Dualing Recipes: Pumpkin Smoothies

My sister Katie, blogger of Cabbage Ranch, emailed me proposing a duel. She and I are not uncompetitive, so initially I was like, "Hell yes." As I kept reading, however, it became clear: she didn't mean the kind where we take ten paces and draw weapons... which is about where I lost interest. Until she mentioned recipes. Wait a second. Competitive cooking?!? YES! Iron Chef Bhan!

As I kept reading the email I found out that she envisioned more of a dual than a duel. As in, two versions -- hers and mine -- based on the same starter recipe. No winner or loser. I mean, I guess.

Our first Dualing Recipe jumps off the Pioneer Woman's* pumpkin spice smoothie.

the base recipe

• 1 can (15 Ounce) Pumpkin Pie Filling
• 3 cups Whole Milk (more If Needed)
• 1/2 cup Vanilla Yogurt (up To 1 Cup)
• A Few Dashes Of Cinnamon
• Cinnamon Graham Crackers, Crushed

my spin on the recipe

• 1 can (15 Ounce) Pumpkin Pie Filling
• 3 cups Whole Milk (more If Needed) 1.5 cups organic soy milk
• 1/2 cup Vanilla Yogurt (up To 1 Cup)
• A Few Dashes Of Cinnamon
• Cinnamon Graham Crackers, Crushed
• 4 T sugar

OK, so I went pretty far off track, but the spirit of the recipe remains the same. I mixed those couple ingredients together in a bowl. Easy! Transfer this to a tupperware container and stick it in the fridge.

Next I made a simple whipped cream using the Joy of Cooking recipe:

• 8 oz heavy cream
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 T honey

Hello Honey Bear!

Beat these ingredients for about 5 to 8 minutes on high speed until the whipped cream stands on its own.

AN ACTION SHOT!

Here's where things get really interesting. Never one to feel uninspired by either a challenge or food, I departed from the original recipe's rather predictable granola topping and went in three different directions. Portion out a cup of the pumpkin smoothie concoction with a couple spoonfuls of the whipped cream and try any one of these toppings.

one: cranberryhoneynutmeg pumpkin smoothie

Drop a couple dried cranberries on top of the whipped cream, drizzle a teensy bit of honey...

Honey Bear makes another appearance!

... and use a microplane to grind fresh nutmeg over the top of it all.

Grind your nutmeg fresh every time

two: applecinnamon pumpkin smoothie

Halve, core, and thinly slice an apple. With me so far?

Add a pat of butter and the sliced apples to a nonstick skillet. Saute on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes...

  ... until the apples are softened but still firm. Add a dash of cinnamon and continue sauteeing for another 2-3 minutes.

Briefly sauteing the cinnamon will diminish any raw taste and meld the flavors

Slip a couple slices of sauteed apple down the side of your smoothie cup, spoon in some pumpkin mixture, add a dollop of whipped cream, and sprinkle with additional cinnamon.

Oh baby. Yeaaaahhh.

baconchocolatecayenne pumpkin smoothie

Yes I did!

I like where this is headed.

Nice... really, nice.

Give me a little more.

Closer....

And there it is.

When I tasted this one, the following words came out of my mouth: "I'M AN EVIL GENIUS!" I couldn't stop giggling at how amazingly amazing this turned out. Salty, sweet, savory, and just a little heat on the back of my tongue. 

Sweet baby Jesus.

*Her slogan reads: Plowing through life in the country, one calf nut at a time. Obviously you should start reading her blog.