Being positioned next to the craft beer section
during my wine tastings offers me a fantastic opportunity to brainstorm delicious new beer laced recipes.
My latest project involves cooking with pumpkin beers.
These pumpkin pancetta bruschetta are fantastic appetizers for the holidays and feature Pumpkin Hunter pumpkin ale.
It's light and crisp with minimal carbonation and mild pumpkin spices.
These tantalizing treats are a combination of my beer induced imagination, one of the most popular flavors of the season-pumpkin, and another of my passions-new cheeses.
Fresh out of the oven, when you sink your teeth into these unique and soft appetizers your palate will light up with the spicy creaminess of the pumpkin, bits of salty pancetta, slightly sweet crispy bread, and a delectable coating of rich gooey cheese!
Tarentaise cheese is a delicious new find from Kroger Marketplace. They have Murray's cheese shop in the store and the cheese selection is incredible! They let me taste the Tarentaise with some pumpkin cream cheese spread and I loved it with the fall spices. It was just the added touch I was looking for!
Ingredients For Simple Syrup
¼ cup water
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup fresh cinnamon basil (sweet basil would also work)
Ingredients For Bruschetta
1 loaf of French bread (the kind you slice and bake for 8 to 10 minutes)
¾ cup pumpkin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ cup Pumpkin Hunter pumpkin beer
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon fresh sage
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons heavy cream
2 - ¼ inch slices of pancetta
Tarentaise Cheese from Murray’s (approximately 1/3 lb.) You can use other cheese. This one just paired perfectly with the autumn spices
Directions For Simple Syrup
Combine water and sugar in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Stir until sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat and add basil. Allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice French bread into ½ inch pieces. Bake for about 10 minutes per side or until lightly browned and crisp on the outside. Brush one side with simple syrup.
Directions For Bruschetta
Combine pumpkin and next 9 ingredients. Set aside.
Heat skillet over medium heat. Dice pancetta into small chunks. Brown until crispy. Drain on a paper towel.
Slice cheese into about 1/8 inch slices.
Divide pumpkin between each piece of French bread. Sprinkle with pancetta. Top with cheese. Place under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly.
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