When I first saw this as a kid, just like Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Lucy, I thought this kid was a real blockhead. There's no "Great Pumpkin." But years later, in my adulthood, I've come to learn there is a Great Pumpkin. Not a person who delivers treats on Halloween, but rather a spirit and atmosphere that makes all our culinary endeavors extra delicious. Make no mistake about it: if it were socially acceptable, I would consume pumpkin flavored products all year round.
I don't want to keep this magical flavor all to myself - it's too amazing not to share with the rest of the world. For the next few moments, I'm going to do a thorough, but not exhaustive, rundown of pumpkin treats you can anticipate this fall. Let's explore!
Out of the Pumpkin
Before delving too deep into the deliciousness of pumpkins, I find it necessary to recognize the obtaining of pumpkin taste - pumpkin patches and pumpkin carving. Those may sound like kiddie activities, but I think as long as I'm able to walk and deemed coherent enough to wield a sharp object, I envision myself at a ripe old age running through an open field of pumpkins, searching for the best one to take home, gouge open it's innards, and cut out a crude-looking picture on the exterior. As you get older, don't take yourself so seriously that you can no longer enjoy these magical experiences.
From the inside of the pumpkin we the key ingredient for pumpkin pie filling - a staple of the fall. Pumpkin pie is hands down the greatest pie ever made. It has just the right blend of sweet and spicy. It's texture is solid enough where you can take massive bites at a time, yet it's soft enough where you only need minimal chewing to swallow. In short - it's amazing! Buy it at your local grocery store. Get it for dessert at restaurants. If you don't have a slice on Thanksgiving - move to Russia! And because everything's bigger in Texas, the state fair offers a deep-fried pumpkin pie. I'll wait a moment for you to wipe the drool off your screen. We also get pumpkin bread, which makes great fall comfort food. If you make a batch at home, don't be afraid to throw a few chocolate chips in there!
And the seeds - don't throw away those seeds! Hose down a baking sheet with an oily substance, lay out your seeds (after you wash them, of course), sprinkle on some salt, cinnamon or whatever else is laying on your spice rack, stick it in the oven that's been pre-heated to 300-400 degrees (it doesn't really matter, as long as it's hot) and leave it for approximately 15-18 minutes (feel free to flip seeds over at the halfway point, but again, probably doesn't make a big difference), and voila! You know have a delicious, high-sodium fall snack! My wife might just "pin" that recipe verbatim.
Pumpkin Coffee
Disclaimer: when it comes to coffee, I like Dunkin Donuts (DD) much better for a variety of reasons - I would need a separate blog to explain why DD trumps Starbucks. For now, I'll just try to celebrate what they both have in common: the goodness that is pumpkin. But if you are a Starbucks fan, please forgive me in advance if I slip in a few jabs at the popular Seattle-based chain.
Starbucks made a big announcement a few weeks ago that they would release their Pumpkin Spice Latte in late August. This is a delicious beverage, and while Starbucks is typically over-priced (even some of the most rabid fans would have to agree), it is definitely worth your time and money to make a trip to your nearest Starbucks (for the average American that's like .2 miles from home). I also remember them offering a pumpkin bread, it wasn't the most amazing pumpkin bread I've ever had, but considering Starbucks pastries are terribly underwhelming, it's your best bet if you need to get food while at a Starbucks this fall.
However, the aforementioned "early" release of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is bogus - Dunkin' Donuts has been releasing and expanding the variety of Pumpkin products around Labor Day weekend for years. Dunkin freakin' Donuts is the capital of all things pumpkin. First, they offer a pumpkin coffee (Starbucks will still be offering the Pike Place and Verona as the extent of their coffee varieties this fall). You can get a beverage to drink on the spot or the ground coffee - but there is a difference. The in-store offering is a pumpkin syrup in the regular coffee, whereas the grounds has an inherent pumpkin flavor. Have no fear though, both are great! I drink my coffee black, so I usually grab a bag of the pumpkin grounds to enjoy a smooth fall taste at home. However, I have a sweet tooth, and pumpkin is magic, so the syrup option at a DD location is like a treat yourself moment! They also offer the Pumpkin Latte, and it's very delicious. I can honestly and objectively say I'm on the fence on whether it beats the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. It's close, I could literally toss a coin. But you can get 2 DD Pumpkin Lattes for the price of one at Starbucks, so if the taste is that close, I think price makes the vote for DD academic.
You may be thinking at this point, all this talk about Dunkin Donuts, but where's the donuts? Slow down cowboy - Dunkin Donuts has not one, but two pumpkin donuts! The first they've had for years - it's a glazed, cake texture with a strong pumpkin taste. But just when I thought the pumpkin donut had been perfected, last year they go and introduce the pumpkin pie donut. The concept is similar to a boston creme, except the top is an icing with cinnamon-ish crumbles on top, and the inside has pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin Pie filling in a donut. It exists, and it's delicious. Finally, there's the pumpkin muffin. My go-to, year-round pastry at DD is more often than not their muffins. I make sure to grab the pumpkin muffins as many times as I can throughout the fall, because I know it will be a whole year before I can enjoy it's pumpkin crumbly goodness. I should also probably mention the pumpkin bagel. Ok... you got me... the pumpkin bagel was disappointing. I guess one bad option out of 300 bajillion is still good though.
You may be thinking at this point, all this talk about Dunkin Donuts, but where's the donuts? Slow down cowboy - Dunkin Donuts has not one, but two pumpkin donuts! The first they've had for years - it's a glazed, cake texture with a strong pumpkin taste. But just when I thought the pumpkin donut had been perfected, last year they go and introduce the pumpkin pie donut. The concept is similar to a boston creme, except the top is an icing with cinnamon-ish crumbles on top, and the inside has pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin Pie filling in a donut. It exists, and it's delicious. Finally, there's the pumpkin muffin. My go-to, year-round pastry at DD is more often than not their muffins. I make sure to grab the pumpkin muffins as many times as I can throughout the fall, because I know it will be a whole year before I can enjoy it's pumpkin crumbly goodness. I should also probably mention the pumpkin bagel. Ok... you got me... the pumpkin bagel was disappointing. I guess one bad option out of 300 bajillion is still good though.
Frozen Pumpkins
Ice cream is available all year round, but pumpkin ice cream is a special frozen treat to be consumed once a year. It all starts at your local grocery - get some pumpkin ice cream! I can't recommend a particular brand.. just about all of them make it, some are better than others, but it's all good!
September usually introduces the Pumpkin Shake at Sonic. I can't understand why they don't do a Pumpkin Blast, but we can always hope. In the meantime, the Pumpkin Shake is good, but truth be told, I typically only get it once a year - definitely worthwhile though.
What you really want to mark your calendar for is the month of October when Dairy Queen releases the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard. Unlike other pumpkin treats that are available all fall, this one is only open for a 31-day window... but it's worth it. I think the exclusivity makes it taste even better. Most Blizzard treats have chunks of the respective flavor in them, and the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard is no exception - there are actually pumpkin pie pieces in it. Let that settle for a minute. Chunks of pumpkin pie frozen in pumpkin ice cream. Just stop reading this blog post and go pitch a tent in front of your local Dairy Queen now! (Actually, don't do that. The lines aren't that long and supplies aren't that limited. You probably have a job/school to go to. And there's no bathroom in the tent. And my ego needs you to continue reading and validate my self-esteem).
Pumpkin Breakfast
If you like pancakes, you need to visit IHOP at some point this fall for the pumpkin pancake. The taste is just as fun as the alliteration seems to indicate. When at your local grocer in the frozen section, keep an eye out for Eggo's pumpkin waffles. It's worth having a box in your freezer when you want to break up the monotony of your morning breakfast. For the same reason, get a box of the pumpkin Pop-Tarts. Don't lecture me about how bad they are for you - 8 toaster pastries over a 3 month span won't kill you!
There's a lot of things to get excited about in fall: football, beautiful weather, foliage (at least for our friends up north), but do your taste buds a favor and make room for the delicious flavor of pumpkin!
No comments:
Post a Comment