The Best Gift of All

The holidays are here and the air is brimming with excitement. Shops are buzzing with busy shoppers, rushing to get those last-minute gifts. For those of us who are already overwhelmed with the accumulation of stuff in our homes, something that doesn't occupy any space would be great. You know all the usual picks...gift cards, a night out on the town for a lucky couple, a cruise to Alaska (yes, I think big).

How about planting a tree?
Retale has teamed up with the Arbor Tree Foundation in a global effort to reduce the use of paper.
With their Green Gestures initiative, Retale has promised to plant a tree simply because I'm helping spread the word. Every little step helps to make our world a better place for our children. Do your part.

Slim Down! Put your mailbox on a diet - Opt out of receiving paper phonebooks, junk mail and credit card applications. Now, isn't that nice?

Switch off! Turn the lights off if you are not in the room, something both Mom and Dad used to say all the time when we were kids. Set the thermostat in your home to the low 70's.

Recycle! Commit to recycling paper and plastic products. Look for the triangle logo embossed on the bottom of plastic containers and toss those into the blue bin instead of the trash.

Repurpose! Reuse! Be creative and reuse whatever you can. I'm shameless - I've repurposed burlap rice bags as shopping bags. Being eco-conscious is most fashionable, Dahlink.

Get an Oil Change! Did you know that both the old oil and filter are recyclable?

Shop Conscious! Support businesses that are eco-conscious. Cost Plus World Market is my favourite place for furniture, because the lumber used to build much of their products comes from sustainable forests.
Look for the sticker under the table, chair, etc.

Get Your Hands Dirty! Plant a tree. Offer a new home to neighbourhood birds, bees, butterflies. But, if you're worried about your fresh manicure, donate a dollar.

Spend a Dollar! The Nature Conservancy will plant a tree for every dollar you donate. This would be the coolest Christmas gift ever.

Talk, Tweet, Type! Give a shout-out. Help spread the word. If you have a blog, join the Green Gestures campaign.

It's really easy to reduce your carbon footprint. You can sleep better at night, knowing you are doing your part to help keep the snow caps intact for the penguins and polar bears, the trees thriving to support woodland creatures, and the air fresh and clean for our babies and our babies' babies.
That's the legacy I choose.

Pumpkin Fairy Truffles to the Rescue!

Thanksgiving is a sneeze away and the panic is settling in, isn't it? And Christmas isn't far behind.

After Halloween, it's full throttle clear to the new year with no sign of a slow-down.
The days seem to pass in a blur.
Thanksgiving offers a chance to stop and count the things we appreciate in our lives, like the crisp morning air, that first sip of coffee, the feel of Daisy's little hand in mine.

Cooking for the people we love is the best expression of gratitude.
The Wampanoag and Pilgrims gathered around the table to celebrate the first harvest, setting the stage for our cherished tradition.



Whether you're going out or hosting dinner at home, the Pumpkin Fairy can lend you a hand.

And, while everyone else is working on the usual turkey, cornbread stuffing, pumpkin pie, you are blazing new trails like the rockstar that you are with the cutest truffles on the planet.

Pumpkin Fairy Truffles are sure to make a big impression. After all, they're synonymous with luxury. 

Sinfully creamy with a tickle of spice, these sweeties give the old tired pumpkin pie a supermodel-quality makeover. Packed with beta-carotene-rich pumpkin to improve vision and promote clear skin, they're low on sugar and homemade, which means they are unexpectedly healthier than other candies. 
Thankfully, there's no law confining them to Thanksgiving. So you can enjoy them anytime, all year long!
Don't let their dainty little look fool you. They really are easy to make. But,  no one has to know that. I've got your back, Jack.

Pumpkin Fairy Truffles

Yields about 15 truffles 

Supplies
*1 14oz-can sweet condensed milk
*1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree
*2 Tb butter
*1 tsp ground cinnamon, extra for dusting
*pinch ground ginger
*1/2 tsp vanilla extract
*15 whole cloves
*1/4 cup table sugar or white sugar crystals
*15 mini paper candy cups

Steps

Pour sweetened condensed milk into a medium nonstick pot and add the pumpkin, butter, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla.

Using a wooden spoon, incorporate them together and light the burner on medium-high heat.
Stir gently without stopping as the bottom will quickly burn.

Once the mixture thickens to the consistency of a paste (you'll find you're putting an effort into mixing),
remove from the heat and transfer to a clean bowl to cool. Chill at least one hour in the fridge.
If you're in a hurry, pop the bowl into the freezer for about 10-15 minutes.

Sprinkle some table sugar onto a flat plate. Take a teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture, roll into a ball about the size of a large gum ball, toss into the sugar and coat evenly. 
Sprinkle a bit of ground cinnamon on one side for a blush of colour. 
Insert a clove into the top center to fashion a stem and place into a paper candy cup.
Repeat until you've used up all of the pumpkin mixture.

Store refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Check your pantry - you probably already have all of the ingredients. But maybe you should double the recipe, because this yields about 15 little treasures and you're likely going to eat a bunch along the way. 

Now we have one more thing to be grateful for, a luxurious treat that's a trendy take on an old favourite. Picture Yasmin LeBon wearing a warbonnet, leaning on an Appaloosa, biting into one.

The holidays just got hip-cool, didn't it?

Apple Cherry Chicken with Mom's Potato-Bottomed Rice

Breaking Tradition

Tis the season for pumpkin-EVERYthing and you know how much I love pumpkin.. Hopefully by now, you've tasted my maple pumpkin pie or painted a batch of sparkly ones to decorate your holiday table.

Then, there's another very cute, very delicious pumpkin recipe coming up. So, stay tuned in for that.

But, for those of you who aren't so pumpkin-crazed, Fall can be a bit daunting.

Plump, round orangey things everywhere you look...Real ones, fake ones, wooden, straw or twig ones.

Even your faithful ol' latte gets a pumpkin-spiced makeover.

It's easy to go on pumpkin-overload. 

Well, this one's just for you. 

A classic from the Persian kitchen that tastes even better the next day,

this unusual stew works magic with seasonal apples, coating fluffy basmati rice in every irresistible spoonful.

Cherries are not in the traditional recipe, but add just the right juicy POP! of sweet-tart flavour.

Persian moms will shake their heads at my suggestion to finish with Aleppo pepper, but I'm confident they'll forgive me once they see how it lends a raisin-sweet kick to the stew. 

Originating from its namesake city, Aleppo is a unique pepper with a rich, red colour and sweetness akin to Ancho chilies, but with more bite. Look for it at grocery stores in your Armenian or Arabic neighbourhoods. If you can't find it, just add a small dash of the usual crushed red pepper.

The Secret of Saffron
When I was pregnant with Daisy and we were deciding on a name for her, I secretly wanted to call her Saffron.  

Reputed to be the most expensive spice in the world, its sweet, distinct flavour is the signature of many Eastern dishes, both savoury and sweet.

Lucky for us, good quality saffron is widely available. Check your local Trader Joe's for the little glass vial of the Spanish variety.




The secret to unlocking the delicious flavour packed in those delicate crimson threads is a simple technique courtesy of Mom. Grind the threads with a bit of sugar, then steep them in a bit of hot water as you do tea. This infuses both the taste and colour of the fragrant oils into the dish. 

Cooking on a weeknight can be stressful. If you're like me, you want your family to enjoy something nutritious, but getting homemade ready in time for dinner can be a challenge.

Don't panic if you're short on time. 

This Apple-Cherry Chicken comes together in about 20 minutes, because while the chicken in cooking, you're making the rice. Then while the rice is cooking, you're finishing off the stew.
Get the stew done the night before and all you have to do is make the rice, heat up the stew and serve.
It freezes nicely, too.

This saucy li'l number is just what you need to feed the troops presto-pronto!

Mom's Potato-Bottomed Rice

Anything Mom makes is delicious, but her rice is especially famous. She par-cooks the Basmatic rice in salted water, then draining off the extra liquid to allow the rice to steam to a finish. The best part is hidden at the bottom of the pot....Crunchy, buttery, salty chunks of potatoes. Cut into small cubes, the potatoes do not take long to cook, because the rice above creates an insulation, trapping the heat around them.

Apple Cherry Chicken with Potato-Bottomed Rice
Notes: Cooking the rice is probably the most time-consuming step here. Using a frying pan instead of a deep pot gets the rice ready quickly and makes room for more potatoes, which really are the best part. 
With a few omissions, this one is a snap to make Paleo.

Serves 6

What to Get

2 lbs chicken thighs

1/2 large onion

6 cups water

Salt & Pepper

3 cups long-grain (Basmati) rice

1 large russet potato

4 Tb olive oil

1 Tb butter

1/2 tsp saffron

pinch sugar

2 Tb hot water

3 Tb olive oil

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

3 Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 cinnamon stick or 1 Tb ground cinnamon

1 Tb pomegranate molasses

1 tsp brown sugar

1 Tb tomato paste
1 cup hot water

2 tsp dried Aleppo pepper or cracked red pepper (optional)

What do Do

Put the kettle on and heat up some water.

Fill a big pot with water, salt & pepper and half of an onion.

Trim the excess fat from the chicken and add to the pot.

Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, skimming the "froth" from the top of the
water. Remove chicken, cut into bite-sized chunks, set aside.
Reserve stock to cook rice.

Rinse rice until water becomes clear. Add rice to pot of chicken stock and cover with lid.
Cook on gentle heat until all the stock has been absorbed, maybe 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, use a mortar + pestle to grind a 1/2 teaspoon of saffron threads with a bit of sugar.
Then pour a couple of tablespoons of hot water. Allow the saffron to steep like tea for a few minutes.

Chop onion and fry in a pan on medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper.
Mince and add garlic.Keep an eye on the garlic as it can burn quickly.
Peel and chop apples, add to pan.
Add cherries and chicken.

Once the onions turn golden and fragrant, add turmeric, cinnamon,
pomegranate molasses, brown sugar, tomato paste and saffron.

Lower the heat, add a cup of hot water from the kettle. Mix gently, cover and simmer.

Transfer par-cooked rice to a big bowl.

Peel and chop potatoes into bite-sized cubed.
Toss in olive oil, salt & pepper.


Drizzle a couple tablespoons of olive oil into a frying pan.
Arrange potato bits in a single layer.

Use a fork to gently fluff rice over the potatoes,
drop pats of butter over the top, cover with lid,
set on low heat and allow the rice to finish cooking, another 20 minutes.

Remove frying pan lid, place a large heatproof platter over the pan. VERY CAREFULLY, using oven mitts to protect your hands, flip the rice onto the platter.


In the interest of safety, this dangerous acrobatic step can be skipped altogether. There's no shame in serving the rice right from the frying pan in a rustic fashion. Rustic translates to cozy. Who doesn't like that?

Transfer stew to a heatproof pasta bowl and serve with a sprinkling of dried Aleppo pepper.

Just like Mom 
Temperatures are dropping and the days are growing shorter. Leaves are changing colour and floating gently to the ground. Dinner should be warm and comforting, something homey that reminds you of Mom's cooking.

Shake things up with some fresh flavours with this Apple Cherry Chicken.

A true Persian classic, it's a quick healthy dish perfect for a Fall weeknight.

After a busy day at the office pestered by the sound of phones ringing nonstop, you deserve to
treat yourself to this delicious dish.
And, that touch of saffron is sure to make you feel like royalty right at home.

Bedazzling Pumpkins

Halloween came and went so quickly.

It is so strange that in just one night,
 *poof*
it is all over.

So much planning goes into Halloween...choosing a costume or
sewing your own (if you are daring and armed with a sewing machine), deciding what kind and how much candy to stock up (then fighting the urge to eat the supplies), and, of course, decorating the front porch.

We do not do zhombie lynch mob scenes at our house. Our goal is cute and festive, especially since we have little Miss Daisy.

Mr.and Mrs. Scarecrow showed up extra early this year in the first week of September.



I propped them up in the garden in front of our big living room window and placed a couple of  fake pumpkins at their feet. They are a welcoming sight as you approach our house.

But, perhaps a bit too welcoming?

A couple of nights ago, I woke up to a terrifying shrieking sound. Milou dashed to the front of the house, barking like mad. I fumbled my way through the dark and could just make out a couple of white stripes wiggling among the roses. There they were, two rascal skunks fighting over those fake pumpkins!

And, you know what happened next.

Yup. The air quickly filled with the delicious fragrance that can only be Eau de Sconse.

It is a mystery why they stayed away from the pretty real pumpkins we have on the porch ...

Maybe the paint seems not-so-appetizing? Or the freaky colours and sparkly glitter made them look like aliens?

Whatever the case, the kids had a blast painting them.

All it took was:

-Pumpkins
-Brushes
-Nontoxic acrylic paints
-Newspaper
-Elmer's Glue
-Glitter

Then, we let the kids loose. They mixed up the colours, painted over paint. Daisy got a bit carried away and even painted her arm!

After the paint dried, the kids brushed glue over the stems and sprinkled glitter over the glue. The pumpkins looked sparkly and magical. Oh   SO   pre-tty.

Despite the stink and the insomnia, Fall is still my favourite season, because it marks the beginning of the holidays.

And the sooner it begins, the better.

Daisy is just starting to get the idea behind Halloween: Wear a costume, get candy.
That is motivation right there.
She would be willing to go out as a thorny, fire-breathing dragon if she knew there was chocolate in it for her.

This year, she dressed up as a dolly little swashbuckling pirate and collected quite the bounty of goodies.

Then, back at home, she had a blast running to the ring of the doorbell and giving away candy, handfuls at a time.

We always have a ton of candy. Anything to avoid seeing disappointment on cute kiddie faces, right?

And, we get the good stuff - MMs, Snickers, Reese's. None of that no-name brand hard candy with the faded wrappers. This time, we got a boatload of Sunkist fruit gummies, Dad's favourite. There were no leftovers!

It made me a bit sad that Halloween was over, just when Daisy had discovered how much fun it is. I did not want it to end, either.
She is still going around, wishing everyone a hearty Ha-ppy Halloweeeen! She wants to wear her costume and go trick-treating again. How do you explain to a 2-year-old that she has to wait a year to have fun again?

So, since we still had plenty of real pumpkins around the house, I put my little artiste to work again with some acrylic paint and gold glitter.

Daisy just loves painting. In fact, it is the only thing that will get her to sit still for more than 2 minutes (other than watching Pingu, Diego or Thomas). And, I love watching her focus. She looks so happy and relaxed, concentrating very seriously on creating something.

She grips the paint brush in such stylish ways, dabs a bit of this colour, then orders me to get her more of some other colour or rotate her pumpkin for her.  Of course, I am at her beckon call, whatever my bitty artist needs. I could sit there forever, not even notice the time passing.

We stuck with just one colour, something elegant, a classic Tiffany blue.

The mix of colours is not typical of Autumn decorations in the West, but actually a classic in Middle Eastern jewelry design.

Why not break tradition? Daisy kicked it into high-gear with the glitter and added some bling to the bottoms of the pumpkins.

They turned out to be the cutest, most sparkly decorations ever. Hopefully, they will make it long enough to add some sparkle to the Thanksgiving table.

Grab the kids and make your own decorations. Pumpkins are on the cheap now and the rest of the supplies are available at local craft stores, maybe even in the supermarket stationary aisle.

Fall is still here and there is plenty left to celebrate.
Even dinner on Ordinary Tuesday deserves a bedazzling touch.

Festive Fall: Chocolate "Acorn" Cupcakes

Fall is here! There's a crisp breeze in the evenings now. That maple tree in front of our house is changing from green to red to gold. Li'l bushy-tailed squirrels are dashing between trees, collecting acorns for the winter.

Squirrels aren't the only ones looking for acorns.

The ancient Greeks and Japanese ate acorns when other food staples were scarce. 

Native North Americans, especially in California where oak trees thrive, have long known how to remove the bitter tannins when making acorn meal.

Curiosity is  k i l l i n g  me. After seeing Hank Shaw's Acorn Maple Shortbread Cookies, I really want to know what acorn flour tastes like.I'd be outside, looking under oak trees right now, but our squirrels don't need the competition (and I'm lazy).  

So, I decided to make my own.With chocolate. Naturally.

The weather's just tolerable enough for one last movie night in our backyard with the neighbourhood kids. Shawn's in charge of the technical set-up. Daisy and I plan the baking, something fitting to welcome Autumn. Last year's cute owl cupcakes would be tough to beat.

But, we had a plan. My favourite chocolate cake recipe (below) would be a great foundation.
Chocolate acorns would give the cupcakes a fresh look.

They're easy and really fun to make. Grab the kids and gather around the table. 

You'll need mini chocolate chips, mini Nilla wafers, Hershey's Kisses and some toothpicks. 

These cuties are perfect for making any cake or cupcake festive with a touch of Fall. A bit of melted chocolate is the perfect glue to putting them together.

The hardest part is unwrapping the Kisses, but if you reward yourself by eating the ugly ones,

you'll have a bunch ready in no-time. 

Chocolate "Acorn" Cupcakes

Makes 2 dozen

1. Chocolate Acorns

27 Hershey's Kisses (3 for you to EAT)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

27 mini Nilla wafers

2-3 toothpicks

Melt a couple of tablespoons of chocolate chips in a microwave or over a gentle water bath.

Unwrap Hershey's Kisses.

Using a toothpick, spread a bit of melted chocolate over the flat end of a mini chocolate chip and attach to a mini Nilla wafer.

Spread more chocolate over the flat end of a Kiss and attach the Nilla wafer.

Repeat to create another acorn.

Eat one.

Make another one.

Repeat.

Eat one.

Make another one.

Repeat.

Eat one.
Make another one.

Repeat.

2. Chocolate Cupcakes

Dry Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp coffee (ground or instant)

pinch salt

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder 

Wet Ingredients

2 eggs

2/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup oil

Line cupcake pan wells with cupcake papers.

Preheat oven to 350*F

Sift dry ingredients into a clean bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs, add yogurt/sour cream, vanilla and oil.

Gently incorporate yogurt mixture into dry ingredients.

Divide batter evenly among cupcake cups

and 

bake for about 15 minutes. 

Once you can smell the cake, it's ready.

Do a toothpick-test at the center of a cupcake and remove them from the oven.

Allow them to cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cupcakes onto a metal rack to finish cooling.

3. Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz package cream cheese, @ room temp

2 Tb butter, @ room temp

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp fresh orange zest (optional)

Cream all the ingredients together until smooth.

4. Assembly:

Spread a tablespoon of frosting over the top of a cupcake 

and plop an acorn in the middle.

Homemade chocolate cake always tastes best, but if you're short on time, use boxed cake mix and ready-made frosting.The acorns can be made ahead of time and stand ready to decorate any cake or cupcake.

They're delicious on their own, too.

These Chocolate "Acorn" Cupcakes are perfect for any get-together and sure to be the star at the local bake sale.

Oh and by the way, it's not too late to enter to win that Autumn yarn wreath I made for you.

Donate any amount, even $5, at http://www2.mda.org/goto/cocointhekitchen
and you're in for the drawing! The winner will be picked randomly on October 30th.

It's just that easy and for a very good cause. Then, go celebrate with a cupcake. You deserve it.

Fall Yarn Wreath: DIY or WIN It..Winner Announced!

Congratulations to Jett for winning the wreath!!

Big thanks also to my parents, my Uncle Edward, my friend Diane and fellow foodie Carly in the Kitchen  for their generosity!

_________________________________________________________________________________

I've been very busy making something special just for you.

Flipping through magazines can be dangerous, because it can put ideas into your head, like a handmade yarn wreath.

I can totally do that. How hard could it be, right?


Bubbling with excitement, Mom & I hit the craft store to get the supplies last weekend.

Shopping for all the decorations was really fun.
We girls looooooove to shop.

The creative (and best part) was planning the design and the theme.

Sophisticated & chic
or
rustic & country?

Big, big decisions had to be made in choosing the yarn, orange and red glass acorns, pumpkins of various types, and the ribbons. Lots of ribbons.

We had a blast at the craft store. The only thing that could've made it more fun for us was if they were serving champagne and truffles while we pushed that cart up and down every aisle,
Daisy grabbing things off of the shelves as quickly as I was putting them back.

When the coffee craving hit, we grabbed our bags, rushed home and settled into the breakfast nook to get cracking.

Mom worked on a very cute colourful wreath while I was curious about a simple, grey idea.

The hardest (and most boring) part was wrapping the yarn around the straw wreath.

 If there's just one thing I learned from this project,
it's this:
Get the thickest, fluffiest, fattest yarn you can find!

A medium wreath (about 14 inches in diameter) will take up about 90-100 yards of yarn, but
more if you get a thinner variety. Stay away from wool as it attracts moths, unless you'll remember
to store your wreath with moth balls.

Hot glue is still the best way to attach decorations and keep them exactly where you want them.

Wrapping the yarn around the wreath is the most time-consuming step, but is actually fun to do while relaxing in front of the TV at night or if you have good company, like I did.

Mom & I sat in the kitchen on Saturday afternoon, sipping Armenian coffee, chatting about this and that, wrapping the yarn around the wreaths.


There's a possibility that some remnants of a box of Belgian chocolates may have also been present.

But, I'm not admitting to anything!

We had so much fun together. I don't get much time like that with Mom, so I really enjoyed it.

Mine turned out simple with an outdoorsy appeal.

A couple of snowy felt roses add a delicate sweetness.

Making felt roses is fairly easy.



Mom's wreath turned out a vibrant, cheery wreath to celebrate the season.

You can make one, too.
Or, better yet......you can WIN it!

It was a bit of work, but we were really motivated, because we wanted to give one away.

All for a very worthy cause, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).

mus·cu·lar dys·tro·phy

noun

1. 1.

   a hereditary condition marked by progressive weakening and wasting of the muscles.(Source Google)

   
   

The MDA supports invaluable research, helps patients and their families find appropriate care nationwide.
They also run summer camps accessible for children challenged with neuromuscular diseases.
$30 pays for a flu shot, but any donation is much appreciated.

That wreath can be yours!

All you have to do is help me raise funds for the MDA.
Donate ANY dollar amount
at
http://www2.mda.org/goto/cocointhekitchen before October 30th
and you're in the running for that colourful Fall wreath.
Winner will be chosen randomly from those who've donated to the MDA on my Coco page (see link above).

While you wait to find out if you've won, start this yarn wreath project at home this week.
It's very fun and relaxing, doesn't require a lot of talent or skill.

Get the kids involved, too! They have a great eye for seeing things in a new way. In the end, you'll have a beautiful Autumn decoration that you can display proudly.
It's quality time that you'll relive in your mind forever.

Pumpkin, Spice & Everything Nice: Maple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Have you noticed the air smells different when the seasons change?

It's still in the warm 80's in SoCal, but Fall is officially here.
Peaches have given way to pumpkins and rustling leaves are starting to turn golden.

While it's still too early to break out the cable-knit sweaters, it's always the perfect
time for a slice of pumpkin pie.

It combines all the flavours of Autumn in a mildly sweet, cozy package.

The traditional recipe is comforting, easy to follow and never disappoints.

But, sometimes a few changes lend a new and edgy angle to an old favourite.

Like the canned pumpkin itself. 

Nowadays, you have a choice, not just one brand.  And, yes, there is a difference in flavour.

In recent years, I've stock-piled TJoe's organic canned pumpkin.
You should, too.
It's a mystery how they manage to pack such fresh flavour in a can.

Another change is the addition of chocolate, my favourite subject of all.
Pairing it with pumpkin is a fairly new thing for me. The two get
along famously.

Technique can also update even a no-brainer like pumpkin pie.

As with all spices, ground cinnamon loses flavour with time.
Why not grate your own?
All you need is a cinnamon stick and microplane.

As for the crust, shortbread is a great change from the usual graham.
It has a lovely buttery flavour and a delicate crunch.
Make your own or cheat with the Keebler brand ready-crust.

Now, these ideas look very sexy on paper, but you know I wouldn't give you anything without doing some quality control first.

Friday night, after I got home from work, I grabbed my li'l Sugar-Spice-Everything-Nice and we hit the kitchen.

We did some serious testing with unexpected ingredients.
The next day, the results got rave-reviews at breakfast.

Yes, pie for breakfast. You should try it some time.

This is a gorgeously creamy, melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin pie
with a punch of chocolate flavour.

Look there - your left brow is raised.
Wait til you have a closer look at the ingredients.

Did I tell you it's so easy that a 2-year-old can make it?


Chocolate Maple Pumpkin Pie
Take the old fashioned approach with a big bowl and wooden spoon
or go high-tech and use a mixer.
Get the kids involved. It's so much fun!

Makes 2 pies

What to get:
2 15oz cans Trader Joe's Organic Pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
3 Tb maple syrup
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
splash of vanilla

2 tsp ground cinnamon or 1 tsp freshly grated
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper (Trust me.)
1 Tb cocoa powder
pinch salt

1/4 cup chocolate chips (or more)

2 Keebler shortbread pie crusts


What to do:
Preheat oven to 350*F.

Place pie shells onto a cookie sheet (makes it easier to transport them into the oven).

Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on the bottom of the pie crusts.

Mix the rest of the ingredient together.
Don't worry if your batter looks a bit lumpy. 

Divide batter between the 2 pie shells and pop them into the warm oven.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until you can smell the cinnamon.

Remove the pies from the oven and let them cool at room temp for about half an hour.
Then chill the in the fridge until ready to serve, best overnight.

Celebrate Fall with all the signature flavours... 

Pumpkin, cinnamon, maple.

But, remember that chocolate's always in season,
delivering a luxurious touch to an otherwise modest pie.

Close your eyes, take a bite.

Get lost in the leaves under sugar maple trees.