High Desert Table

Your everyday guide to Southwestern cooking

Thanksgiving

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

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Aside from the brisk fall mornings and glorious golden trees all over town, I know it’s officially pumpkin season when I start putting a pinch of pumpkin spice in my coffee. The kids have made jack-o’-lanterns and are counting the days down until Halloween. There is no better time to make these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes frosted with a light and airy whipped cream, and cream cheese frosting. They make great gifts for neighbors and friends and turn any day into a celebration of fall.

In the photo here I garnished them with some gold sugar I had in my baking bin and thin slices of candied ginger. But honestly, the kids prefer them sans toppings and they are so delightful on their own, a garnish is for a visual pop more than anything. You could garnish with candied nuts, candied orange, and sugar in the raw or freshly grated nutmeg.

Alternative Bakes

This is also my go-to base for a pumpkin bundt cake or a layered pumpkin cake. With a bundt cake, I skip the frosting and make a maple glaze.

Whipping Up the Perfect Frosting

When making the frosting, keep in mind that this is essentially whipped cream blended with cream cheese, so it will have the temperament of a whipped cream, only slightly more stable. This means, keeping a close eye when whipping the cold cream into the cream cheese is important so that it doesn’t break from too much whipping, along with not wanting weeping frosting that is not whipped enough.

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Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cupcake frosted and plated
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There is no better time to make these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes frosted with a light and airy whipped cream, and cream cheese frosting. They make great gifts for neighbors and friends and turn any day into a celebration of fall.

  • Author: Marianne Sundquist
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 24 cupcakes
  • Category: Dessert, Fall, Thanksgiving
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units

for the cupcakes:

  • 3 c. (360 g.) all-purpose flour
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1 1/2 t. baking powder
  • 1 T. pumpkin spice
  • 1/2 t. kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 c. brown sugar
  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 c. sour cream
  • 1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin puree

 

for the frosting:

  • 1 c. (8-ounce brick) full-fat cream cheese, cold
  • 1 c. powdered sugar
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 1 c. heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, cold

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin spice, and salt.

In a separate bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, add the brown sugar, olive oil, and eggs. Whisk over medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, around five minutes.

Turn off the mixer and add the sour cream and pumpkin puree. Whisk again for a couple of minutes. Turn off the mixer again and add the flour mixture. Turn on the mixture for just another minute or so, until everything comes together and the batter is smooth. Spoon batter into cupcake liners and bake 10-12 minutes for mini cupcakes and 15-20 minutes for standard-sized cupcakes. You’ll know the cupcakes are done when you insert a paring knife into the center and it comes out clean.

The secret to a better whip

Wash, dry and chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 30 minutes to help this whipped cream frosting whip up better.

Frosting Your Cupcakes

To make the frosting, place the cream cheese into the cold mixing bowl and whisk on medium speed until smooth. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix on low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly pour in the cold heavy cream. If you need to, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Whip the frosting until it thickens and whips up like thick whipped cream. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag or a bowl.

Let the cupcakes cool completely at room temperature before frosting.

HDT Pumpkin Cupcake plated top down view

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Dutch Oven Turkey Pot Pie

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This is hands down my favorite thing to make with leftover turkey and it comes with a story. The year I got married also happened to be the year I got my very first cooking job. Over the next ten years, I worked most holidays and on Thanksgiving mornings we would pop open a split bottle of champagne and have turkey pot pie I had prepared the night before for breakfast before I headed off for work and he headed out to visit family. It was the perfect way to celebrate. To this day it’s one of my favorite memories of those years.

Dutch Oven Magic

To keep things simple I make this in my Le Creuset Dutch Oven. The recipe for pie dough makes twice as much as you will need so you can just freeze half for a single-crust pie or pie dough cookies later. You could also use store-bought pie dough or add other leftover veggies like sweet potatoes or green beans.

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Thanksgiving Leftovers: Dutch Oven Turkey Pot Pie

Dutch Oven Turkey Pot Pie - Out of the oven
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This comforting Dutch Oven Turkey Pot Pie is a delicious way to use leftover turkey. Packed with flavor and made with a flaky homemade pie crust, it’s the perfect weeknight meal!

  • Author: Marianne Sundquist
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 6-8 servings
  • Category: Thanksgiving, Fall, Dinner
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units

For the pie dough:

  • 1 T. (12 grams) Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 3/4 c. (118-177 g) ice water, depending on need
  • 1 3/4 sticks (196 grams) of unsalted butter, cold
  • 2 1/4 c. (333 grams) All Purpose Flour or Whole Wheat flour
  • 2 1/2 t. (15 g) Kosher salt
  • 2 T. (25 g) sugar

 

For the turkey stew:

  • 2 slices of bacon, diced
  • 1 T. Butter
  • 1/2 lb. mushrooms, diced
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 green apple, diced
  • 2 fire-roasted chiles, seeded and diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2–4 t. red chile powder (depending on heat preference and heat of Chile powder)
  • 1 t. Dried rosemary
  • 1 t. dried thyme
  • 2 c. leftover mashed potatoes OR,
  • 1/4 c. all-purpose, whole wheat, corn, or rice flour
  • 5 c. turkey, chicken, or vegetable broth
  • 4 c. shredded cooked turkey meat
  • 2 c. frozen peas
  • 2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • Salt & pepper to taste

 

For the egg wash:

  • 1 egg
  • 2 T. milk

Instructions

Make the pie dough

Cut butter into small cubes and put in the freezer. In a cup mix the ice water and vinegar and set aside (to keep the water icy cold sometimes I throw in an ice cube if my kitchen is warm). In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. At this point the butter should be super cold but not frozen. Remove butter from the freezer and add to your flour mixture. Using your fingers (or a food processor) squeeze the butter pieces into the flour until the butter is incorporated into the flour and resembles small peas. Add ½ cup of the vinegar and water mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula. At this point, the dough will probably be crumbly. Continue adding and mixing in a tiny bit of vinegar-water at a time just until the dough comes together. Cut into two pieces, shape into round discs, wrap each piece in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and cool one disc in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. Freeze the other disc you won’t need now.

Make the stew

In a large heavy bottomed, oven safe dutch oven or pot over low heat add the bacon. Let the bacon render slowly while you’re preparing the other vegetables. Once the bacon is fully cooked and crispy, reserve bacon in a small bowl with a slotted spoon for later use. We want to leave as much bacon fat in the pot as possible to help cook the vegetables.

Building the Savory Stew Filling

Add the butter and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms and stir every few minutes until they are caramelized. Add the carrots, celery, onion, apple, fire-roasted chiles, and garlic. I usually cut up one vegetable at a time and throw it into the pot as I go. Let cook for a few minutes stirring frequently. Stir in the chile powder, rosemary, thyme, and mashed potatoes (or) flour. If you use flour here let the mixture cook a few minutes more. Add the broth and bring the stew to a simmer.

While the stew is coming to a simmer, prepare the pie dough

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a large round, big enough to easily sit inside your pot. If your pot has a lid, use the lid as a guide and trim around it with a knife to make a circle. Cut a few slits in the middle and place the pie dough round on a floured plate and keep in the freezer until ready to use.

Assembling the Pot Pie

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Let the stew cook for around 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Very carefully blend around a quarter of the soup and stir it back into the pot. Stir in the turkey meat and cooked bacon.  Add the frozen peas in a layer on top. Now add the shredded cheese in another layer. Gently place your pie dough round on top.

Dutch Oven Turkey Pot Pie - Adding the dough top

Baking the pie

Make the egg wash by whisking the egg and milk together. Brush egg wash over the top of the pie and crack pepper and sea salt on top. Bake pot pie for 1 hour or until the top of the pie is a deep golden brown. Let cool for ten minutes before scooping into bowls.

Poblano Potato Puree

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I think I should begin with the acknowledgement that just as there are many ways to peel a potato, there are also many ways to make mashed potatoes. Sometimes I love to make mashed potatoes with a potato masher, the skins on and just a bit of olive oil, herbs and lemon zest. And there are other times (once a year in fact) when I make these potatoes at home and love every bit of this French style take on pomme puree.

Technically, the way I learned from my French chef instructors at school over 20 years ago was a ratio of 2:1:1. Meaning 2 part potatoes, 1 part milk (or cream) and 1 part butter. This recipe is already my most decadent take on potatoes and I’m not even going that far. But if you want to go for it, simply increase the butter and half & half to 2 cups each.

This recipe for poblano potato puree results in smooth, luscious potatoes, no lumps in sight. Let’s talk about ingredients! If you leave out the salt and pepper, there are only five ingredients, so each one matters.

Choosing the Right Potatoes for the Best Puree

When choosing potatoes, try to choose potatoes that are similar in size. This will help ensure that they cook evenly. If your potatoes vary in size, no worries! Just keep an eye on them throughout the cooking process, pulling potatoes as they reach the point of being fully cooked. And I have learned the hard way, make sure the potatoes are fully cooked, otherwise it will be difficult to pass them through the food mill.

The reason these potatoes are so luscious and smooth is because we spend a lot of effort removing as much water as possible. This is why we boil them whole as opposed to quartering them. This is also why we spend time stirring them in a hot pan after they’ve gone through the food mill to cook off any water remaining in the potatoes. Because of this, using a high quality butter (with a higher butterfat and lower water content) is a good idea.

Selecting the Perfect Green Chile for Your Dish

When it comes to green chiles, the choice is about what you love and how much heat you prefer. My love for poblanos is never ending. Their flavor and amount of heat easily takes the prize. But more importantly, what chiles do you have? What do you like and how hot do you want it? You could even use pints of frozen green chile just be sure to defrost, drain and press out as much water as possible before adding it to the cream and butter. How much to add? Trust your judgment and taste as you are warming up the cream mixture if needed to help you along.

The other thing that’s important to mention is the many different ways you can actually make these potatoes. If you don’t have a food mill, it’s ok! You can use a potato masher for the whole process. It might not be as smooth but it will taste just as good. Another option is to use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. This is easiest to do with hot potatoes. Place the fully cooked and peeled potatoes in your stand mixer and slowly add the cream mixture until it all comes together.

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Poblano Potato Puree

HDT Poblano Potato Puree Plated
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Discover the perfect blend of creamy French-style pomme puree and spicy green chile in this Green Chile Potato Puree recipe. Learn how to achieve smooth, luscious mashed potatoes with a flavorful twist of poblanos and garlic.

  • Author: Marianne Sundquist
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1.5 hours
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Category: Thanksgiving
  • Method: simmer
  • Cuisine: New Mexican

Ingredients

Units
  • 3 lb. yukon gold potatoes, similar in size and washed well
  • 1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 c. cream, half & half or whole milk
  • 4 fire roasted poblanos, seeded, stemmed
  • 3 large garlic cloves, sliced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

How to Cook and Prepare the Potatoes

In a saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and season generously with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 40 minutes (the length of cooking time entirely depends on the size of your potatoes). Drain well. Let the potatoes cool just enough so they are safe to touch, then slip off and discard the skins and quarter them.

Making the Poblano Cream Mixture

While the potatoes are cooking, place the butter, half & half, poblanos and garlic in a saucepan. Once the butter is melted and the mixture is hot, turn off the heat and carefully blend until smooth. Reserve.

Processing the Potatoes through the Food Mill

Once the potatoes are peeled and quartered, working in batches, process them through the food mill arranged on top of a medium saucepan. Once the potatoes are all milled, place the pot over medium heat. With a heat proof rubber spatula, stir the potatoes for a few minutes, allowing any remaining water to cook off but being careful not to burn them. Turn the heat to low.

Bringing it All Together: Mixing and Tasting

Slowly pour in a bit of your poblano cream at a time, whisking into the potatoes until they fully absorb the liquid before pouring in some more. Continue this until all of the cream has been added.

Optional Steps for the Smoothest Potato Puree

This next step is optional, but at this point you could pass the potatoes through a fine mesh strainer or mesh sieve (this will result in the smoothest of smooth potatoes). Taste the potatoes and season them with salt and pepper as needed.

Storing and Reheating

Store in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, defrost the potatoes overnight in the fridge and then transfer them to a baking dish with a couple tablespoons of butter and a splash of cream. bake at 350 F. for 30 minutes before serving.

HDT Poblano Potato Puree Quart Containers