General description and suggestion: Winter warmers are meant to dojust that, warm you up! These full-bodied beers will often have pronouncedcaramel or molasses-like aromas and flavors as well as a warming alcoholpresence.  These beers also have a widerange of alcohol presence so be sure to check out the ABV before you pouryourself big ole pint.

Often times Winter Warmers or Holiday Ales, as they are sometimes called,are brewed with special spices such as clove or cinnamon.  These spices can make them a perfect forpairing with holiday deserts such as pumpkin pie. If you don’t see adescription on the packaging look at the brewery website or BeerAdvocate.comfor ingredients or taste descriptions.

Specific description and suggestion: First, let me start by sayingthat this recipe tastes sooo good but it is sooo bad for you, as many holidaydesserts are. Also, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort with thisrecipe if you use the canned pumpkin mush but please don’t short changeyourself.  Mashing the fresh baked pumpkinwith a fork then whisking it until it is smooth gives this dessert a muchbetter texture (the best in my opinion) than canned pumpkin.  You won’t regret the time or the effort.

I love it when a single beer pairs so well with a recipe but I getdown right giddy when two beers fit the bill so well.  You will be able to find the Sam Adams mixed winter12 pack just about anywhere unfortunately but Trader Joes has a great price onthe Wassail this season. These two beers pair so well with desserts becausetheir residual sweetness and spicing makes them a dessert to begin with!   Theirspices resonate with the Pumpkin Crisp spices and their full-bodies enhance thecreamy goodness.  The cayenne pepperspiced pecans add fun little kick that will only linger until your next bite crisp.

Pumpkin Crisp

1 Sugar Baby Pumpkin or 32oz of can of pumpkin
4 eggs slightly beaten
3 cups evaporated milk
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 (2-layer) yellow cake mix
½ cup butter melted
1 cup chopped and spiced pecans

Cut and clean pumpkin into thin slices and roast them in the oven at350° to develop an intense pumpkin taste and tender.  Poke with a fork to test. This could take aslong as an hour.  If you need to speed upthe process put slices in the microwave for a couple of minutes untiltender.

Put baked pumpkin flesh in a bowl (stand-up mixer is best) with whiskand beat on high until the pumpkin texture is smooth without any lumps.

Combine all but the last three ingredients.  Pour into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the top of the pumpkin mixture.Sprinkle pecans on top of cake mixture. Drizzle melted butter over the top.

Bake for 350° for 1 hour

General description and suggestion:  Winter warmers are meant to dojust that, warm you up! These full-bodied beers will often have pronouncedcaramel or molasses-like aromas and flavors as well as a warming alcoholpresence.  These beers also have a widerange of alcohol presence so be sure to check out the ABV before you pouryourself big ole pint.

Often times Winter Warmers or Holiday Ales, as they are sometimes called,are brewed with special spices such as clove or cinnamon.  These spices can make them a perfect forpairing with holiday deserts such as pumpkin pie. If you don’t see adescription on the packaging look at the brewery website or BeerAdvocate.comfor ingredients or taste descriptions.

Specific description and suggestion:  First, let me start by sayingthat this recipe tastes sooo good but it is sooo bad for you, as many holidaydesserts are. Also, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort with thisrecipe if you use the canned pumpkin mush but please don’t short changeyourself.  Mashing the fresh baked pumpkinwith a fork then whisking it until it is smooth gives this dessert a muchbetter texture (the best in my opinion) than canned pumpkin.  You won’t regret the time or the effort.

I love it when a single beer pairs so well with a recipe but I getdown right giddy when two beers fit the bill so well.  You will be able to find the Sam Adams mixed winter12 pack just about anywhere unfortunately but Trader Joes has a great price onthe Wassail this season. These two beers pair so well with desserts becausetheir residual sweetness and spicing makes them a dessert to begin with!   Theirspices resonate with the Pumpkin Crisp spices and their full-bodies enhance thecreamy goodness.  The cayenne pepperspiced pecans add fun little kick that will only linger until your next bite crisp.

Pumpkin Crisp

1 Sugar Baby Pumpkin or 32oz of can of pumpkin
4 eggs slightly beaten
3 cups evaporated milk
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 (2-layer) yellow cake mix
½ cup butter melted
1 cup chopped and spiced pecans

Cut and clean pumpkin into thin slices and roast them in the oven at350° to develop an intense pumpkin taste and tender.  Poke with a fork to test. This could take aslong as an hour.  If you need to speed upthe process put slices in the microwave for a couple of minutes untiltender.

Put baked pumpkin flesh in a bowl (stand-up mixer is best) with whiskand beat on high until the pumpkin texture is smooth without any lumps.

Combine all but the last three ingredients.  Pour into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the top of the pumpkin mixture.Sprinkle pecans on top of cake mixture. Drizzle melted butter over the top.

Bake for 350° for 1 hour