Autumn. The leaves are falling (and clogging my gutters), the weather is changing (finally), and I start craving flavored coffee, pumpkin pie, eggnog, and amaretto - not necessarily in that order. This recipe combines two of those cravings into one sinfully delicious dessert.

Amaretto Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup amaretti cookies, crushed fine
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 cups pumpkin puree, unsweetened if canned
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 3 tablespoons amaretto
• 2 pinches salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss cookie crumbs and butter in a small bowl until well-combined. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9″ pie pan. Cover edges with tin foil and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour into prepared and cooled pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting; serve with freshly whipped ginger cream (1 cup heavy cream whipped with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger) and garnish with slivered almonds, if desired.

Image by JamesJyu.

I am a huge fan of can-shaped red goo at the holidays, but I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting cranberry sauce recipes. This definitely fits the bill. Adults will appreciate the sophisticated palate cleanser, and kids love eating “water ice” with their turkey, instead of waiting for dessert.

Cranberry Orange Sorbet

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

Prepare the bowl of your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

In a heavy-bottomed, non-reactive saucepan, whisk together water, sugar, and concentrate. Stir in cranberries. Cover and bring to a boil; cook for about 5 minutes from boil, or until most of the berries have popped. Remove from heat and add thyme; set aside and let steep for 1 hour.

Strain mixture through a fine sieve, pressing to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Discard thyme, berry skins, and fibers. Cover liquid and refrigerate overnight.

Process in ice cream maker.

Serves 8-12 as a side dish or small dessert.

Image by PVerdonk.