The Thanksgiving countdown has begun!! Are you excited? I know I am. Thanksgiving after all is a day dedicate to stuffing your face with glorious food. Countless hours chopping, dicing, basting, baking and prepping. Now that’s what I call a good time! This week in my attempt to bake the perfect pumpkin empanadas I was left with plenty of pumpkin puree.
That’s when it hit me. My Thanksgiving table needs a great margarita, a pumpkin margarita. Why should the empanadas, pies and muffins get all that great pumpkin flavor. Pumpkin Margaritas.
Cooking for the big day just got alot less hectic with this margarita by my side. Enjoy!
Pumpkin puree is very easy to make, but I know sometimes life is busy. If your schedule permits, please try making your own puree or if your in a pinch feel free to use canned pumpkin puree.
Now let’s talk salt rim. I wanted festive, fun and color on my rim. Pepitas!! Pull out that food processor and grind away, you won’t be disappointed. Quick tip, after you strain your puree don’t toss it. Before serving taste your margarita to make sure you have the perfect pumpkin taste. If you need a little more bang whisk in a spoon of the leftover puree.
Pumpkin Puree
1 small whole pumpkin (4-6 pounds)
Preheat oven to 350
Cut pumpkin in half.
With a spoon scoop out all seeds and fibers. (Save these to make pepitas)
Place pumpkin on baking sheet and roast until fork tender,
30-45 minutes.
Remove pumpkin flesh from skin.
Place in a food processor and process until smooth.
Pepita Salt
Rim
1 ½ tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepitas
In a food processor pulse until coarse.
If mix is moist, add salt.
Ingredients
- Lime wedges
- 1 cup tequila
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- ½ cup Cointreau
- Ice cubes
- Pepita salt mix or salt
Instructions
- In a sauce pan add pumpkin puree,water, brown sugar, allspice and cinnamon stick.
- Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, whisk to help sugar dissolve.
- Remove from heat, cool completely.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the pumpkin puree.
- (What you are looking for is the pumpkin liquid.)
- Do not toss the thick mix left in the strainer, you might need a tsp or so later.
- On a small plate spread pepita salt mix or salt.
- With lime moisten rim of glasses, dip into salt and place in freezer to chill.
- In a pitcher combine tequila, pumpkin liquid and Cointreau.
- Add lime juice tsp by tsp until you reach desired taste.
- If you feel your margarita mix needs an extra punch of pumpkin add a bit of the pumpkin puree left in the strainer.
- I added an extra two tablespoons to mine, adjust to your taste.
- Pour into chilled glasses, enjoy!
This is so cool! Just posted it on my Jones Is Hungry Facebook page.
Glad we were at the Communal Table together!
Best regards, Scott (www.JonesIsHungry.com)
Still not convinced you could get me to try this..promise I’ll love it??
Hola Alexandra!! I promise you will love it!! Thanks for stopping by I love your monthly articles over a Tiki Tiki!! Abrazos amiga!!
That pepita salt is so creative! Such a fun little drink, and I’m loving those mini pumpkins! Happy Thanksgiving!
xx
I love the idea of pumpkin margarita, so beautiful! Using the the pepita around the salt rim is so creative, love it! So happy to cook with you at the Communal Table! I noticed my link has a cross through it, just curious why?:-) Take care, Terra
Terra recently posted..Cranberry Pumpkin Stuffing {Gluten Free}
What a wonderful way to get into the Thanksgiving spirit! This looks so good. Thank you for always bringing me such delicious treats. I hope you are having a wonderful and relaxing evening. My stomach is full of Mexican food and I’m off to dream margarita dreams!
Monet recently posted..Soft Knotted Rolls
That is the prettiest orange color! A wonderful seasonal drink!
LOVE the pepita salt idea! Fabulous recipe!
Katie @Dishin and Dishes recently posted..Butternut Squash Bruschetta with Sage Pesto
Such a FUN cocktail idea
Great to be in this Thanksgiving feast with you! Please update the link to my recipe, it was wrong:
http://www.familyfreshcooking.com/2011/11/16/brown-butter-coconut-mashed-sweet-potatoes-recipe/
OK – what a great idea for the margarita obsessed like me. Thanks for sharing!
Such a festive drink!
Wow, this pumpkin margarita is calling my name…like the idea of pepita salt…great to add for Thanksgiving dinner
Hope you are having a great week Vianney and thanks for this yummie margarita!
Juliana recently posted..PUMPKIN CUPCAKES
You certainly have become hands down the Queen of Margarita concoctions…pumpkin really?!?
If you say it’s good…I believe you Bonnie ;o)
Flavourful wishes and a great week ahead,
Claudia
FOODESSA recently posted..Feta Fig Squash stuffed PORK roll
You are brilliant! I must try this…and I am all for easing the holiday stress with a lovely margarita
How special! Love the pepita salt mix too.
Angie@Angiesrecipes recently posted..Rye Rolls with Poppy
The different ways that you make margarita’s never stops to amaze me!! Love it!!
OMG this is so amazing and creative! and god knows i need some alcohol during the holidays when there is TOO much family around
thanks for sharing lady!
Jenny @simmerandsteam recently posted..Carrot-Coconut Soup
I have some frozen pumpkin puree in the freezer calling for tequila. Great idea! Salud!
Yvette ~ Muy Bueno recently posted..Spicy Acorn Squash and Apple Soup
Interesting! Never seen a pumpkin margarita. Is it thick?
Mercedes @BeChicMag recently posted..What I Wore to Univision
Hey Mercedes! No not thick at all, the margarita consists of strain pumpkin puree, only the liquid.
Mmmmmmmmmm. That… is brilliant!
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective recently posted..Peppermint Rice Krispies Snowballs ~ $100 Giveaway!
Ay Dios Mio! I love everything about this margarita: the color, the fact that it’s pumpkin AND the pepita salt!
oh the color is stunning and the idea of a cold pumpkin drink over a hot one is fantastic!
Yes, yes yes YES YES. On so many levels.
You create the most amazing margaritas!! What a wonderful idea to make it pumpkin
And great idea to save the strained juices to intensify the pumpkin in the drink!
Stefanie recently posted..Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries and White Chocolate
Oooo pumpkin plus tequila plus classic flavors of brown sugar & cinnamon?! I could get into that, so creative!
stephanie @cookinfanatic recently posted..An Exciting Friday!
I l-o-v-e- love this idea of a pumpkin margarita! Thanks for passing along the recipe. Really nice photos!
Lea Ann recently posted..Easy Dip for Roasted Vegetables
I love the idea and the beautiful color of this drink! So creative!
Your pumpkin margarita looks perfect! I also liked your pecan pie, which you guest blogged about. For whatever reason, my comment didn’t register on the other blog, but I wanted to let you know that I saw it and liked it. A lot.
Paz recently posted..Novel Food #14: Pappanozza
Thanks Paz!! Yes, I got the comment..your always so supportive, abrazos!!
I love this recipe – looks very creative and fun! Basically, I love anything and everything pumpkin anyways. Not hard to convince me
BTW, thanks for visiting my blog!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com recently posted..Upside-down Anjou pear spiced cake
Wow this really looks good…
What an interesting Idea… Pumpkin Margarita….
Love it…
UAU!!!
That pumpkin margarita must be so delicious and unique!! I love the idea and all the ingredients in it and the pictures are looking, as always, so vibrant!
Hope you have a lovely weekend,
Lia.
Oh, this one’s so fun- I love it! LOOOOVE the Pepita salt. This is my favorite time of the year. I think a few of these during my cooking times will be just right. A definite try this year =)
Your photos and food styling are perfect! Fantastic post!
yummychunklet recently posted..Another TwD Rewind: Caramelized Apple Shortbread Cake
Really unique. That Margharita looks wonderful. I love the addition of Cointreau and lime.
Cheers,
Rosa
LOL I never thought a Thanksgiving table needed a margarita. But heck, now that you’ve mentioned it — why not! Especially since no one will be able to resist one with this gorgeous hue, too.