You know, I think Pumpkin Pies are totally overrated.
Pumpkin, sugar, and a buttery crust? Meh.
Over it. Pumpkin Pie is so 1651.
But clearly you wouldn’t believe such a tall tale. You know me better than that…don’t you. You know the truth is that I desperately wanted to make a vegan and soy-free pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this weekend. I wanted to make it for you, so you could make it for your families.
…and maybe send me one in the mail.
Well, it bombed. And I don’t mean, “It fell apart, but still tasted amazing!”, but “it fell apart and tasted like it had been sitting on the counter since Thanksgiving 1987.”
For real.
Remember my beloved Double chocolate torte that hides avocados so well? That was a good idea.
Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls? Excellent idea.
Avocados in a pumpkin pie filling? Bad idea. Baaaaaad idea.
Have you ever tasted avocados after they’ve been cooked in the oven? They are bitter…and musky. Two excellent qualities for a pumpkin pie.
Not.
In this sad moment, I remembered the Pumpkin Brownie Pie I made last year adapted from Isa’s recipe.
Chocolate brownie, pumpkin pie filling, with a sweet pecan topping?
Great idea.
Somehow, I don’t think my family will mind me making this two years in a row.
If I recall, it was the talk of the table last year. The Pumpkin Gingerbread with Spiced Buttercream did pretty well for itself too. You can find the recipes in this PDF.
I just hope they aren’t expecting a Luxury Dinner Party. That’s where I draw the line.
As for that pumpkin pie, I guess there’s always hope for the American Thanksgiving. Perhaps, I shouldn’t give up just yet…
~~~
And now from a failed recipe to blog awards. I have stellar timing, don’t I? ;)
A big thank you to everyone who nominated me for a Foodbuzz award!! I found out yesterday that I was nominated for two categories:
- Best Overall Blog
- Best Veg Blog
I would greatly appreciate your vote(s) of support, but if you don’t vote for me there are a ton of amazing bloggers all worthy in their categories. I’m so happy to see many friends on the list!
You can vote here!
Now I’m off to rock the vote…literally, at the polls.
I’ll return with a kick butt recipe. Mark my words.
{ 143 comments… read them below or add one }
Congrats on your nominations! When I read them on the Foodbuzz site earlier on Wednesday, I was so happy for you to see your name in two categories. You have worked so hard, Angela, and deserve every bit of your amazing success. Congrats!
And I remember the Pumpkin Brownie Pie from last year like it was yesterday. Time flies!
Congrats on the nominations! I love your blog and I definitely think you deserve to win!
I don’t think my family will mind me making that pumpkin brownie pie this year either =)
Congratulations!!!!!! Even though Im not vegan I ADORE your blog… and continue to find your honesty and hard work massively inspirational. I know thousands of others feel the same!!!! so (obviously) im totally voting for you! xoxo
Congrats on the nominations, Ange! And that pumpkin gingerbread with spiced buttercream will always hold a special place in my heart. It was delicious!!! :)
I was getting excited for a pumpkin pie recipe…oh well, those two desserts you made are my all time favorite of yours so I don’t mind one bit, I will probably be repeating those this year as well! Congrats on the foodbuzz awards!
Congratulations on the nominations love! Very well deserved!! Also your chocolate brownie with pumpkin pie filling looks to die for! I actually have a bowl of freshly pureed pumpkin sitting in my fridge waiting to be turned into something delicious… only thing is I have a bad feeling i’m all out of pecans! :/
Congrats on the nominations Angela! The amount of effort you put into this blog is truly amazing – you deserve to win! :)
I am so excited for pumpkin pie this weekend – I’m literally look forward to it all year!
You are wonderful, Angela. I totally admire how you post “fail” recipes. I definitely look up to you and it really makes me (and fellow bloggers/readers) connect with you on a deeper level. We’re all human and it’s a nice little laugh to share. :-) That said, I know you’re going to come back with another home run recipe…and I can’t wait to read it!
Thanks Heather that’s sweet! :)
Congrats on the nommies!!! You totally deserve them!! I am so sorry that your pumpkin pie didn’t turn out well :( I am positive though that you will com back with a vegence and create another stellar recipe! :)
Congrats on the nominations! My cousin went to culinary school and for the past three years we’ve been expecting her to make Thanksgiving dinner. Haha she loves it and hates it at the same time. Although last year we all had to pitch in since she couldn’t fly in from NY until the morning of! Poor thing… I wonder what’s on the menu this year…
Congratulations on the nominations! You totally deserve them! I was just thinking about your pumpkin pie brownies…MUST make them this season! Yum, it’s like the marriage of all my favorite autumn desserts :)
Good thing I voted for you before I saw this post!! Haha just kidding :) but I bought five cans of pumpkin lately so I’m dying to make that pumpin brownie pie!
LOL…my cover is blown!
Congrats on your nominations, you already received my votes twice yesterday! Ahh those dessert, yes I remember them from last year. I don’t think I’d mind one bit if you made them every year for the next 10 for a party. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Congrats on the nomination! And I couldn’t agree more about the avocados… those should never, ever be baked! That’s a lesson you need learn only once because they are so nasty when baked. I made the horrible mistake of trying an avocado on pizza one day (I was trying to be creative). Like you, very bad idea! ;-)
Oh yes, they get so bitter don’t they?
Congrats on the noms!! Hahaha I totally agree as well about baking the avocados….bleh! :D
Oh my gosh… I was planning an avocado based pumpkin pie for this weekend! I’m SO happy you told me it doesn’t work. Okay, back to the drawing board.
Already voted for you! Good luck :)
Really? I thought I was the only crazy one who would attempt that. I’m glad you didn’t make it! lol
My thought was it would make it creamier. I was going to make it no bake and wanted to play around with the consistency. Maybe I’ll make a half batch and try it? It has to work… somehow, right? I’m a taurus… I’m stubborn haha
haha I didn’t know you were a taurus…I am too. :) Def. stubborn to a TEE.
I’m thinking about turning my chocolate torte into a chocolate pumpkin torte, but I don’t know if that will taste any better or if it’s worth it. I think I’m going to stick with savoury dinner recipes for a while…they rarely flop!
Goodluck with your trials!
Oh yes, you are too! I’d forgotten. I think once you learn to control your taurus powers you have some pretty awesome skills! I used to hate my stubbornness as a kid (or maybe my Mom hated it more?) But as an adult, I’ve found it gives you a really strong hunger for success and self fulfillment!
And… oh man. That chocolate torte would be so fantastic with pumpkin. I’m with you on sticking to the safe bets though. I tried those cupcakes again last night and they were way too dry. Ugh!
I love the thought of controlling the powers! bahaha. I will have to tell Eric that one. He tells me my biggest hurdle to overcome with recipe creation is NOT GIVING UP on a really bad recipe. I spend too much time focusing on ONE ingredient too (for example this week I was SET on pumpkin baked good for some reason). It’s that Taurus tunnel vision I guess. ;)
He will be like ‘Why not make something with apples?”
“Apples? apples are not pumpkin”
:D
haha Eric sounds SO much like Kevin, my boyfriend. He’s so grounded and calm and open to anything and I’m that girl in the kitchen ridiculously focused on one thing. Tunnel vision is a great way of putting it.
I love how honest you are about your recipe flops! I absolutely adore pumpkin pie, but I have to agree that cooked avocados don’t sound too enticing. I keep experimenting with pumpkin pie recipes, and I have yet to find one I really love, but so far they have all been edible. Pumpkin brownie pie sounds pretty great! Dreena Burton also has a chocolate pumpkin pie recipe that is amazing, and so easy to make. I have a feeling this weekend will be all about treats :)
You’ve already got my vote!
seriously, this looks delicious. i need more pumpkin in my life…stat.
I voted for you in both categories! These pumpkin recipes sound lovely!
aww don’t you hate when kitchen experiments fail? but sometimes kitchen experiments turn out amazing, and that’s why you just keep doing it!
my sister and i make vegan pumpkin cheesecake for thanksgiving every year. the first year my mom bought a cherry pie to supplement, in case the cheesecake didn’t go over well, but i don’t think anyone even took a slice of the cherry pie b/c they were so enamored with our vegan baked good! i’ll try to find the recipe for you, if you want :)
Thanks for your support guys! :)
I’m not a big fan of pumpkin pie anyway (I like apple much more). That brownie pie sounds way better. :)
mmm maybe I should make an apple pie!
Well, I guess you have to make the mistake to know, right? Good thing you have such a stellar back- up pie recipe :-)
Congrats on the noms!
Sorry to hear about the failed recipe – have you thought of using an agar base, perhaps made from almond milk? That might sufficiently thicken it. And maybe you could also used some soaked cashews. I know too many nuts aggravate your stomach (mine too!) so that’s why I am thinking a cashew and agar pudding combo for thickness + richness!
I made that brownie pumpkin pie bit of genius last year. It was brilliant, and a total hit at my Thanksgiving in Oz party!
Soaked cashews is a great idea…I would never have thought to try that. That would make it quite creamy. I have agar flakes…but I don’t think I have used them yet.
All of this pumpkin is magical! My favorite time of year. I voted for you yesterday in both categories. Congrats girl!! xxoo
Thanks Marla!
PS Katie has a recipe for basic agar pudding here: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2008/12/17/out-of-one-many/
Congrats!! And I just went and read the post from your first vegan thanksgiving and it was SUCH an inspiration- what pretty place settings :)
Here in Florida we go to a HUGE vegetarian/vegan thanksgiving potluck hosted at the Temple of the Universe. We discovered it last year, it was wonderful! About 300 vegetarians/vegans all bring dishes and everyone holds hands in a circle and gives thanks, then tucks in! Its like a GIANT picnic, and the food was SO amazing and not one “frank” was hurt in the making ;) I cant wait to do a post about it this year, and bring my camera!!
Wow that sounds amazing :) Can I come? heh
Glad you enjoyed the post. Poor Frank…Eric made me throw him out this summer!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that you made the PDF!!! That’s such a great idea and I printed it out. I absolutely CAN’T wait to make some of those recipes and wow my family this year. :)
I voted for you! Congrats :) Thanks for the amazing inspiration every day!
My friend has a great pumpkin pie recipe if you’re willing to keep experimenting – http://healthykitchenblog.blogspot.com/
:)
I was planning on trying the pumpkin pie recipe over at http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/spicekissed-pumpkin-pie-recipe.html … the only tweak it would need to be vegan would be to use flax eggs instead of the real ones. Make a graham crust out of your vegan graham crackers and you’re good to go ;)
Congrats on your nominations Angela! They are well deserved. :)
Muhaha, “pumpkin pie is so 1651..” you crack me up! Congrats on the nominations!!! And thanks for sharing your kitchen fails; it’s nice to know a talented chef like yourself also has those moments!!
Haha – even your failed recipes look incredible to me so following this post up with your awards seems like perfect timing to me :)
honestly, the brownie recipe and gingerbread were two of my favorite recipes i made last thanksgiving. they are SO delicious! and i’m definitely making them this year again :) congrats on the nominations ! with all your hard work you deserve it!
I love that you have the guts to put up your failure recipes! And congrats on your nominations – I hope to be in the same company someday! :)
congrats on the nominations :)
my husband and i are hosting our first thanksgiving dinner and i have added SO many of your recipes to the menu. funny thing is, none of our guests are vegan, or even vegetarian, but your food is so wonderfully appealing to any type of eater!
is it thanksgiving in Canada this weekend? Happy Thanksgiving! I’m sure no one will miss that pumpkin pie flop… traditional pies are nice but mixing it up with a variation keeps everyone on their toes!
Congrats on the nominations! And all those desserts look so yummy!