Pumpkin Butter Oatmeal Pie

R166869.jpg.rendition.largestIngredients

  • 1 recipe Pastry for Double-Crust Pie
  • 1/2 cup  butter
  • 2/3 cup  regular rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup  chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup  dark-color corn syrup
  • 2 eggs
  • 19  ounce jar  pumpkin butter
  • 1 teaspoon  vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon  ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon  ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon  salt
  • 1 recipe Sweetened Whipped Cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)

 

Directions1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare Pastry for Double-Crust Pie. On a lightly floured surface, slightly flatten one portion of dough. Roll dough from center to edge into a 12-inch circle. Wrap pastry circle around rolling pin; unroll into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Trim pastry even with edge of pie plate.

2.Roll the remaining dough until 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch shapes with small cookie or hors d’oeuvre cutters. Brush edge of pastry shell with water; arrange cutouts around edge of shell. Do not prick pastry. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes more or until pastry is set and dry. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

3.Meanwhile, for filling, in a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over low heat until melted. Cook about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Add oats and walnuts. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until toasted; cool.

4.In a large microwave-safe bowl microwave the remaining butter on 100 percent power (high) for 30 to 45 seconds or until melted. Stir in corn syrup; whisk in eggs, pumpkin butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in oat mixture. Pour filling into pastry shell.

5.Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. If desired, serve with Sweetened Whipped Cream or vanilla ice cream.

Sweetened Whipped Cream
Ingredients

  • 1 cup  whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons  sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon  vanilla

New Cocktails Bring The Heat This Winter

Sable Kitchen Bar

It’s starting to cool down outside so how about warming up with a hot n’spicy cocktail? From Jamaican Jerk Bitters to Valentina Hot Sauce, three Chicago restaurants have added a kick to their new fall cocktail menus that might make you leave those mittens behind…

“Simulacrum” available at Sable Kitchen & Bar (111 N. State Street) courtesy of Bartender Fred Sarkis

  • 2 oz Blanco Tequila
  • ¾ oz Caffe Moka
  • Barspoon Sambuca
  • 2 Dashes Bitter End Jamaican Jerk bitters
  • Stir and serve up

“Evil Ways” available at South Water Kitchen (225 N. Wabash Avenue) courtesy of Bartender Sarah McComber

  • 3 oz Metropolitan Krankshaft Kolsch Ale
  • 3 oz Red Pepper Puree
  • ½ oz Agave Tequila
  • 1 oz Valentina Hot Sauce
  • ¾ oz Worcestershire Sauce
  • ¾ oz Lemon Juice
  • Dash of Salt
  • Dash of Pepper

“Hott & Dirty” available at Encore Liquid Lounge (171 W. Randolph Street) courtesy of Bartender Jason Davis

  • 1 oz Olive Juice
  • ½ oz Tabasco Sauce
  • 3.5 oz Vodka
  • Shake and serve in martini glass

 

And if you prefer a little whiskey to keep you warm, 312 Chicago recently added a new Barrel-Aged Cocktail Program that debuts a different bourbon beauty every month. For the month of November, the Italian restaurant will feature a “Barrel-Aged Boulevardier” :

  • 1.5 parts Bourbon/Rye Blend from High West
  • ½  part Carpano Antica  (or other sweet Vermouth)
  • 1.5 parts Campari

5 Cocktails To Celebrate National Rum Day In The Windy City

Happy National Rum Day, Poor Girls!

National Rum Day is August 18th and to ring in this holiday, the following Chicago hot spots are serving up some delicious cocktails!

Rum Emanuel

“Rum Emanuel” at Encore Liquid LoungeAppleton Estates VX Rum, Cointreau, ginger liquor, pineapple and orange juice on the rocks with a pineapple wedge 

 

Point Taken

“Point Taken” at Sable Kitchen & Bar: Banks rum, fresh pineapple, falernum, lime, crushed ice, Punt e Mes and mint

 

Civil Disobedience

“Civil Disobedience” at South Water Kitchen: Plantation rum, Flor de Cana 4yr, pineapple gomme, chase elderflower, lemon juice, black tea and peychaud’s bitters

 

Transfinite Induction – Photo Credit: David C Sampson

“Transfinite Induction” at Sable Kitchen & Bar: Plantation Barbados Rum, Apry, lemon, Allspice Dram and Angostura bitters 

 

“Chicago Fizz” at Atwood Café : Banks 5 Island rum, port, lemon, simple syrup, bitters and soda

 

Now stop reading and start celebrating!

 

 

Sangria Recipes

Cinco de Mayo Sangria Party Ideas! Sangria recipes, skinny sangria and more

Need a summer party idea? Sangria parties are a great way to ring in warm weather, celebrate friends or add a theme to any housewarming, Cinco de Mayo, engagement party, birthday, or summer BBQ. A variety of options, recipes, decor and flowers will make your sangria party pop! Fruit is an inexpensive way to add decor and impress your party guests. Cheers!

RECIPES:

Sangria Recipes

Sangria Recipes

1) Traditional – Easy Sangria Recipe

(Double or triple recipe for large parties)


Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

1 Bottle of red wine
1 Lemon cut into wedges
1 Orange cut into wedges
1 Lime cut into wedges
2 Tbsp sugar
Splash of orange juice or lemonade
2 Shots of gin or triple sec (optional)
1 Apple (diced)
1 Small can of diced pineapples (with juice)
4 Cups ginger ale

Preparation:

Pour wine into a large pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and apples then add sugar, orange juice and gin. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale, berries and ice just before serving. To serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over ice. For the best sangria, allow the mixture to cool in the fridge for 24 hours.

2) Low Sugar Sangria (Skinny Sangria)- with Agave Nectar

(Double or triple recipe for large parties)


Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Whether it’s a dietary restriction or you’re just trying to find a low calorie, low sugar sangria recipe, this sangria is based on agave nectar.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Bottle of red wine
  • 1 Lemon cut into wedges
  • 1 Lime cut into wedges
  • 1 Orange cut into wedges
  • 3/4 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 2/3 cups Agave nectar
  • 2 cups sparkling water or club soda

Preparation:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) then add agave nectar. Chill overnight. Add sparkling water or club soda, raspberries and ice just before serving. To serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over ice. For the best sangria, allow the mixture to cool in the fridge for 24 hours.
White Wine Sangria

White Wine Sangria

3) Simple White Wine Sangria Recipe

(Double or triple recipe for large parties)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

White wine sangria is delicious, light and looks beautiful with every fruit added. 

Ingredients:
  • 1 Bottle of white wine
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 3 oranges (sliced)
  • 1 lemons (sliced)
  • 1 limes (sliced)
  • Handful of green grapes
  • 1/2 liter of ginger ale or club soda
Preparation:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the oranges, lemons and limes into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar. Take the grapes, and any extra oranges, limes and lemons (if you choose) and add to the pitcher. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving. To serve right away, use chilled white wine and serve over ice.

Extras: sliced strawberries, peaches, and berries make great garnishes for the punch as well. For an extra punch, add rum to taste.

DECORATION:

Fruit party arrangements - sangria party ideas

(credit: theknot.com)

Sangria parties should be all about fun, good weather, friends and color! Reflect the beautiful colors found in sangria in your flower arrangements and decor.

1) FLOWERS:

Take colorful daisies (or any flower of choice)  and add pops of colors to the vase by using fruit. Placing limes, clementines, lemons and cranberries in your arrangements will make the flowers look as good as the sangria!  Vary the vase size and fruit choices in each vase to add variety. To further carry out the sangria theme, purchase inexpensive plastic pitchers and use them as vases for the flowers.

Fruit party arrangements - sangria party ideas

(credit: mbanyumili.com)

2) ADDITIONAL DECOR:

Carry the fruit theme into additional decor ideas by filling empty jars, vases and bowls with colorful fruit. Using vases of varying size, create an eye catching display with 4 vases filled each with a different color fruit. Vases will make a great display for the sangria tables, kitchen counters or as centerpieces for larger parties.

DIY: Hunger Games Feast! Recipes from Panem

Inspired by The Hunger Games, these recipes are sure to resonate long past the evening’s cannon fire.

Goat Cheese
Prim, Katniss’ little sister, helped the family survive thanks to the milk from her pet goat. The morning of reaping day, Katniss wakes to find goat cheese wrapped in fresh basil leaves. Bring this delicious appetizer (or breakfast treat!) to your table in one-bite form. We bet the mint leaves in this appetizer would remind Katniss of evenings at home.

Herbed Goat Cheese Bites Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
1 (8-oz.) goat cheese log
1 (8-oz.) French bread baguette, cut into
1/4-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

Combine and finely chop first 4 ingredients. Roll cheese log evenly in herb mixture; wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°. Drizzle baguette slices with olive oil. Gently press slices into 24 muffin cups in muffin pans.

Bake at 350° for 7 to 9 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Remove from oven; let cool in pans 5 minutes. Spread goat cheese into baguette cups; top with sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves.

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