Do you love pumpkin? Of course you do! (Well, unless you’re Annie from With Sprinkles On Top.) I love pumpkin so much, I’d marry it if I were a polygamist. Too much?
Way back in August (sheesh, way back? waaah!), when I went to the Big Summer Potluck, I got to meet Abby Dodge, who was talking about recipe development, and did a demonstration of parfaits from her newest book, Desserts 4 Today. You caught that 4 instead of “for”, right? That clever little word play is meant to point out to you that every recipe in the book has just four ingredients. Four. Four.
If you have a sweet tooth like me, I don’t have to tell you how amazingly awesome it is to have an entire book of desserts at your fingertips that is just SO accessible. A quick thumb through the book showed me more recipes than I could count on two hands that I had the ingredients for right then. No trips to the grocery store, no specialty ingredients I’d never use again. Simple, beautiful desserts that would keep dinner party guests talking long after the party is over. I swooned. I really did. Especially when I saw the Nutella Brownie Bites. Let that sink in, would you – Nutella. Brownies.
They were the first recipe I made out of the book, and let me tell you, my mind was BLOWN. Literally, 15 minutes from ingredients gathering to pulling those little babies out of the oven. 15 minutes! You can’t even bake a roll of store bought cookie dough that quick, so why wouldn’t you make something homemade for your friends and family instead?
You know what’s really awesome? Abby’s sent me a 2nd book to give away here, to one of my lucky readers. Isn’t that amazeballs?! (That’s the new ‘it’ word: try it, it’ll make you giggle.)
The recipe for Nutella Brownie Bites had me reeling for days. I kept thinking: could it be applied to other ingredients? And then we had a cold snap, and my mind turned to all ingredients Autumnal. Apples.. hrm. Not really. Pumpkin? Now that has possibilities. Canned pumpkin has a very similar texture to Nutella, loose and paste-like.
It took me 3 tries, and I had to up the ingredient count to 5 for the basic recipe, plus a few added extras to make them pretty, but I did it. And they still took less than 25 minutes from pulling the ingredients out of the cupboard to pulling the bites out of the oven.
For your comparison, I’ve placed the two recipes side by side below. And below that are the sensational giveaway details!
| Nutella Brownie Bites makes 12 mini bites |
Pumpkin Spice Bites makes 16 mini bites |
|---|---|
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1/2 c. Nutella 1 large Egg 5 TBSP All-Purpose Flour 1/4 c. Chopped Hazelnuts Abby’s Switch-Ins for the 4th ingredient include: Cinnamon or Chopped Peanuts Add Nutella and Egg to a bowl, stirring to combine completely. Add flour (and cinnamon if using) and stir again to combine. Line mini-muffin pan with paper cups, and fill to 3/4 full. Top with nuts and bake at 350F for 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely. |
1/2 c. Pumpkin puree 1 large Egg 1/2 c. Sugar 8 TBSP Self-Rising Flour 2 TBSP Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix together the Pumpkin puree, egg, and sugar until well combined. Add self-rising flour and pumpkin pie spice, stirring only until incorporated, like you would for a quick bread muffin. The bites in the photo were also topped with chopped pecans and maple sugar before baking. I highly recommend doing so, if you have them on hand. Using a mini muffin pan, line with paper cups. Fill 3/4 full and bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely. |
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“IN the fall I begin to make both pumpkin bread and I also make a dish called pumpkin crisp. The crisp always gets rave reviews and the family always wants this instead of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.
Maureen – I want that pumpkin crisp recipe!!! Thanks to everyone who entered, I loved hearing about your favorite pumpkin dishes!
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To win your very own copy of Abby Dodge’s Desserts 4 Today, you can do the following:
2. Follow Abby Dodge on Twitter: @abbydodge
3. Follow me on Twitter: @BluebonnetBaker
Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do. Only unique comments will count towards an entry, so make sure to leave a separate comment each time!
The contest closes Monday, October 4th at midnight EST. The winner will be contacted on Tuesday, October 5th for mailing information.
{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
What a great post and comparison. I’m on a pumpkin overdrive too. Did Pumpkin Pots de creme last week, and roasted pumpkin soup yesterday! Mmmmm, that book sounds great! Do include me in the giveaway!
Thank you
Followed Blue Bonnet Baker
Following Abby Dodge on twitter!
I love pumpkin. . .with chocolate! I love to make pumpkin muffins with mini chocolate chips in the fall (mini and regular size muffins). But it also makes a great cake, too. And I just tried a new recipe for petite pumpkin scones similar to the ones you buy at Starbucks. Next time I may try and add mini-chocolate chips to the scones and see how they turn out :)
Cindy
I love pumpkin and other winter squashes! My favorite for pumpkin is one of the basics-a nice moist spiced pumpkin bread! (although pumpkin curry or cumin soup is a close second).
I follow Abbey Dodge on twitter @fayethorn
I just signed up to follow bluebonnetbaker on twitter.
I love pumpkin’s muffin! That book sounds great, please include me in the giveaway!
I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but love lots of other pumpkin treats — bread, cookies, pumpkin butter…
I follow you on Twitter! :)
@katyskitchen
And I follow Abby Dodge too! :)
I’m ashamed to say I’ve never cooked with pumpkin! I bought one last year to turn into a lantern, with plans to do something with the flesh, but it just wasn’t suitable.
Hopefully this year I will buy an appropriate pumpkin and try roasting it :-)
Pumpkin pie is my favorite, but also pumpkin cookies and pumpkin mousse.
Already follow Abby on Twitter.
Now following you on Twitter.
I LOVE anything pumpkin (and the word amazeballs, which you now have me using, hehe)! I love Abby’s new book, too…I plan to give away several copies to friends this Christmas. :-)
Straight up pumpkin bread. You knows I love it ;)
WOW! Those sound amazeballs (HAHA! Thanx for the new word!) I so want to try this. And I would love to have a fab book like this to brag about here in South Africa. I love roasted pumpkin wedges done with cinnamon, honey & orange peel…and also really love pumpkin fritters. I am also a nutella freak so thanx for that recipe :o) xx
Now following you on twitter
Now following Abby Dodge on twitter
Pumpkin Bread :)
I can never get enough pumpkin bread with raisins and butterscotch cookies thrown in!
IN the fall I begin to make both pumpkin bread and I also make a dish called pumpkin crisp. The crisp always gets rave reviews and the family always wants this instead of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.
pumpkin oatmeal cookies!
I love pumpkin as pumpkin butter, but also in pumpkin donut form :)
Great recipe, Amber! I’m a traditionalist–love pumpkin pie! Pumpkin scones aren’t all that bad either.
I admit that I also do not like pumpkin but I love, love, love roasted pumpkin seeds and they always take me back to being a child when my mom made them after we carved a pumpkin for Halloween.
A giveaway – how fun. PS – both those treats above look AMAZING!
I enjoy pumpkin most in cookies or bread. I’ve also been known to enjoy it pureed served as a side dish….
Hi again – it’s me.
I am already following you on Twitter, my dear. So, does that count for another entry ?
Fall is my favorite season! I just bought six cans of pumpkin puree and I can’t wait to enjoy it in cheesecake, cookies, breads, muffins…the list goes on and on! Yum!
I already follow @abbydodge on Twitter!
I already follow @BluebonnetBaker on Twitter!
You don’t have to enter me in the drawing but I wanted to say YUM!! Those look so good. I made the Nutella version now I am off to make these this weekend.
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