Let CIA help with holiday treats

(Pumpkin Danish and Pumpkin Scones are two holiday treats from the Apple Pie Bakery)

I know many of us food bloggers prefer to do the baking ourselves, but sometimes it's nice to have a little culinary help around the holidays.

Those of us who live in the Hudson Valley are fortunate to have the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park in the neighborhood. The chefs and students there produce incredible foods year-round, but when it comes to the holidays, they go all out when it comes to creativity.

The staff at the Apple Pie Bakery is busy baking a selection of pies, pastries, breads, cakes and other confections that would spice up the holidays. Luckily for me, I pass right by this place on my way to work, so it's a treat to start the day with an espresso and pastry. The casual restaurant doubles as a classroom for students persuing degrees in baking and pastry arts. It also serves breakfast and a savory lunch menu in addition to the fabulous baked goods, coffees and other drinks you can eat in or take out.

If you're thinking of ordering something special, pre-orders must be placed by Nov. 18 to be picked up Nov. 23-25. The bakery and cafe will be closed for Thansgiving.

I sampled some goodies this week that were delicious, especially the Pumpkin Danish that had fillings of pumpkin and spiced mascarpone. (And some of you know how I feel about mascarpone!) A Pumpkin Scone was buttery and light with the taste of pumpkin pleasantly spiced. I toasted it a bit and added a dab of Earth Balance to go with my coffee for breakfast.



There are tempting chocolates and candies as well, and for the season the Apple Pie Bakery is featuring a pumpkin seed brittle, pictured above. Chocolate-covered apples and River Rocks, white, dark and milk chocolate-covered nuts and cranberries, are also part of the holiday offerings.



One of the CIA's signature cakes is the Pumpkin Cake, pictured above (photo by Anne Rettig), which looks like a ceramic centerpiece. The cake is as tasty as it looks, featuring a pumpkin spice cake, spiced buttercream and chocolate ganache inside that beautiful fondant shell.

So if you need a little help for the holidays or want to bring something special as a guest to a meal, give a call at 845-905-4500 or stop by the beautiful campus and order in person. And don't forget to treat yourself to something special for yourself while you're there.

The culinary school also dishes out great cooking advice.
Pumpkins dominate the season this time of year, and if you don't want to cook a fresh one for recipes, good quality canned pumpkin works just as well.

Here's an informative story compiled by The Associated Press on using canned pumpkin in a variety of ways, from soup to mashed potatoes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

(Pumpkin, like any winter squash, is great in soups/Gannett News Service photo)

If you buy too many cans of pumpkin puree in anticipation of Thanksgiving, don’t let them languish at the back of the cupboard.
“The bottom line is, pumpkin is a squash,” says Eve Felder, an associate dean at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park“Whatever you do with squash, you can do with pumpkin.”
Canned pureed pumpkin can be incorporated into recipes for soups, crepes, macaroni and cheese, chili, muffins and pancakes.
“A great thing to do is to turn canned pumpkin into a savory dish,” says Felder.
She suggests making a pumpkin soup. Start by sauteing onions and garlic in a pot, then add canned pumpkin, a bit of sugar and some stock until soupy. Puree it in a blender and season with salt and pepper.
Another favorite is mashed potatoes mixed with a can of pumpkin and a bit of celery root.
“It’s fabulous with a beef burgundy and red wine,” says Felder.
For pumpkin pancakes, make a typical pancake batter but reduce the amount of milk and substitute with an equivalent amount of canned pumpkin.
And a pumpkin smoothie is a perfect snack or start to the morning. But since canned pureed pumpkin isn’t seasoned or sweetened (don’t use canned pumpkin pie mix by mistake), don’t forget the nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar along with the vanilla yogurt or milk.
With Christmas around the corner, Felder also recommends pumpkin eggnog.
“Buy the already made eggnog, add some pumpkin and then add some rum to give it an edge.”