Make a grown-up pumpkin parfait for Thanksgiving
At a recent gathering, my friend Randy surprised me by sharing details from a column I had written in November 2019 about including Fireball or RumChata as an ingredient in pumpkin pie. He went on to flatter me by noting they still have the original edition folded inside of their edition of "The Joy of Cooking." Wow, what an honor. Then he challenged me, asking why I hadn't thought of combining both alcohols in a pie. Hmmm, now that is an interesting idea.
The whole idea of combining Fireball or RumChata into a pumpkin pie came about after a visit with my niece Julia, who was serving a "shot" she called Cinnamon Toast Crunch made with equal parts of the two alcohols. But don't be fooled by the sweet name. This drink packed a punch - albeit a delicious one. I've heard it compared to the milk in your bowl after eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, but with a kick. That's pretty accurate.
On its own, RumChata is a smooth cinnamon-flavored liqueur made with rum, cream, cinnamon, vanilla and sugar. It was created to taste like a mixture of rum and horchata, thus the name. To me, it tastes like a warm cinnamon reminiscent of an oatmeal cookie and milk.
The sweet combination of Canadian whiskey and cinnamon, or Fireball, provides a zing of spicy cinnamon similar to an Atomic Fireball candy or Dentyne gum. While I am not a whiskey lover, a few sips or more of this on a chilly night will warm you up.
As I thought about my friend's question about combining the two cinnamon products in a pumpkin pie, I returned to where it all started: Julia's Cinnamon Toast Crunch shots. With that in mind, I started experimenting, and this Grown-Up Pumpkin Cinnamon Toast Crunch Parfait is my attempt at bringing everything together in one bite.
I started with the Fireball version of the pumpkin pie from my original column, but instead of baking it in a crust, I used a baking dish. Next, I added some RumChata to homemade whipped cream, and lastly, after rummaging through my pantry and freezer, I found some Biscoff cookies and crushed them into chunky crumbs.
My original thought was to make a trifle, but I didn't have enough ingredients to fill my only clear bowl, so I opted for some individual glass yogurt containers I had saved.
In keeping with the trifle idea, I added some cookie crumbs to the bottom of each container, followed by some of the pumpkin mixture, whipped cream, more pumpkin and whipped cream and finished with another spoonful of crumbs on the top. In hindsight, if I had more cookie crumbs, I would have added another layer before adding the second helping of pumpkin.
The result is the perfect blend of cinnamon flavors, smooth and spicy, as well as both creamy and crunchy, all at the same time.
This recipe can easily be made into a traditional pie by using crushed cookies as a crust, similar to graham cracker crumbs, by adding a little butter and pressing it into a pie pan. I would bake the crust for 10-15 minutes before adding the pumpkin filling. Before serving, top the entire pie with clouds of whipped cream and finish with a sprinkle of reserved cookie crumbs.
If trifle is more your speed, layer the ingredients as listed in the recipe, but be sure to add the third layer of cookies. You will likely need to double the recipe to fill a traditional trifle dish, so check your desired volume before purchasing the ingredients. In the end, you will have a beautiful centerpiece for your dessert table.
Another possible variation would be substituting crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal for the Biscoff cookies.
Thanks to my friend Randy for his challenge in combining both Fireball and RumChata into a pumpkin dessert. I loved the challenge and think it turned out pretty tasty. But I'm sorry kids, it's only for the adults. Happy Thanksgiving!
• Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. Contact Penny at DhCulinaryAdventures@gmail.com.
Grown-up Pumpkin Cinnamon Toast Crunch Parfaits
15-ounce can pumpkin puree
9 ounces evaporated milk
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
3 ounces Fireball Whiskey
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
¼ cup RumChata
1 cup Biscoff Cookie crumbs (or crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal)
8 8-ounce individual containers (Mason jars, martini glasses or yogurt jars work well)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8-inch or 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, salt, spices and Fireball in a large bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined. Carefully pour pumpkin mixture into prepared pan.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Place in the refrigerator to cool.
Place heavy cream, powdered sugar and RumChata in a bowl and whip on high speed until medium peaks form, being careful not to overmix.
To assemble parfaits, layer the following in order in each jar:
1 tablespoon cookie crumbs
Pumpkin mixture
Whipped cream
Pumpkin mixture
Whipped cream
1 tablespoon cookie crumbs
Chill until ready to serve. This can also be made in a trifle bowl, adjusting quantities based on size.
Serves 8
Penny Kazmier