Thankful for pumpkin in cheesecake and flan

  • By Sue Ade
  • Tuesday, November 15, 2016 7:15pm
  • LifeFood

I’ve made pumpkin pie from scratch – that is, with a filling that’s made with fresh pumpkin. It’s a lot of work and to be honest, the mashed cooked pumpkin is not nearly as smooth as the pumpkin that comes packed in a can. So … for pumpkin desserts, where a smooth, velvety texture is essential, canned pumpkin is really the best way to go. Since the canned pumpkin shortage of a few years ago, I always buy a few extra cans this time of the year and tuck them away in the pantry. I don’t often make anything with canned pumpkin except in the fall, but every once in a while, I get a taste for it and like having it in the house.

Canned pumpkin is a boon for making pumpkin desserts, especially for cheesecake and flan. The desserts offered today take a little effort, but for celebratory occasion, such as Thanksgiving, they are lusciously satisfying – and showstoppers. The two-toned (and flavored) swirled top of the cheesecake will have guests asking, “How’d you do that,” while the flan will leave them swooning.

Desserts are a big part of any holiday meal, and two pie recipes are coming next week, one for pumpkin and one for apple. They can be prepared with canned pumpkin, pre-peeled and sliced apples and ready-to-bake pie crusts, so if you run out of time, don’t panic.

Just buy an extra can, or two, of pumpkin – and keep the can opener handy.

More in Life

Pork, fermented kimchi and tofu make the base of this recipe for Kimchi stew. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
Kimchi stew ushers in fall

This stew is spicy with a rich broth and fatty bites of pork — perfect for a chilly, clear-skied autumn day

A girl dressed as Snow White takes candy from a witch at the Orca Theater’s Trunk or Treat in Soldotna, Alaska on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
October packed with Halloween events

October brings with it fall festivities, trick-or-treating opportunities and other seasonal celebrations

File
Minister’s Message: The right side of fairness

In God’s kingdom, the point isn’t that those who have get more, but that those who don’t have get enough

A copy of “Two Old Women” is held inside the Peninsula Clarion offices on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ahlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Off the Shelf: Athabascan legend enchants, informs

The two women, shocked that they’ve been left behind by their family and friends, resolve that they will not resign themselves to death

Rusty Lancashire does some baking. (1954 photo by Bob and Ira Spring for Better Homes & Garden magazine)
The Lancashires: Evolving lives on the evolving Kenai — Part 5

Ridgeway homesteader Larry Lancashire was reminded of the value of such friendship in December 1950 when he shot another illegal moose

Will Morrow (courtesy)
Passing the time

There are lots of different ways to measure the passage of time

Shredded chicken and vegetables are topped with a butter crust in this classic chicken pot pie. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A meal for when you need a hug

This classic chicken pot pie is mild and comforting

Kenneth Branagh portrays Hercule Poirot in “A Haunting in Venice.” (Photo courtesy 20th Century Studios)
On the Screen: Murder most haunting

Hercule Poirot takes on supernatural in latest Agatha Christie adaptation

Most Read