It’s Thanksgiving weekend which means foodies, like you, are prepping all sorts of tasty fixings for a delectable dinner. Are you the type of person that sticks to the traditional trimmings or do you like to step outside the foodie box and try something new?
“I am not a glutton. I am an explorer of food.” — Erma Bombeck
If you’re looking for something a little different from a cake or pie for dessert, how about trying pumpkin pie twists? Before you say, “yuck, pumpkin!” just think about the other ingredients surrounding the pumpkin. As the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. This recipe has the perfect combination of ingredients to deliver a mouthful of your favourite autumn flavours. I mean, you can’t go wrong with crescent roll dough, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and whipped cream. Did you just drool a little? I’m not going to lie, I may have.
I’m also having a “squirrel” moment.
Let’s detour for a second.
Have you ever wondered why we mark Thanksgiving, better yet, the history of this holiday? It’s quite interesting. An article on canadahistory.ca says, “Traditions of giving thanks long predate the arrival of European settlers in North America. First Nations across Turtle Island have traditions of thanksgiving for surviving winter and for receiving crops and game as a reward for their hard work. These traditions may include feasting, prayer, dance, potlatch, and other ceremonies, depending on the peoples giving thanks. When it comes to European thanksgivings in Canada, we have a few tales to tell.”
However, I can’t go into all the tales as it would take up all of my precious 700 words, but there are lots of tales online if you’d like to further explore this topic.
OK, back to yummy pumpkin twists.
I saw the following recipe on onelittleproject.com and it says whipped cream is optional. Who says that? Whipped cream is never optional. If you’re going to make a dessert in the first place, you may as well go all the way, right?
“Desserts are the fairy tales of the kitchen. A happy-ever-after to supper.” — Terri Gullemets
Let’s do this! Roll out the crescent roll dough on your cutting board. Yes, it’s the Pillsbury dough. You could make your own if you want. However, I’m taking the super chill route this week. Separate them until you get two rectangles. Then, mix a quarter cup of brown sugar, one tablespoon of maple syrup, one teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and half a cup of the pumpkin puree together. Spread a layer onto one half of the dough, right to the edge. Then, place the other rectangular piece of dough on top.
“At this point my blood type is pumpkin spice.” — Unknown
You can adjust the amount of pumpkin in the recipe. If you only like a tiny bit of pumpkin flavour, spread a small amount of the puree and a tad of the pumpkin spice. Essentially enough for a taste but not overbearing. Easy peasy!
Once that’s complete, use a pizza cutter to cut the dough in long strips, about three quarters of an inch thick. Place them on a baking sheet lined with your best friend — parchment paper. Then, it’s time to do the twist. The easiest way is by twisting both ends. Believe me, you will save yourself a few choice words. Two twists on each end should do the trick.
Last, by not least, coat your twists with two tablespoons of melted butter and top it off with half a teaspoon of cinnamon and one tablespoon of sugar. Bake your twists at 375 for about eight to twelve minutes. Keep a close eye and take them out of the oven once they turn a delicious golden brown.
“You may feel like you’ve eaten too much, but this pastry is like feathers — it is like snow. It is, in fact, good for you, a digestive!” — M.F.K Fisher
Pumpkin pie twists are a great way to serve dessert in individual portions. You may have to make a couple of batches though – they won’t last long as pumpkin pie twists are definitely fit to eat. Eek! Don’t forget the whipping cream. It’s the best dipper for this recipe.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Erin Sulley is a self-confessed foodie who lives in Mount Pearl. Email [email protected] Twitter: @ErinSulley Instagram: @erinsulley
