Category: Dessert

Zucchini Banana Bread

banzucbread

A little different spin on a classic.  Honey instead of granulated sugar cuts the sweetness and adds a little moisture to this bread.  While the bread is really good the first day, I wrap mine in foil (to maintain the moisture) and put it in the refrigerator so that the zucchini’s moisture can do it’s work.  The second and third day, if it lasts that long, the bread gets better and better.  I try and double the ingredients to make two loaves, then freeze the wrapped bread (in a Ziplock freezer bag) to enjoy later.

Zucchini Banana Bread
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup mashed overripe (black skins) banana (about 2 medium sized bananas)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2  cups zucchini, shredded (do not drain the natural moisture)
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F
  2. Beat together the oil and honey in a stand mixer
  3. Add in the mashed banana, eggs, and vanilla
  4. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt
  5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir on low until just combined
  6. Using a spoon fold in the zucchini
  7. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spay and pour in batter
  8. Sprinkle a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon on top of the batter if you want to
  9. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean – do not undercook

I like to serve this with whipped cream cheese with a touch of nutmeg in it.

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A New Take On Banana Bread

I need to go buy 8 bananas and wait for them to get ripe ASAP so I can try this new take on banana bread.  Really it’s more like a cake, but I can’t wait to try it either way!  Thanks Buzzfeed!

Upside Down Banana Bread

4-5 ripe bananas
3 eggs
½ cup oil
½ cup sugar
1 TBLS ground cinnamon
2 cups flour
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2-3 bananas, sliced
Vanilla ice cream

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175 C.
  2. In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas.
  3. Add the eggs, oil, sugar, and cinnamon, mixing until evenly incorporated.
  4. Add the flour and mix until the batter has no large pockets of flour. Set aside.
  5. In a pot over low heat, melt the butter, then mix in the brown sugar until dissolved.
  6. Bring up the heat to medium, cooking until the mixture starts bubbling.
  7. Remove the caramel from heat and pour into a greased 9×9 baking pan.
  8. Lay the banana slices evenly on top of the caramel.
  9. Spread the banana bread batter on top
  10. Bake 40-50 minutes.
  11. Cool until the bottom is barely warm & use a knife to loosen the edges from the pan.
  12. Place a plate upside-down on top of the pan, then invert the pan, flipping the banana bread onto the plate.

Slice, then serve with vanilla ice cream.

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S’mores Cheesecake

smorescheesecakeI saw this picture teased on Twitter as “Food Porn.”  I can’t think of a better description than that, can you?  Even worse than being teased with the picture was the fact that there was no linked recipe or (God forbid!) place to buy this decadent dessert.  Time to search the internet!

A quick Google search led me to a very easy looking recipe from Lyuba @ www.willcookforsmiles.com fame, that I am definitely making tonight!

Crust:
  • 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup mini chocolate morsels
  • 1 cup marshmallows
  • Cheesecake:
  • 4 8oz packs of cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup white granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsp corn starch
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Topping:
  • 10 oz hot fudge topping, warmed
  • 2 cups marshmallows
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 and grease a 9 inch spring form. You will need a large roasting pan (one that’s bigger and longer than the spring form. I use the aluminum foil disposable ones.)
  2. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, vanilla extract and brown sugar. Mix very well.
  3. Spread crumb mixture in the bottom on the spring form, evenly, pressing it over the bottom and half way up the sides.
  4. Spread mini chocolate morsels and marshmallows over the bottom, evenly.
  5. In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Scrape sides and bottom on the bowl and beat for another minute.
  6. Add corn starch and sugar and mix until combined.
  7. Beat in eggs until well incorporated.
  8. Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and heavy cream and beat until all mixed very well.
  9. Transfer batter into the spring form and spread in evenly. (If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the springform in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides.)
  10. Place roasting pan into the oven and place cheesecake spring form inside the roasting pan. Carefully add water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the spring form.
  11. Bake for 90-95 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for 10 minutes and take it out of the oven.
  12. Let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter and then gently run a butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don’t actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to serve.)
  13. Cool cheesecake for an hour.
  14. Turn on the broiler in the oven.
  15. Spread warm hot fudge over the top of the cheesecake and spread marshmallows evenly on top.
  16. Place cheesecake back in the center of the oven, under the broiler. Let marshmallow toast for only 30-35 seconds. Watch it because they toast very quickly. Take out the cheesecake once marshmallows are lightly browned.
  17. Cool cheesecake completely, cover gently and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Thank you for the recipe Lyuba!
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How to Ruin Chocolate Chip Cookies

THCookiesAnyone who cooks or bakes regularly should be able to whip up a batch of Toll House Cookies without incident, right?

Today I proved that assumption wrong.  UG!

First you preheat your oven to 375° and gather your ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 Cup (2 Cubes) Butter – Softened to Room Temperature
  • 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup (Packed) Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 2 Large Eggs (at Room Temperature)
  • 1 –  12 oz Package (Appx 2 Cups) Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
  • 1 Cup Chopped Nuts (Optional)

OK, so far I’m good to go!  Oven is on & I have everything I need on hand.

I pulled out my baking sheets, lined them with my trusty Artisan Metal Works Silicone Liners, got the measuring spoons, measuring cups and bowls out of the cupboard.  Time to make some cookie dough!

Minolta DSC

I measured out the flour, baking soda and salt and put them into a medium sized bowl.  Gave that a quick stir to combine and set the bowl aside.  No problems with this step!

The butter had been sitting on the counter for a couple of hours and was nice & soft.  Into the stand mixer bowl it went along with the brown sugar, the granulated sugar and vanilla.  A minute or two of beating and a quick bowl scrape and I was ready to add the two eggs. Everything is going great!

At this point I notice  batter isn’t as light and fluffy as it usually is.  No problem, the butter just must have been softer than I thought. No problem, time to add the flour mixture – full steam ahead.

This is when the wheels fell off….

I dropped the bowl on my stand mixer and began adding the flour mixture.  Just as I lifted the bowl into place to start the mixer I noticed that a blop of the vanilla, sugars, butter & egg mixture had flown off the beater onto one of the cookie sheets.

I defied the rules regarding not eating raw cookie dough (GASP!) and swiped the blop up and into my mouth.  UG!  WTF? ICK!

Expecting a buttery sweet taste, I was horrified to instead have a mouth full of salty yuck!  What in the world had I done wrong?

I glanced around the counters checking off ingredients and came upon an empty Ziplock bag.  I immediately realized what I had done wrong.

For the last month I’d been moving the Ziploc bag full of a white granulated substance around in my spice cabinet everytime Iassuming that it was The superfine C&H Baking Sugar that I routinely have on hand.  I never thought to check for it to be anything but that, as I often pour the last bits out of the larger carton and into a Ziplock Bag for storage.  This time I was oh so wrong!  I got a flashback of a day, only a few weeks ago when I had accidentally pushed the metal pouring spout all the way in to the container of Morton’s Iodized Salt.  I then poured what was left into a Ziplock bag and went back to what I was doing.

To be fair, I haven’t bought a container of Morton’s Salt for some time, as we’ve changed to salt and pepper grinders when we use salt at the table, so I wasn’t so far off assuming the bag was baking sugar.  But UG!  I should have tasted it first.

I’d already poured 1/2 of the flour mixture into the ruined butter and sugar mixture so everything had to be thrown away.  SUPER FAIL!

Lessons learned:

  1. When putting things into Ziplock Bags, MARK THE CONTENTS & Date.
  2. Always taste mystery ingredients if you’ve failed to follow #1
  3. When in doubt, like I was when I noticed a different consistency, taste the wet ingredient mixture before adding (and wasting) your dry ingredients

I guess there won’t be freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in my house tonight. 😦

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Luscious Lemorancello

I am still up to my eyeballs in fresh citrus, so I found a new project from which I will be able to make some really fun desserts!

slicecake_w_lemons11Have you ever been to an Italian restaurant and seen Limoncello on the after dinner drink menu or seen some type of Limoncello Cake on the dessert menu?   Limoncello is a syrupy liqueur that is smooth and sweet with an intense lemon flavor.  It can be sipped on its own, mixed into sparkling water, or shaken into cocktails.

I had no idea that Limoncello is the second most popular liqueur in Italy.  Considering that both my family and my husband’s have Northern Italian roots, I was amazed to realize neither of us had ever tried this particular yummy treat!  I think that counts as some kind of neglect or child abuse 😉

The process to make homemade Limoncello (or in this case, since I am combining blood orange and Meyer lemon peels:  Lemorancello) is quite easy and much less expensive than buying a smaller bottle of the commercially bottled version.

Lisa’s Luscious Lemorancello

  • 1 – 750 ml Bottle Vodka (80 Proof is fine, but 100 Proof is even better)
  • 5 – Medium Sized Meyer Lemons
  • 5 – Medium Sized Oranges (I have Blood Oranges, So I am using those)
  1. Remove the peels from the lemons and oranges.  Put the fruit in a zip bag to freeze for later use.  I peel them whole and then use a spoon to scrape away the pith, but you can also use a vegetable peeler.  It’s important to leave as little of the bitter white pith as possible.
  2. Once you have peeled the fruit and removed the pith from the skins, slice the peels into narrow strips and put the peel into a 32 oz container with a lid then pour the vodka over the peels.  I prefer glass so that any dormant odors don’t transfer from plastic into the vodka.
  3. Seal the container tightly and put aside in a cabinet – or at least on a counter out of direct sunlight.
  4. Infuse your blood orange & lemon peels in the vodka for at least 1 week to a month or longer. Most of the fruit flavor is extracted in the first few days, the longer you let it sit the bolder the flavor will be.  I’m going to let mine sit undisturbed for 6 weeks.

You don’t need to worry about mold or bacteria growing while it is infusing.  The alcohol prevents any mold or other bacteria from growing on the fruit.

When you decide that you just can’t wait to enjoy your treat any longer, it’s time to strain out the fruit peels and combine the infused vodka with simple syrup.

TIP:  You can use any amount 1 C Water to 1 C Sugar up to 4 Cups Water to 4 Cups Sugar.  More water will dilute the alcohol percentage and make the liqueur milder.

  1. Make your simple syrup:  In a saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar (I use superfine baker’s sugar) with 1 cup water and stir over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  2. Add this to the infused vodka, taste, and add more simple syrup if you need it sweeter.

When you have reached your perfect ratio and your Lemorancello is ready to enjoy, you can store it in a cleaned 750 ml vodka bottle (there will be more than 1 bottle worth of liqueur) or in pretty oil/vinegar type bottles with hinged or screw sealed tops.

The liqueur can be kept in the freezer for at least a year, and likely much longer. Use your own common sense if it’s been more than a year and it tastes off or you see any mold growing in the bottle.  Then it’s more than likely time to toss it and make a fresh batch!  I have no intention of letting mine last that long.

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Did You Know…?

freezer_openThere are many foods I didn’t know could be frozen, saving me from the inevitable time when I need something like buttermilk, which I never have on hand when I come across a recipe that calls for it.  Learning this led me on an internet search to see what other seldomly stocked foods can be frozen for use later.

You Can Safely Freeze:

  • Buttermilk:  Fill an empty ice cube tray.  Freeze overnight and transfer frozen cubes to a freezer bag.  Keeps up to 3 months and each cube slot measures 1 ounce (1/8th of a Cup)
  • Bananas:  Freeze them overnight when they are at their ripest point (when skin is browning but not going bad) in their skins. Using a sharp knife slice the frozen bananas in half lengthwise and peel off the skins.  Store in freezer bags for use in smoothies.  Homemade Frozen Bananas: Put two frozen halves together with a popsicle stick between them and coat with melted chocolate. Immediately sprinkle with/roll in nuts, coconut, or rainbow/other sprinkles and place on a pan lined with waxed paper.  Freeze an hour or two and enjoy for dessert.
  • Butter: This is particularly good to know since I rarely need unsalted butter and buy it 1 pound at a time (4 – 1/2 Cup cubes) when it’s on sale.  Now I can cut cubes in half  (1/4 C portions) and freeze them in freezer bags for later use!
  • Cheese: Don’t freeze whole chunks – it crumbles when you defrost and try to slice it.  Instead grate or shred it and freeze in 1 Cup portions in zip bags for recipes at a later date.
  • Eggs:  Remove the shells and freeze individually in snack sized zip bags.  You can also freeze egg whites separately from their yolks.  I’d recommend marking the bags with the number of egg whites or whole eggs you freeze per bag to make using later easier.  Frozen “pre-made” omelettes:  In a large measuring cup crack the desired number of eggs and whisk .  Stir in 2 TBLS milk, 1/4 Cup each chopped bell pepper (or any pepper you desire) and chopped ham (bacon, turkey, chicken breast, ground beef, sausage, etc.) and 2 TBLS chopped onion (if desired).  Pour into sandwich sized zip bags and freeze until needed. Great weekday breakfast option.  You can remove a bag to the refrigerator the night before to thaw, pour into a preheated pan to cook, sprinkle with a bit of frozen grated cheese & eat right before running out the door the next morning.
  • Garlic: Separate cloves but leave skin on and freeze in a doubled zip bag to keep freezer odor free.
  • Wine:  Unlike hard alcohol, wine does freeze solid.  Freeze in 1 ounce portions in an ice cube tray and transfer to a freezer bag to use in sauces or other recipes.
  • Yogurt: Measure it into 2 to 4 TBLS (aka 2 to 4 oz or 1/4 to 1/2 Cup) portions and freeze in zip bags.  Don’t forget to mark the bags for later recipe use.
  • Lunch meat: Can be safely frozen in zip bags for up to 2 months.
  • Bread:  You can freeze a loaf of sliced bread for up to 3 months and you don’t even need to thaw it before eating it. The freezer is a better storage option than the fridge, which can dry bread out.
  •  Milk / Half & Half:  Milk can be frozen for 3 months.  Half & half stays good for 4 months in the freezer, but never freeze heavy cream.  Cream doesn’t freeze well at all.  I never understood why my mother-in-law always shook the milk before pouring out of the carton, now I do!  She kept it frozen in the chest freezer in the garage and was breaking up the ice.
  • Grains:  Quinoa, farro and bulgur last 3 months in the cupboard but up to 6 months in the freezer!
  • Tofu:  Chop it in chunks and freeze for up to 5 months to add to smoothies, soups, stews, etc.
  • Tortillas:  That at room temperature, not in the microwave.

Important things to remember about freezing any food are:

  • Make sure you are using a bag or container meant for freezer use to ward off freezer burn, keep smells from escaping into the freezer, and keep your food fresher longer
  • Remember to mark the date frozen as well as the last date you should use the food directly on the bag or on a piece of tape with a permanent marker.
  • Don’t over stuff your freezer.  A well organized freezer gives you the ability to easily see what you have on hand and helps food freeze faster/stay frozen because cooled air can flow between and around the packages.

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Minty Truffles For Santa

treatsforsantaIf I had my way, every treat I make would be laced with some type of liquor to make the inevitable drama that comes with families and holidays tolerable.  Unfortunately others frown on only having treats out that aren’t kid friendly so I have to make some rated G. 😦

These satisfy the request for no booze (BOO) yet still have a grown up feel.  No one says I can’t leave a little nip of something to warm Santa up beside the plate 😉

Peppermint Crunch Truffles

  • 8 oz Evaporated Milk
  • 1 – 11 oz bag Dark Chocolate Chips (60% Cacao)
  • 1 10 oz bag Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Pieces

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the evaporated milk just to a boil then remove from heat.

Separate out 1 cup of the peppermint crunch, chop finely and set aside.

In a large microwave safe glass measuring cup, cook the chocolate chips and peppermint pieces on high for 1 minute.  Remove and stir then slowly stir in the hot evaporated milk until well combined.

Cool in refrigerator for 1 hour.  Remove and allow to stand at room temperature about 5 minutes.

Using a melon baller or small spoon scoop mounds of the mixture, roll between hands to form a ball and roll to coat truffles in either:

  • The reserved chopped peppermint pieces
  • A 1 to 1 mixture of confectioner’s (powdered) sugar & unsweetened cocoa powder or
  • Sweetened coconut flakes

andestrufflesStore in refrigerator in tightly sealed container between layers of waxed paper until ready to serve.  Makes about 45 truffles.

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to:  recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

An “Adults Only” Treat

boozeballsDespite what advertisers and children want us all to believe, Christmas isn’t just about making the kids happy… I believe that those who do all of the shopping, decorating, wrapping, cooking, cleaning, and prepping deserve to enjoy the holidays too, so I prepare a little something just for adult indulgence 😉

My co-workers, hairdresser, friends and family all wait for me to bring out the “special” plate of treats they know is intended just for them.  Their fancy name is Dark Chocolate Whisky Truffles but, to all who have tasted, they are simply referred to as Booze Balls!

Lisa’s Booze Balls

Combine ½ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder and ½ Cup Powdered Sugar in a large Ziplock bag and set aside.

Melt 1 stick of Butter together with 1 bag (10 oz) Dark Chocolate Chips (I prefer Ghirardelli 60% Cacao) over low heat. When smooth remove from heat.

Crush enough Gingersnaps to make 1 Cup of crumbs and add to the melted chocolate and then add 3-4 Tablespoons of whatever Whisky you like – I have used Jack Daniels, Oban, Makers Mark, and Maker’s 46 (my personal favorite) and all were good.

Move the mixture to a bowl (preferably stainless steel), cover with foil and put in the refrigerator to cool for 45 minutes. If you are in a huge hurry – put in the freezer for about 25 minutes.

Line the biggest pan that will fit on a freezer shelf with waxed paper (I use a tart pan or 8 x 8 Pyrex)

Scoop out rounded spoonsful of the mixture and roughly ball then put in the lined pan

Freeze for an hour or so then roll the balls in your hands and drop the balls into the Ziplock bag of cocoa powder and powdered sugar mixture.

Shake off the excess and put the coated balls in a covered container and keep in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature for the best flavor. Will keep for weeks in the refrigerator if your guests don’t lick the plate clean 😉

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to:  recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies

turkeygfcookiesAs I was reviewing the recipes I’d be making for Thanksgiving weekend gatherings this year, I realized that someone likely to eat at least one meal at my house is gluten intolerant and wouldn’t be able to share the best part of dinner: dessert!  Luckily I had a recipe that was easily converted to gluten free, whew, crisis averted!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Mix together in a bowl and set aside:

  • 3 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour (I use Krusteaz)
  • 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder

In stand mixer cream until light and fluffy:

  • 2 Sticks (1 Cup) softened butter
  • 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/3 Cup  Brown Sugar (Light or Dark)  then add
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/4 Cup Canned Pumpkin Puree

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

On low speed slowly add the dry ingredients until well incorporated and dough forms a ball.

Divide the dough in half and put into 2 large Ziplock bags.  Flatten to a large disk and put both into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Once dough has chilled place first disk on a lightly floured surface (MAKE SURE YOU USE THE GLUTEN FREE FLOUR), roll out to about 1/4″ and cut into Turkeys, Leaves, Footballs or any other fall shape.  Place on a cookie sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper and then throw the pan in the freezer for a couple of minutes to help cookies keep their shape when you bake them.  Repeat process with what is left of first disk then the second disk until you have used all of the dough.

Bake for 9-12 minutes (until lightly browned on the bottoms and starting to brown on the tops) depending on your oven and the thickness of your cookies.  Remove cookies from the oven.  Allow to cool on pan about 1 minute then remove to wire racks to completely cool.  Do not leave on the pan too long or the cookies might start to lose their shape.

When completely cool ice with Royal Icing or pre-made cookie icing and enjoy.

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to:  recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. If so, visit my This Girl Loves To Eat community at:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

A Chocolate Twist on Thanksgiving Tradition

I’m starting with the admission that this post is totally stolen from a recipe that comes direct from the Food Network Kitchen! It can be seen in this month’s Food Network Magazine article Thanksgiving Desserts: Pies and Beyond.

Since I was very young, I have been a sucker for the smell and taste of pumpkin pie.  My Aunt Lisa would bake them and the family would devour them.  That was a family tradition.  Since I’ve had to make them (or buy them from Marie Callender’s) myself, pumpkin pie just hasn’t been the same.

FNM_110114-Pumpkin-Brownie-Swirl-Pie-RecipeThat was still the case until I saw this picture and fell in lust with Pumpkin-Brownie Swirl Pie.

This pie will definitely grace my holiday table. Ok, I’ll really be keeping it all to myself to eat with day after leftovers brought home from someone else’s house, but WHATEVER.

I must make this pie.  I may even drizzle some hot caramel sauce over the pie AND the mandatory Vanilla ice cream.  To Hell with Tradition!!

Pumpkin-Brownie Swirl Pie

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and side of a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate.

Make the brownie filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 stick unsalted butter, 1 – 12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, whisking occasionally until melted and combined thoroughly.  Remove from the heat. Whisk in 2 large eggs, one at a time and then 1 teaspoon vanilla, whisking until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined.

Pour about one-third of the brownie batter into the prepared pie plate; set aside the remaining batter. Bake until just starting to set and the top is shiny, about 20 minutes.

Make the pumpkin filling:  In a medium mixing bowl combine 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup sugar,1/4 cup flour, 12 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 tsp salt whisking until smooth.

Pour the pumpkin filling over the warm brownie layer. Stir 1 tablespoon water into the remaining brownie batter, then spoon the batter (in about 6 scoops) onto the pumpkin filling. Use the back of the spoon to pull the brownie batter into the pumpkin filling and create a swirled pattern. Bake until the pie is set, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

I only have one word for the way my mouth is watering in anticipation: Yum!

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to:  recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. If so, visit my This Girl Loves To Eat community at:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood