Thanksgiving Dessert: Pumpkin Panna Cotta

I usually bake an apple pie and a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert. Invariably, the apple pie is gone in an instant; the pumpkin, not so quickly.

I love pumpkin pie. But eating leftover pie by myself for days on end, can’t be that healthy. (BTW the apple pie recipe I bake–always a winner, is by Kate McDermott, who shares her recipe here.)

So, a change is in order.

This year, I’m thinking of making Pumpkin Panna Cotta. The recipe was developed by Joy Liao, who was an intern for Special Fork, a now-defunct website created by my son and me, focused on solving the dinnertime dilemma.

Since you need 1 cup of pumpkin pie mix or pumpkin purée to make the panna cotta, you’ll have about 1/2 cup leftover pumpkin from a 15-ounce can. Keep pumpkin recipes on hand to use up the remainder. Or make Pumpkin-Orange Smoothies (below), a recipe from Chef Andrew Hunter.

Pumpkin Panna Cotta

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup canned pumpkin pie mix
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Crème fraîche or whipped cream to garnish

Method

1. Pour 1/2 cup of the milk into an 8-cup saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over the milk. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine pumpkin pie mix and cinnamon; whisk until smooth. Add remaining milk and cream and blend well.
3. Heat the milk in the saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the gelatin dissolves.
4. Add the pumpkin mixture and increase heat to medium. Stir the mixture until steam rises and small bubbles form (about 3 to 4 minutes). Turn off the heat and ladle the mixture into six 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups.
5. Chill the panna cotta until firm, at least four hours or overnight. Add a dollop of crème fraîche right before serving.

Makes six (6-ounce) servings.

Notes

• To substitute homemade pumpkin purée or unsweetened canned pumpkin purée for pumpkin pie mix, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar to the pumpkin and cream mixture (start with 1/4 cup and taste for sweetness, adding up to 1/2 cup sugar).
• Also, if you use pumpkin purée, you can add a pinch of ginger, nutmeg, and ground cloves.
• This recipe makes 3 1/2 cups; adjust the number of servings based on the size of your ramekins.
• You can garnish your panna cotta with crushed cookie crumbs, such as Speculoos, gingersnaps, or graham crackers.

• If you choose to unmold the panna cotta, run a thin-bladed knife or offset spatula around the edge of the ramekin, then dip the bottom of the ramekin in warm water to loosen. Here are some tips for doing this.
• However, I would advise against unmolding the panna cotta for Thanksgiving dessert if you’ve never done it before. First, the panna cotta will take more space in your fridge if individually plated, than if served in the ramekins. Second, it does take extra time to unmold each one.

Recipe by Joy Liao, adapted.

You can make smoothies with the leftover pumpkin. If you used pumpkin pie mix, which is already sweet, omit the honey.

Pumpkin-Orange Smoothies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée
• 3 cups orange juice
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 2 tablespoons honey

Method

Combine the pumpkin purée, orange juice, yogurt, and honey in a blender. Cover and blend into a frothy smoothie, about 60 seconds. Makes about 4 cups.

To make puree from fresh pumpkin: For a medium pumpkin (about 4 pounds) cut in half, remove seeds and strings and place cut-side down on baking sheet. Cover with foil and roast at 375°F for 1 1/2 hours or until fork tender. Let cool. Scoop out flesh and purée.

Recipe by Chef Andrew Hunter

On the Other Hand…

Recently, I’ve learned you can freeze pumpkin pie. So, if I make pumpkin pie again after all, I could cut the leftovers in wedges, wrap each securely, and freeze for another day.

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