Saturday Beefcake and the Great Pumpkin

These recipes are from the fall of 2007 and they're posted again in pumpkin season this year with new images reaped from an internet harvest.




Pumpkin Pie alla Giovanni

For the crust:

Almond Cookies (Novelle d'Abruzzo) two cups (crushed very fine)
Melted Sweet Butter, six tablespoons
Crystallized Fructose, sparingly


Filling:
Mascarpone, 350 grams
Crystallized Fructose, two thirds cup
Pumpkin Puree, one cup
Fresh Orange Juice, two tablespoons
Grated Orange Rind, one teaspoon
Vanilla Extract, one teaspoon
Almond Extract, one quarter teaspoon


Topping:
Sour Cream, one cup
Orange Rind, grated, one teaspoon
Vanilla Extract, one teaspoon




1. Combine crumbs, butter and fructose, press into a ten inch pie plate
2. Beat mascarpone until smooth and add eggs and fructose alternately (three times) and beating each time
3. Blend in just one cup of the pumpkin puree, orange juice, rind & flavours
4. Pour into crust and bake for 50 minutes in a 350F oven
5. In the meantime, fantasize about hooking up with the tough guy in the picture, and blend the sour cream, and orange rind. Spread on top (no, not him) of the baking pie and then bake for five minutes more.



Pumpkin Pots de Crème

Pumpkin Puree, eight ounces
Heavy Cream, two cups
Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise
Egg yolks, eight
Sugar, granulated, one half cup
Cinnamon, ground, one quarter teaspoon
Nutmeg, grated, one eighth teaspoon
Amaretti Cookies, crumbled
Ginger, crystallized, finely chopped, one tablespoon

1.In a heavy saucepan over medium heat bring pumpkin, and vanilla bean halves to a boil, set aside for fifteen minutes and then remove vanilla bean.
2.On top of a double boiler, combine yolks and sugar, whisk constantly until mixture forms a ribbon when whisk is lifted. (six to eight minutes)
3.Whisk in hot pumpkin mixture and cook over medium heat. Whisk often.
4.When mixture has achieved the consistency of thick cream (45 minutes or so)
5.Add nutmeg and cinnamon to the gently steaming mixture and mix well.
6.Strain into a pitcher or bowl with pouring lip.
7.Divide mixture among ten to twelve bowls or ramekins. Refrigerate at least four hours or up to two days.
8. Garnish each with the ginger and the amaretti right before serving.