Monday, October 20, 2014

Pumpkin Pie-sicles w/ Cinnamon Pecan Crust

This evening I'm sharing one of the easy dessert recipes that I've made in the last couple weeks. Overall, it's been an unusually warm autumn here thus far, so I decided to makeover one of my Fall favorites into a treat that could be enjoyed year round...Pumpkin Pie-sicles with Cinnamon Pecan Crust. I had initially planned to just make pumpkin pie pops but thought...what's pumpkin pie without the crust? So, I added a simple buttery cinnamon pecan crust layer to these pumpkin pops. The first time I made them, I used a full 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin but decided it was just a little too pumpkiny (if there is such a thing). I made them again and reduced the pumpkin a bit and liked them better. If you aren't sure how pumpkiny you want them, I would suggest starting with 1 cup of pumpkin and tasting as you go, increasing it until it's "just right" for you.

One of my favorite things about these pops is the pecan crust! These pops remind me of a frozen ice cream bar version of the the pumpkin pie ice cream squares my mother used to make when I was growing up. She would soften vanilla ice cream and add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices and then pour it into a 9 x 13 pan lined with graham cracker crust and freeze it and then cut it into squares to serve. It was like frozen pumpkin pie. I snapped a few photos and included the easy peasy recipe below. Enjoy!




Pumpkin Pie-sicles w/ Cinnamon Pecan Crust

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups full fat Greek yogurt (like Fage or Greek Gods)
1-1/2 cups 100% pure pumpkin
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Dash ground nutmeg
1 cup Swerve confectioners style sweetener
2 teaspoons liquid stevia, or to taste
1/4 tsp xanthum gum

For the pecan crust layer:
1/2 cup ground pecans
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons Swerve granular sweetener

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix first 10 ingredients together. Whisk xanthum gum in, a little at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition until evenly blended and thickened. Taste for sweetness and adjust as necessary (freezing blunts sweetness, so it's okay to slightly over sweeten pumpkin mixture).

In a small bowl, combine ground pecans, melted butter, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons granular Swerve.

Fill 6 pop molds up about half way with pumpkin mixture. Divide crust mixture evenly between the pop molds and spoon in an even layer. Fill to the top with remaining pumpkin mixture. Any excess pumpkin mixture can be frozen in small disposable cups to enjoy as little frozen pumpkin cups. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours or until set. 

*Note: If confectioners sweetener is not available, simply grind granular sweetener in a small Magic Bullet type blender or grinder.

               

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can this be made into a frozen pie?
How yummy would that be :)
Cathy

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Cathy,

You probably could...however it would be a very HARD pie to try and cut. These freeze solid and I like them best after they have softened slightly...but then again, I am one of those folks that would microwave their ice cream a bit to soften it before eating, which makes my hubby cringe since he likes his frozen and super cold. LOL

I remember the version I used to eat that was made with vanilla ice cream would need to sit out on the counter a bit for my mother to cut into squares. If you decide to try it, you might want to do a very small scale test first. I wonder if adding cream cheese to the mixture might help texture wise, too, as a pie? :-)

CyberSis said...

Hi GGC,

Wow ... Pumpkin Pie-sicles ... Awesome! :-) I'll make these just as soon as I can get to the only store around here that still carries heavy cream without added carageenan!(They close at 5:00 and they're 30 miles up the road, so it's a bit of a challenge.) I'm guessing that canned full-fat coconut milk might be a suitable substitute in a pinch?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi CyberSis,

Yes, I'm sure full fat coconut milk would sub out just fine. Hope you enjoy them. I would use coconut milk before I would drive 30 miles! ;-)

CyberSis said...

Hi GGC,

It's been hot and muggy and I'm SO ready for Fall. I decided to make these yesterday and push the envelope a bit to get the best of both worlds ... frosty "-sicles" combined with that quintessential autumn treat, pumpkin pie! We both love these. This time I used a small can (5.46 oz.) of Thai Kitchen coconut milk, which measures a smidgeon under 3/4 cup. I also reduced the stevia to 1 tsp. and it was just right for us. I'm hoping that by making the Pumpkin Pie-sicles now Fall might decide to come sooner? :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi CyberSis,

It's been hot and muggy here as well...and I can't begin to tell you how ready I am to say bye-bye to summer. What a great idea though choosing this treat! The best of both worlds. Great idea using the mini cans of coconut milk, too. I need to pick up a few of those. I found something at Sprouts that I haven't tried yet....it's by "so delicious" and it comes in cartons with a screw top. They are small like a "juice box". It's called "culinary coconut milk". Have you ever tried it before? I maybe find something to do with them soon. Not sure what qualifies it as being "culinary" though. Here's hoping for cool crisp mornings and sweater weather (instead of sweating weather)! ;-)

CyberSis said...

Hi GGC,

I'll have to look for the new So Delicious product. I peeked at it on their web site and it looks interesting. No carageenan, either! I'd like to try it. "Culinary" must have to do with it being "recipe ready." According to the site, the container is 11 oz but is designed to replace a 14 oz. can in recipes.
http://sodeliciousdairyfree.com/products/culinary-coconut-milk/original-culinary-coconut-milk

"Sweater weather" vs. "sweating weather" ... LOL! Hopefully we'll see the transition before too long! :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi CyberSis,

I assume it's more concentrated. I will have to make a point to try it soon (they have a regular and lite version...I picked up both). I'm hoping the transition to cooler weather will be soon! :-)