Chefs and restaurants get creative with the everyone's favorite fall ingredient.
By Heather Shouse
Published: September 18, 2012
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Pumpkin ice cream cupcakes and pumpkin “witch hats” from Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor (7347 Madison St, Forest Park, 708-366-7970; $3.25) When the brood can’t choose between ice cream or cake (and who can?), hit up this friendly little ice cream parlor, where the two classics join in the holy matrimony of an ice cream cupcake. All through October, creamy pumpkin pie ice cream will be sandwiched between split chocolate or vanilla cupcakes, as well as scooped onto sugar cones and dipped in chocolate then inverted and adorned to become “witch hats.” Spooky never tasted so sweet.
Pumpkin cinnamon rolls from Floriole Cafe & Bakery(1220 W Webster Ave, 773-883-1313; $3.75) You’ve spread pumpkin butter on toast, muffins, maybe even in the kid’s PB&J, but we’re willing to bet you’ve never had it in a cinnamon roll. Leave it to this lovely little Lincoln Park bakery to slather the creamy goodness onto sweet pastry dough, roll the results and bake them up into yeasty, fluffy deliciousness, lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and crowned with classic cream cheese frosting. Looks like toast is toast.
Jack’s Garden popsicle from ice3(track the food truck on Twitter @ice3truck, $4.50) What’s even better than the ice cream truck? How about an ice cream truck peddling frozen treats of the future? One of the newer food trucks on the scene, ice3 goes all out with its creative concoctions, and its Jack’s Garden (available October 15–31) is no exception. A base layer of frozen pumpkin and squash puree sweetened with brown sugar gets topped with chocolate and vanilla streusel (i.e. “dirt” for the garden) and housemade gummy worms that have been infused with tongue-tingling Szechuan African Button microgreens. Don’t worry, the kids won’t have to know what it is (let alone pronounce it) to love it.
Pumpkin coconut hot chocolate at Milk & Honey Café(1920 W Division St, 773-395-9434; $3.25) At Wicker Park’s most kid-friendly café, fall brings hot cocoa made with both coconut and whole milks, plus chocolate syrup and Jo Snow pumpkin-coconut syrup. A garnish of toasted coconut marshmallows, a sprinkle of pumpkin-pie spice and a blob of whipped cream will sell the pipsqueaks on trading up from basic to better.
Pumpkin ravioli from Pasta Fresh(3418 N Harlem Ave, 773-745-5888; $4.95/lb) Take the tots for an eye-opening adventure to check out the old-world artisans who cling to Italian roots on this strip of Belmont Heights. Pasta production pumps full-force in back, with wavy sheets of semolina dough rolled into classic shapes, including popular pumpkin ravioli: pasta pockets filled with cooked pumpkin flesh mixed with romano, mozz and ricotta cheeses, plus a touch of garlic and parsley. Back home, gently boil in water to cook while the kids help with a super-simple brown-butter sage sauce.
Super-simple Brown-Butter Sage Sauce Melt a stick of butter in a large sauté pan on low to medium-low. Use a whisk to gently stir as the butter begins to brown. Once a nice amount of brown appears and the smell turns nutty, stir in a few sage leaves, cook for another minute, turn off the heat, add the juice of one small lemon and transfer the cooked raviolis into the pan to coat with sauce.
Pumpkin soup at Zaleski & Horvath Market Café(1126 E 47th St and 1323 E 57th St, 773-538-7372; $3.50/$4.50) Selling the squirts on sweet pumpkin goodness is nothing; getting them to veer into savory squash territory can be more of a challenge. Try by heading to one of these two Hyde Park–area market cafés where even simple salads, soups and sandwiches get a clever update. Soups rotate daily, but Saturdays in October will see a creamy pumpkin soup dotted with roasted pumpkin seeds and a dollop of nutmeg and allspice sour cream. Tell them it’s liquid pumpkin pie and they’ll be spooning up the last drop before you (or they) know it.
Pumpkin ice cream cupcakes and pumpkin “witch hats” from Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor (7347 Madison St, Forest Park, 708-366-7970; $3.25) When the brood can’t choose between ice cream or cake (and who can?), hit up this friendly little ice cream parlor, where the two classics join in the holy matrimony of an ice cream cupcake. All through October, creamy pumpkin pie ice cream will be sandwiched between split chocolate or vanilla cupcakes, as well as scooped onto sugar cones and dipped in chocolate then inverted and adorned to become “witch hats.” Spooky never tasted so sweet.
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