'll keep cooking in the tin after you remove them from the oven.

After the pie crusts have baked, set them aside on a plate and let them cool.  Then prepare the chiffon filling.  Gently fold the pumpkin puree and the marscapone cheese together.  Add the whipped cream to the mix.  You can use as much or as little of the whipped cream as you like, though I recommend using about equal parts pumpkin puree-marscapone cheese-whipped cream.  Stir until all the ingredients are well-mixed.  The consistency should be like a creamy dip or cheesecake filling, at this point.  Next, add in the sugar and the pumpkin pie spices.  The filling is done!

Once the pie crusts are completely cooled, spoon the filling into them.  You can add a swirl of whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce as your garnish, or you can top off the tartlets however you like.  Candied pecans, cranberries, brown sugar crumbles...the possibilities are endless.

Well, now it's around lunchtime here, and I have house-cleaning and dinner-making and other projects on my day's to-to list.  I blame scrolling through Pinterest for my delay in writing this post today...this is not an excuse, just a reason. ;)  Christmas gift-making begins soon, for me--and Mr. Darcy and I will be moving out of our apartment, within the next few weeks.  Busy times ahead...  

...And all the more adventures!    

À bientôt!

Cait