Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Cinnamon Butter-Bourbon Sweet Potato Filling, Homemade Mini Bourbon-Brown Butter Marshmallows, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Crumble & Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel

Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Cinnamon Butter-Bourbon Sweet Potato Filling, Homemade Mini Bourbon-Brown Butter Marshmallows, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Crumble & Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel 

In the South, casseroles are king. I personally am not a fan of cette casseroles, but during Thanksgiving, I will make a few exceptions. One being Peej's famous mashed potato casserole, the other being broccoli-rice casserole. However, another dish that everyone in the southern states love is Sweet Potato Casserole. We have never featured it at a Thanksgiving dinner before because our family tends to only like savory sweet potato dishes, but this year I wanted to try/make something new and that was what I was set on. The filling is pretty standard, but it is changed up slightly with the addition of pumpkin pecan butter (which you usually can purchase at Whole Foods, Fresh Market, or Williams Sonoma). Where this all gets really interesting is the topping... oh lordy, THOSE TOPPINGS. Let's start with the first component... the brown sugar-pecan streusel. This is the standard streusel that you will see on any good sweet potato casserole or even coffee cake. It's put on the casserole before all of the stuff, so it can bake and get nice and buttery and crunchy and all good, ya know? Well, after that has baked, you make strips of mini bourbon brown butter marshmallows and cinnamon toast crunch crumble. I toast the marshmallows with a kitchen torch until they are brown & melty. That's always a good sign when the ooey-gooey fluffy marshmallow drips off the side, always. As for the cinnamon toast crunch crumble, it is pre-baked (and pre-prepped before Thanksgiving, YAY), so it does not need to be put in the oven again. So after the torching is done, just pile on a heap of the crumble in between. My friends, you'll have a sugar coma waitin' on ya, that's confirmed. But it's okay, because you'll already be in a Thanksgiving coma anyway!! Enjoy :)

making homemade mini marshmallows

that are all light & fluffy

and flavored with BROWN BUTTER + BOURBON (boom).

some toasted, candied pecans make everything better

let the torching begin...

and continue... 

until it is melty & toasty marshmallow-y goodness

here's that yummy brown sugar-pecan streusel.

And the finished product. Sugar. Coma. Yes. 

For the Bourbon-Brown Butter Mini Marshmallows:

3 ½ Envelopes of Unflavored Gelatin

½C Cold Bourbon + ½C Cold Water

2C Granulated Sugar

½C Light Corn Syrup

¼t Salt

2 Large Egg Whites

1T Vanilla Extract

4oz Brown Butter, Melted & Room Temperature (plus more for drizzling on top) 

For the Homemade Cinnamon Butter:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter Softened

3T Dark Brown Sugar

½t Vanilla

1T Cinnamon 

For the Cinnamon Butter-Bourbon Sweet Potato Filling:

3C Mashed Sweet Potatoes

11oz Pumpkin-Pecan Butter

¼C Sugar

½t Salt, Heaping

1 Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Seeds

2T Bourbon

1t Vanilla

3 Eggs, Well Beaten

Prepared Cinnamon Butter, Softened to Room Temperature

For the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Crumble:

2 ½C Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal

¼C Milk Powder

1T Sugar

½t Kosher Salt

4 ½T Unsalted Butter, Melted

  

For the Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel:

1C Dark Brown Sugar, Packed

½C AP Flour

1C Toasted Pecans, Finely Chopped

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted & Browned

For the Topping:

Prepared Cinnamon Toast Crunch Crumble

Prepared Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel

Homemade Mini Brown Butter-Bourbon Marshmallows (store-bought can be substituted)

Directions:

1. To Make the Brown Butter-Bourbon Mini Marshmallows: Oil bottom and sides of a 13x9 rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar. In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over ½C cold bourbon, and let stand to soften. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, cold water, salt, and brown butter over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 10-12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until fluffy, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and don’t fret if you don’t get it all out (learning from my mess of a first round). If you want swirl in some extra brown butter on top, and then sift ¼C confectioners sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours. Once chilled, cut into mini marshmallow cubes and toss them in powdered sugar until coated.

2. To Make the Cinnamon Butter: beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth, then slowly add in the cinnamon and beat until combined. Chill until ready to serve.

3. For the Mashed Sweet Potatoes: Bake the sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for about an hour. Once cooked & soft, mash them with a fork until as smooth as possible.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a medium-sized baking dish with Pam. Set it aside.

5. For the Sweet Potato Filling: Combine the sweet potatoes, pumpkin butter, sugar, salt, vanilla bean seeds, bourbon, eggs, and softened cinnamon butter. Beat the ingredients thoroughly with a hand mixer for about 3-4 minutes to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato filling. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish.

6. For the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Crumble: Heat the oven to 275 degrees and line a baking sheet with a Silpat. Pour the cinnamon toast crunch cereal into a mixing bowl and crush them with your hands to about a fourth of their original size. Add the milk powder, sugar, and salt and toss to mix. Add the butter and toss to coat. As you toss it, the butter will act as a binder, bringing the dry ingredients to the cereal and creating small clusters. Spread the clusters onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake it for 15-20 minutes, at which point they should look toasted, smell buttery, and crunch gently when cooled. Cool the crumble completely before sprinkling them on top of the casserole.

7. For the Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel: Combine the brown sugar, flour, nuts, and butter in a mixing bowl. Toss until it is completely incorporated. Set it aside.

8. Bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes, and then remove it from the oven and spread a thick layer of the Pumpkin-Pecan Butter on top of the sweet potatoes and brown-sugar pecan streusel. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Allow the dish to set for at least 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with mini marshmallows and cinnamon toast crunch crumble. Using a kitchen torch, toast the marshmallows until brown and melty.

9. Enjoy it while it is still warm!!

Silky Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue & Biscoff Shortbread Cookie Crust

Silky Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue & Biscoff Shortbread Cookie Crust

I know I promised my "Bread Pudding" Dressing with cornbread, sausage, and apples. And I didn't deliver, I'm going to try and post it tomorrow, but I hadn't edited the pictures yet. So, I'm giving y'all an awesome pumpkin pie recipe :) I never liked pumpkin pie, but I like this recipe! I think it's really special because it uses pumpkin butter, candied yams, mascarpone cheese, egg nog, bourbon, and then it's topped with a toasty marshmallow meringue. But, the best part my friends, is the Biscoff Shortbread Cookie Crust. I know all of y'all have had Biscoff Spread because it's like Heaven. I mean like Thanksgiving, Christmas, St. Patty's Day, + the Fourth of July in a jar, and it can be eaten with a spoon. Biscoff and Nutella should have babies. Okay, I'm getting off topic. Anyway, the crust is addicting. The filling is utterly smooth and so comforting, and the topping is like a golden blob of summer goodness. I know this will be a main-stay at our holiday table and the crust will be used for a lot of pies in the future!! Enjoy :)

How gorgeous is that meringue?! 

So gorgeous.

For the Biscoff Shortbread Crust:

¾C Biscoff Spread (plus 2T if needed for a dry dough, it was not needed for mine though)

½C AP Flour

¼t Salt & Baking Soda

¼C Packed Light Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar

2T Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

1 Large Egg Yolk

¼t Vanilla 

For the Silky Pumpkin Pie Filling:

1C Heavy Cream + 1C Egg Nog (or 2C Half & Half can be substituted as well)

3 Large Eggs + 3 Egg Yolks

1 Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Seeds

4oz Mascarpone Cheese

15oz Pumpkin Butter

1C Candied Yams, Drained of Excess Moisture & Pureed in a Food Processor

¾C Granulated Sugar

¼C Sorghum Molasses (or maple syrup can be substituted)

1 ½t Fresh Ginger, Grated (you can add more to use 2 teaspoons or reduce to 1 teaspoon)

½t Ground Cinnamon and Pumpkin Pie Spice

¼t Freshly Grated Nutmeg & Ground Ginger

1t Salt

1T Bourbon (optional)

For the Marshmallow Meringue:

3 Egg Whites

¼t Cream of Tartar

Pinch of Salt

7oz Marshmallow Crème

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a pie dish with Pam. Set it aside.

2. For Biscoff Shortbread Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda until incorporated. Using a mixer, beat together both sugars, Biscoff Spread, and butter until well combined and mixture resembles wet sand, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until well blended, about 3 minutes (the mixture will be clumpy). Gradually add in the dry ingredients with your hands and beat until just combined (it will be crumbly, if it is too dry add another 1-2T of Biscoff Spread, but do not over-mix). Gather dough with your hands, place into the prepared pan, and press evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Set this aside and keep it warm while you make the filling.

3. Making the Silky Pumpkin Pie Filling: In a mixing bowl, add in the softened mascarpone cheese and beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Next, whisk or beat the heavy cream, egg nog, eggs and egg yolks, and vanilla bean until completely smooth. Combine the pumpkin butter, candied yam puree, sugar, sorghum molasses (or maple syrup), fresh ginger, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, ground ginger, and salt in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring this mixture to a simmer over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. Continue to simmer, while continually stirring, until thick and shiny, for 10-15 minutes. Remove the pan for heat and whisk in the cream mixture slowly, until fully incorporated (an immersion blender can be helpful as well because it will puree any lumps left while cooking). Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a mixing bowl, using a rubber spatula to press the solids through. Stir in the bourbon if you are using it. Whisk the mixture together once more and pour the filling into the warm, pre-baked pie shell.

4. Baking the Pie: Bake the pie for 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 300 degrees to continue baking the pie for 20-30 minutes more. The edges of the pie should be set and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pie should register to roughly 175 degrees (don’t worry about the hole cause by the thermometer because it will be covered by the marshmallow meringue topping). Let the pie cool slightly while you make the marshmallow meringue.

5. For the Marshmallow Meringue Topping: While the pie is cooling slightly, beat together the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a standing mixer, at a high speed. Beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually add marshmallow crème in small portions, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.  Spread or pipe the meringue over the top of the pumpkin pie in an even layer, making sure to seal edges completely (you can be as creative or rustic as you like with this layer, depending on your style). Broil the top of the marshmallow meringue with a kitchen torch until it reaches a golden brown & toasted marshmallow look (do not let it burn). You can also use the broiler in your oven to achieve similar results.

6. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature, about 2-3 hours. During this time, the pie will finish cooking from resident heat, to ensure the filling sets, cool it at room temperature, not in the refrigerator.

7. Once cooled, cut the pumpkin pie into slices and enjoy immediately!

Chewy Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles

So even though I really like my first recipe for Cakey Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles, the texture wasn't exactly what I was looking for from a cookie. I wanted a chewy cookie with a crispy outside, kind of like a chocolate chip cookie. However, apparently pumpkin puree doesn't allow cookies to be chewy, but very very cakey. The solution? Pumpkin Butter. These cookies were exactly what I wanted. Definitely try these, you won't regret it! Enjoy :)

Chewy Pumpkin Pie Spiced Snickerdoodles

For the Pumpkin Cookie Dough:

1 ½ Sticks Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled (I browned the butter for extra flavor)

1C Brown Sugar, Packed

½C Sugar

1 Large Egg + 1 Egg Yolk

2t Vanilla

½C Pumpkin Butter

2 ½C AP Flour

3T Cornstarch

½t Baking Soda

¼t Salt

1-2t Pumpkin Pie Spice

1t Cream of Tartar

1 ¼C White Chocolate Chips (optional)

     

For the Pumpkin Pie Spice Rolling Sugar:

½C Sugar

1T Pumpkin Pie Spice

1t Cinnamon

¼t Salt    

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with Pam.

2. To Make the Cookie Dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add in the egg and egg yolk. Add in the vanilla and pumpkin butter, blending to combine. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, & pumpkin pies spice. Slowly add in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape down the sides occasionally, and beat until combined. Beat in the white chocolate chips if you are using them (I didn’t because I wanted to keep them classic). Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out dough balls and roll them into balls using your hands. Place them onto the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to an hour, so that the dough firms up.

3. For the Pumpkin Pie Spice Rolling Sugar: In small mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt, and then set it aside.

4. Making the Cookies: Once the dough has chilled, roll them into the pumpkin pie spice-sugar mixture until completely covered, and then place onto your prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle the cookies with a little more pumpkin pie spice rolling sugar.

5. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes (rotating the baking sheet halfway through) or until the cookies look crackled and they are slightly cooked through. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice rolling sugar, and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Once they have cooled on the sheet, remove them to a rack to finish cooling for 5-10 more minutes.

6. Serve and enjoy!

source: chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.