Categories
All Things Pumpkin Taste Tests

Pumpkin Season 2017 Taste Test #5

This past weekend I baked the remaining bread, muffin and cupcake mixes I had left, as well as tried a couple more products. Frankly, nothing this week really wowed me, but here are my comments on each one.

Pumpkin Season 2017 Taste Test #5

Exclusive Holiday Edition Foodstirs Organic Chocolate Chippy Pumpkin Bread Mix

Foodstirs Organic Chocolate Chippy Pumpkin BreadI purchased a three-month subscription to Foodstirs’ kits and have been having some fun with them. (I’ll be posting my results later.) Because I’m a customer, they sent me a coupon for a dollar off my next in-store purchase (you can find Foodstirs mixes at grocery stores and Target). Since I had the coupon, I thought I’d check out what they had … and found this pumpkin mix, as well as pumpkin pancakes. You can only get these two products at Target, and by the time I got there they were on clearance. So, you may not be able to get some for yourself until next year. Check your local Target, just in case, though.

This pumpkin bread is different than the ones I tested last week because it has chocolate chips in it. I liked the novelty of it and was impressed that they achieved a nice balance of having just enough chips to add flavor without overpowering the pumpkin bread flavor.

To my tastebuds, this bread didn’t taste much different than banana bread or peanut butter bread (perhaps a fusion of the two?). The pumpkin flavor was light and you can barely discern the spices (cinnamon, vanilla, ginger and other, according to the box).

Of course, this may be a plus since there are a lot of people who are adverse to pumpkin or pumpkin spice flavors. I think this pound cake-like bread would make a great part of a breakfast or brunch. Perhaps lightly toasted with some butter? And, if you get two packages, you could easily make a nice Bundt cake!

[one_half] Foodstirs Organic Chocolate Chippy Pumpkin Bread [/one_half][one_half_last] Foodstirs Organic Chocolate Chippy Pumpkin Bread [/one_half_last]

Rating

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Limited Edition Decadent Duncan Hines Pumpkin Spice Cupcake Spice Cake & Frosting Mix

Duncan Hines Pumpkin Spice Cupcake Spice Cake & Frosting Mix
The box comes with cupcake mix, frosting mix and a bag to pipe the frosting with.
These light and fluffy cupcakes are flavored with a combination of cinnamon, allspice, coriander, ginger, and nutmeg. The texture — and flavor — is light and airy, just as a cupcake should be.

The mix comes with a frosting mix — add butter and touch of water — for an orange, faintly pumpkin-spicy frosting. It was very tasty. Not too sweet, but clearly a buttercream frosting.

In my opinion, these cupcakes strike a nice balance of just the right amount of spice, balanced with the sweet. They are good enough to serve without the frosting.

Note: The instructions suggest you fill the cupcakes with frosting. I found that when I did that, the frosting overwhelmed the cupcake. If I were to do this in future, I’d just top them with frosting.

[one_third] cool cupcakes in the pan first [/one_third]

[one_third] allow to cool thoroughly on a rack before frosting [/one_third]

[one_third_last] frosted pumpkin spice cupcakes [/one_third_last]

Rating

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Krusteaz Supreme Muffin Mix Pumpkin Spice

Krusteaz Supreme Muffin Mix Pumpkin SpiceThese simple, lightly spiced muffins underwhelmed me. They are really not that spicy. They are really not that pumpkin-y. In fact, they are kind of nondescript. If I didn’t know they were pumpkin spice muffins, I would think they were ordinary spice muffins.

Again, this might not be a bad thing. Krusteaz is a good brand, so the quality is good. The flavor just didn’t impress me.

Rating

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

R.W. Knudsen Limited Edition Sparkling Pumpkin Spice Juice

R.W. Knudsen Limited Edition Sparkling Pumpkin Spice JuiceTired of sparkling apple juice? Are you looking for a different kind of beverage to serve your guests? Then this could be a nice change of pace.

This is a non-alcoholic, sparkly beverage made from both apple and pumpkin juices. To me, it both smelled and tasted like mulled cider … only a bit different.

Compared to Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Juice, it has a more mild apple flavor. I’m guessing the pumpkin juice is having that mellowing effect, however I couldn’t identify pumpkin as a flavor. And although it was reminiscent of mulled cider, it was also somehow different.

Frankly, I’m struggling on how to describe this beverage. It was unoffensive without being particularly interesting, either.

Rating

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin O’s Cereal

Trader Joe's Pumpkin O's CerealCompared to Cheerios, this O’s cereal is larger and lighter in texture. The flavor, however, is just robust enough to get your attention without screaming, “This is spice!”

I enjoyed them with some Oat Milk. If I were a cereal eater, I’d totally buy these again, if only for some variety to my breakfast. If fact, I would choose them over Cheerios, which I felt had a bit too much spice by comparison.

Rating

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth][one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Previous Pumpkin Tastings

Forthcoming Pumpkin Tastings

  • Pumpkin pancake mixes: Foodstirs Organic Pumpkin Spice Stacks Pancake Mix, Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix, and Krusteaz Complete Pancake Mix Pumpkin Spice Light and Fluffy
  • Pumpkin bar mixes: Betty Crocker Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Bar Mix vs. Krusteaz Supreme Bar Mix Pumpkin Spice
  • Pumpkin cookie mixes: Betty Crocker Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix vs. Krusteaz Bakery Style Cookie Mix Pumpkin Spice
Categories
All Things Pumpkin Product Reviews

Pumpkin Season 2017 Taste Test #4

This post will be a little different because the bulk of it will be a compare and contrast of two pumpkin bread baking products I tested. But first, I’ll start will a fun beverage I tried while stopping at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

Pumpkin Season 2017 Taste Test #4

Pumpkin Spiced Chai Tea Latte & Ice Blended

Pumpkin Spiced Chai Tea Latte & Ice BlendedNow, I just want to make this clear up-front: I avoid caffeine. I have ADD and it makes me sleepy. I also have acid reflux, so the acid in most caffeinated beverages upset my stomach. That said, I can occasionally have a caffeinated beverage without ill effects.

So, when I was killing time at a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Los Angeles and saw “Pumpkin Spice” as an option for Ice Blended drinks, I was intrigued. I asked the girl behind the counter what was in it. She told me pumpkin, vanilla powder, and water. That sounded like something I could drink, so I ordered one.

When I tasted it, it was clear there was caffeine in it. I thought it was coffee, but apparently, it was black tea. It was delicious. The melding of the tea, pumpkin and vanilla flavors were refreshing and autumnal at the same time.

I really enjoyed it and, thankfully, suffered no ill effects. Perhaps the chocolate muffin and blueberry scone I had with it helped!

Rating

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]


Pumpkin Bread Mix Compare and Contrast

There are several brands offering a pumpkin bread mix at this time of the year. This year I purchased a box of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix and Libby’s Pumpkin Bread Kit with Icing. I chose Trader Joe’s because I wanted to try pretty much every pumpkin offering they had this year. And I picked up Libby’s kit because Libby’s is the only brand of canned pumpkin I’ll use. I figured I’d give their kit a try.

Trader Joe’s mix makes one loaf, while Libby’s kit makes two. I don’t own two loaf pans, so I make Libby’s kit in a Bundt pan, which was one of the options mentioned on the back of the box.

My first impressions of the packaging are that Trader Joe’s looked easy to use and Libby’s kit looked slightly more involved. The Trader Joe’s box gives you options to use one loaf pan or a standard muffin pan. There is also a creative suggestion for “Holiday Bread.” The Libby’s kit gives you options to use two 9” x 5” loaf pans, three 8” x 4” loaf pans, six mini loafs (you can buy a mini loaf pan with six loafs or use disposable aluminum pans), a 13” x 9” pan, a 12-cup Bundt Cake pan, 24 large muffins, 36 standard muffins, or 72 mini muffins. There is also a creative suggestion for Pumpkin Streusel Muffins.

[one_half] Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix packaging [/one_half]
[one_half_last] Libby’s Pumpkin Bread Kit with Icing packaging [/one_half_last]

Pumpkin Bread Mix Compare and Contrast Specifics

[one_third] Quality [/one_third][one_third] Trader Joe’s [/one_third][one_third_last] Libby’s [/one_third_last]

[one_third] Packaging: [/one_third]
[one_third] Simple and small, easy to fit into your pantry. [/one_third]
[one_third_last] Larger, but still relatively compact. [/one_third_last]

[one_third] Extra Ingredients: [/one_third]
[one_third] 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup oil and 1 cup water [/one_third]
[one_third_last] 4 large eggs, 1/2 cup oil and 1 cup water [/one_third_last]

[one_third] Ease of Use: [/one_third]
[one_third] It took me about 3-5 minutes to mix all the ingredients and place the pan in the oven. Baking time was 55 minutes. [/one_third]
[one_third_last] It took me about 4-7 minutes to combine all the ingredients and place the pan in the oven. Baking time was 65 minutes [/one_third_last]

[one_third] Aroma: [/one_third]
[one_third] I could detect the pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. There was also a touch of baking soda to the aroma. [/one_third]
[one_third_last] I could detect the pumpkin and cinnamon, but not as strongly as with the Trader Joe’s bread. And, like the Trader Joe’s bread, there was a touch of baking soda to the aroma. [/one_third_last]

[one_third] Texture: [/one_third]
[one_third] Moist, crumbly and even. [/one_third]
[one_third_last] Moist and smooth … just like a pound cake. A tad more dense than the Trader Joe’s. [/one_third_last]

[one_third] Flavor: [/one_third]
[one_third] Pumpkin, cinnamon with light notes of cloves. Mild flavored. [/one_third]
[one_third_last] Spicy pumpkin. Strong cinnamon and cloves, with a hint of ginger and nutmeg. [/one_third_last]

What Worked for Me

Trader Joe's pumpkin bread fresh from the ovenTrader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix was quick and easy to make. It has a light and breezy flavor. I believe this would be a nice option if you need to make some quick breakfast muffins for your Fall guests.

I really liked that I was adding in actual pumpkin pulp (rather than relying powdered pumpkin or pumpkin flavor) to the Libby’s Pumpkin Bread Kit with Icing. It made it feel fresher and more authentic. I believe the pumpkin was what made the pumpkin bread was moister than the Trader Joe’s mix, as well. I also liked that the quantity the kit made was more. I love making Bundt cakes and if I wanted to do that with the Trader Joe’s mix, I’d have to buy two.

Apples to Apples Comparison

Libby's pumpkin bread fresh from the ovenOn that note, I did the math for you: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix retails for $2.99 per box, which, apparently, is how much they’ve charged for this product since 2008. The Libby’s Pumpkin Bread Kit with Icing retails for anywhere from $4.99 (WalMart) to $10 (Amazon), depending on where you buy it.

If you wanted to make the equivalent amount of pumpkin bread using Trader Joe’s mix, you could use two boxes. To achieve the moisture that Libby’s kit had, I would add in 1 can of pumpkin (or the equivalent of fresh pumpkin pulp), while reducing the added water. You can leave off the icing or make your own by mixing powdered sugar with a touch of vanilla and some milk.

In order to get the equivalent Bundt cake using Trader Joe’s mix, you’d need to spend around $8 [2 x $2.99 (mix) = $5.98 + $1.88 (can of pumpkin) = $7.86, plus whatever the cost of your icing ingredients]. Therefore, not only does Libby’s kit provide a better tasting result, it’s more cost-effective, too!

What Didn’t Work for Me

close up of Trader Joe's pumpkin breadTrader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix had a tiny twinge of a baking-soda aftertaste. Not strong, but it may turn off some people.

As for Libby’s Pumpkin Bread Kit with Icing, I’m not a big fan of icing. I could live without it. It makes it look nice. But if I were to make icing for the bread, I’d make it thinner so it was more like a glaze.

Which Product Did I Like Better?

Libby's pumpkin bread before application of icingAlthough I liked how easy the Trader Joe’s mix was to use, the end product of Libby’s mix was clearly superior. The Libby’s pumpkin bread was moister, richer and had a more layered and textured flavor. Interestingly enough, the two pretty much smelled the same to me. It was the taste and mouthfeel that was different.

In addition, as I mentioned in my Apples to Apples Comparison above, the Libby’s Pumpkin Bread Kit with Icing ends up being more convenient and economical. Everything you need (besides the eggs, oil and water) are together in one kit and all for as little as $4.99!

Rating

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Libby’s Pumpkin Bread Kit with Icing

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Libby's pumpkin bread with icing
Libby’s Pumpkin Bread Kit with Icing was the clear winner for me, resulting is a moister cake with a rich, complex flavor.

Previous Pumpkin Tastings


Forthcoming Pumpkin Tastings

  • Pumpkin pancake mixes: Foodstirs Organic Pumpkin Spice Stacks Pancake Mix, Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix, and Krusteaz Complete Pancake Mix Pumpkin Spice Light and Fluffy
  • Pumpkin bar mixes: Betty Crocker Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Bar Mix vs. Krusteaz Supreme Bar Mix Pumpkin Spice
  • Pumpkin cookie mixes: Betty Crocker Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix vs. Krusteaz Bakery Style Cookie Mix Pumpkin Spice
  • Krusteaz Supreme Muffin Mix
  • Foodstirs Organic Chocolate Chippy Pumpkin Bread Mix
  • Trader Joe’s Pumpkin O’s
Categories
Creative Cookery

Pumpkin Gingerbread – An Experiment

I love to experiment with cooking and baking. In this video, I walk you through today’s experiment with pumpkin and Fresh & Easy’s Ginger Bread mix.
 

 
Mentioned in this video:

The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.