Earlier this week we enjoyed a few days of lower temps, dryer air and stiff winds, enough to make some of us reach for a sweater at night. That was my cue for the fifth annual Great Pumpkin Dessert Hunt™.
This year we focused on seasonal supermarket offerings. We hit several stores — The Fresh Market, Trader Joe’s, ALDI, Publix and Whole Foods — seeking a diverse array of items that included actual pumpkin, not just pumpkin spice. (ALDI turned out to be a bust, so we had to pivot and include two from Publix.)
We brought our goodies, five of them, back to the FFF Lab + Photo Studio™. My beverage of choice was fat-free milk. I’ll rank them at the end.
Teeny Tiny Pumpkin Pies (Trader Joe’s)
We heated these snacks ($11.68 for four) in the oven, the only entry that was not ready to eat out of the package. They came up short on filling and the pumpkin flavor was too muted. The crust dominated. That left them lacking the taste of autumn that marks a good pumpkin dessert.
Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwich (Whole Foods)
Our most novel entry, and the one I thought had the best chance of failure. Would it be little more than ice cream gussied up with pumpkin spice? I am pleased to report that my concerns were unfounded. The sandwiches ($6.32 for a four-pack) are made from organic ice cream (including organic cane sugar), organic pumpkin puree and something called “organic pumpkin base,” plus other stuff.
The flavor was pumpkin-forward, but not so much that it overshadowed the ice cream. The wafers had that hint of grainy texture that’s a key feature of a good ice cream sandwich. Mine melted down as I ate it, stickying up my fingers, which I licked.
Pumpkin Cookie Dough Cheesecake (Publix)
I do love me some cheesecake, but I usually take it straight. These slices (a two-pack, $4.69) featured a lovely melding of flavors accented by a lusciously creamy texture. The pumpkin taste was very there, but I never forgot I was eating cheesecake. The cookie dough, which looked to be dotted with chocolate chips, took a seat in the back-back.
Pumpkin Fritter (Publix)
I do love me some fritter, and this one delivered a potent sweet kick, eliciting in me a moment of dopaminergic euphoria. I found a section with a dark vein of what I presumed was pumpkin, but it came up virtually nil. Neither Bonnie nor I could detect much pumpkin flavor at all. Hard to figure. ($5.99 for two.)
Pumpkin Nut Bread (The Fresh Market)
Don’t let the pedestrian name fool ya. This tidy loaf ($7.49) earned its dessert status with just the right measure of sweetness. Layering sugar crystals on the outer shell was a nice touch. Pieces of walnut not only provided moments of crunch, but added to the overall earthiness. The bread was delicately moist, but could’ve used a smidge more pumpkin flavor.
On to the Rankings …
1a — Pumpkin Cookie Dough Cheesecake (Publix)
1b — Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwich (Whole Foods) — original and well executed. The ideal treat for Florida in the fall, which will more than likely hover around the mid to upper 80s.
2 — Pumpkin Nut Bread (The Fresh Market)
3 — Pumpkin Fritter (Publix) — more pumpkin.
4 — Teeny Tiny Pumpkin Pies (Trader Joe’s) — far too little for far too much ($11.68) from a store where we’ve come to expect reasonable pricing.
