I have been making Boston Cream Pie for more years than I will admit to and have tried a number of recipes over those years. About 10 years ago, my oven, which had been giving me trouble with baking, especially cakes, finally quit working. As celebration for a new one which put me back into cake making, I treated myself to a new cake cookbook: "Maida Heatter's Cakes." There are other great recipes in this book, such as her Caramel Ice Cream (which she attributes to Wolfgang Puck) and Cowtown Chocolate Frosting, but the book was worth it if only for this one recipe for Boston Cream Pie. It is not only the best one I have ever made, it is a pleasure to make. The sugar is divided, half whipped with egg whites and the other half whipped with egg yolks and it's fun to watch the magic that happens between sugar and eggs. This procedure also makes for a deliciously light cake and one that always gets serious compliments. I will never use another recipe for this cake...and it's always a birthday cake request in my family!
These Pumpkin Cookies are really like tiny cakes, much like a Madeleine, especially since they are frosted. And they are delicious! Canned pumpkin is available year round so these can be made at anytime though I reserve them for late fall and winter. The recipe makes a ton of cookies if you use the small ice cream scoop to portion, which makes this a good recipe for gift giving. We love these cookies so much that I have added them twice now to the web site! Note that currants, nuts and candied orange peel are optional. I have made theses with currants and nuts and also with just the candied orange peel. If using orange peel, which is really good, chop them, using a sharp knife, as small as currants so as to distribute them throughout the dough.
