TASTE: Pumpkin & Cream Tartlets

Pumpkin & Cream Tartlets.
Happy Thanksgiving week! I'm sure your home is buzzing with holiday plans, presents stealthily hidden into musty closets waiting to be wrapped, kitchen working overtime pumping all kinds of toasty delicious aromas throughout the house. This is the beginning of the most wonderful time of year!

I wanted to share with you my favorite holiday dessert. I've made it every year for Thanksgiving at my parent's house, but I love it so much that I continue to make it for festive gatherings through New Years - who says pumpkin is only for Thanksgiving? That's just crazy talk. These tartlets are perfect for keeping that sweet tooth in check, because they are bite-sized bits of decadence. And seriously, seriously easy to create. They have a creamier, lighter flavor and texture than regular pumpkin pie, which provides that much-needed refreshing twist on the whole pumpkin-at-Thanksgiving thing. My personal secret is that I like to use a Ziploc bag to pipe everything beautifully into the tarts, because it makes them seem fancy. But if you need really delicious recipe and you're short on time, you can easily spoon them into the little filo dough cups and experience the same rich taste. This would be a great addition to any dessert buffet because they are just so pretty and dainty. And for real, TASTY.

Ingredients:
- 1 can organic pumpkin (I like this Trader Joes version)
- 3 packages frozen mini filo cups (You can find these in the frozen section next to the puff pastry, 3 packages makes 45 tartlets)
- 1 3.4-oz. package of instant cheesecake pudding (I use this Jello version - haven't been able to find a good replacement for this... yet)
- 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream (divided)
- 4 tbsp. Sugar in the Raw
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

// Isn't this mixer a beaut? It's my mom's, but I'm hoping Santa brings me one this Christmas... //

Method:
1. Place a metal mixing bowl and metal mixing whisk in the freezer for 15 minutes.

2. Pull frozen mini filo dough shells out of the freezer to thaw while preparing the filling.

3. Once 15 minutes has passed, place the 1.5 cups of heavy cream and 4 tbsp. sugar in the mixing bowl. Mix on medium-high until soft peaks form (this could take 3-5 minutes).

4. Divide the fresh whipped cream in half by scooping half of the cream into another bowl (set one portion aside for later.) Add to one bowl of fresh whipped cream: the can of pumpkin, package of instant cheesecake and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until combined and smooth.

5. Scoop mixture into a piping bag (or in my case, a large ziplock bag with a corner cut) and pipe into the individual filo cups. Top with the remaining fresh whipped cream (I also like to pipe it on top) and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Voila!

Happy Thanksgiving. 
Let me know if you decide to add these to your Thanksgiving dessert line up this year! Would love to know how it worked out! And I especially wish you a week chock-full of indulgent treats, delicious fireside chats and most of all, ridiculous amounts of family time. Happy Thanksgiving, folks!

TASTE: Lavender Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Lavender Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting.
My gender reveal party ruined me. Ever since I tasted those delicious Magnolia Bakery and Sprinkles cupcakes, I've just wanted MORE. And since I don't want to use this pregnancy as a reason to eat the entire Earth, I'm trying my best to resist sweet-tooth cravings. Trying. My. Best. Well, all that went out the window when I glanced in my pantry and suddenly noticed those lovely lavender herbs. And in a wonderful flash of sugar-craving brilliance, this adorable recipe was born. I birthed it! (Prepping my baby speechin', obviously.)

I think this is a really great treat to make in honor of Easter. Especially for all of you who gave up sugar for Lent - this is a great way to break the fast! Yummy, pastel and fluffy, anyone can take a moment to revel in this precious-tasting confection. Go ahead, it's okay to make and share. Or hoard all alone in your bedroom. I mean, what?

Ingredients:
Lavender Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1.5 cups All-Purpose Flour (I like Bob's Red Mill White Flour)
- 3/4 cups Sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw and just blend it for about 15 seconds in my Vitamix to achieve a more refined texture)
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1.5 sticks of butter, softened
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 6 tbsp. milk
- 1.5 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp. dried lavender

Buttercream Frosting
- 1 stick of butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar (Also made in the Vitamix - Just blend regular sugar on high for 30 seconds!)
- 2-3 tsp. half & half
- 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
- Red & blue food coloring

// Steeping the lavender. Mmm. //

Method:
1. Bring the 6 tbsp. of milk to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Steep 2 tsp. lavender in the milk for 30 minutes. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with liners.

3. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside.

// Beware: Too much time whipping up these frosted treats could result in a belly like this. (JK. You gotta do other kinds of stuff to get a belly like this.) //

4. Beat the 1.5 sticks of butter together with the sugar. Add in the steeped, strained milk (there should be no bits of lavender left in the mixture), along with the beaten eggs and vanilla extract.

5. Slowly pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture, taking a few moments to beat and combine, then adding a bit more.

6. Once the mixtures are combined, pour the batter into the cupcake tin, filling each cup to 2/3 full.

7. Bake in the center of the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until they are lightly golden. Let the cupcakes cool for 15-20 minutes until completely cool. You don't want to frost while they're warm or they will get all melty. Ick.

8. To make the frosting, beat together the softened butter, powdered sugar, cream and vanilla together until slightly fluffy. Add the food coloring in, but don't add too much! Start with a drop of the red and a drop of the blue, then continue mixing/adding until you achieve the desired share of soft purple. Note: If you used Sugar in the Raw in place of white sugar, like I did, your frosting won't start out pure white. This will affect the desired color of your icing, so just bear with it and play with the food coloring. I still managed to achieve a purple-ish hue.

9. I don't have a frosting kit, so I just added the frosting into a large ziplock bag and cut a tiny corner out. I squeezed the frosting through this itty-bitty opening. If you want to add sprinkles, do so immediately after applying the frosting, so they dry together. Or you could skip this all-together and just frost the cupcakes with a spatula. And occasionally lick the goodness. Okay, lick the goodness a lot and just save a little to dress the cupcakes. Either way.

Voila! If you want to get really fancy, you can use a frosting tip inside your pastry bag. I kind of couldn't wait to munch on them... so I did it the quick way! And they're still so pretty! Oh, dear springtime, we're so ready for you!

The Chocolate Brunch

Last Saturday I went to something fantastic called a chocolate brunch. You didn't misread. I put on a frilly frock and joined my pals as we trudged through the cold and attempted to be normal human beings again. Okay, most of these ladies ARE normal. I might be the only one who has trouble leaving the house when the mocking outdoors are so uninviting with the usual down pouring of snow, sleet and overcast skies. Thankfully, there is something called a Chocolate Bar that hosts a weekly Saturday Chocolate-themed brunch to brighten the spirits of those downtrodden Bostonians. Thank you, dear Langham Hotel, for inventing such a wonderful distraction.

Interested in hearing more about this decadent affair? You can check it out here, where I wrote all about my deliciously fine dining experience in this week's issue of The Harbus. Check it out and let me know which dessert you just couldn't have resisted.