CANTON, Mass. (September 25, 2007) -- Perhaps more than any other season, fall evokes a strong connection with food. For many Americans, it just isn't fall without the taste of pumpkin, spice and other seasonal flavors. To help customers celebrate fall to the fullest, Dunkin' Donuts, the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain, unveiled four new menu items perfect for this time of year: the Pumpkin Muffin, Pumpkin Donut, Pumpkin Spice Latte and Vanilla Spice Coffee.
The Pumpkin Muffin and Pumpkin Donut are returning to enhance Dunkin' Donuts' line of delicious baked goods and culinary creations. Bursting with fall flavor, the new items appeal to the on-the-go customer seeking a seasonal treat. The Pumpkin Spice Latte and Vanilla Spice Coffee provide a rich and delicious complement to Dunkin' Donuts' line of freshly brewed hot beverages. The fall offerings are available at participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurants nationwide through mid-November.
"We are constantly experimenting with new flavor ideas to please our customers, and we are especially excited to introduce new menu items specifically for fall," said Stan Frankenthaler, Dunkin' Brands Executive Chef. "Americans feel such a strong emotional and sensory connection to the foods of fall, and our new fall-flavored menu items will help customers celebrate the season and the warm feelings it evokes."
To celebrate the release of the seasonal menu items, Dunkin' Brands Executive Chef Stan Frankenthaler -- a three-time James Beard nominee and co-author of "The Occidental Tourist," a New York Times' Editors' Pick -- has created a series of easy and unique recipes that will bring a taste of fall to anyone's kitchen. The sweet or savory recipes can be enjoyed for breakfast or dinner.
A delicious seasonal twist on an all-time breakfast favorite. Complement this dish with warm apple cranberry compote.
Ingredients:
Whole eggs (large) - 2
Milk or Cream - 2 Tbsp (splash)
Water - 1/4 cup
Salt - pinch
Allspice - 1/4 tsp
Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Muffins - 6 (use either fresh muffins or day old muffins)
Procedure:
1. Pre slice the muffins into 3 even slices -- horizontally (like a cake layer), trim off the peak to create a flat top
2. Crack eggs into bowl, add water and milk -- whisk gently until all ingredients are incorporated
3. Add salt -- whisk
4. Add Allspice -- whisk until completely incorporated
5. Preheat skillet on medium heat
6. Dip muffin slices into batter, flip
7. Place onto hot skillet, until golden brown
8. Flip and cook until golden brown
9. Place onto plate, slightly overlapping in the center
Yields 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 tb butter
3 apples - peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges
1/4 c apple juice or cider
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Procedure:
1. Warm butter in a sauté pan or shallow saucepan
2. Sauté apples until lightly colored and becoming tender
3. Add cranberries, juice, maple and spice
4. Bring to a quick simmer then remove from heat
This savory stuffing has a touch of sweetness to it and is perfect for any cool fall or winter evening. Make the rest of your accompaniments match the season too.
Ingredients:
1 small carrot (washed, peeled, diced)
1 celery stalk (washed, diced)
1 small white onion (peeled, diced)
2 Tbs fresh sage, fine diced
1 tsp fresh thyme, fine chopped
1 14 oz can vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 8 oz bag panko bread crumbs
2 Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Muffins
1/4 tsp Allspice
Procedure:
1. On low heat in stockpot, heat carrot, celery, and onion with thyme and sage in 1 Tb olive oil and 2 Tbs unsalted butter.
2. Cook until soft 4 minutes and add allspice, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
3. Add broth and bring to simmer.
4. Shut off heat and mix in crumbled muffins and bread crumbs
5. Cool stuffing, and refrigerate until ready to stuff
Serves as a perfect stuffing for savory roasted chicken breasts: divide mixture evenly and divide mixture evenly between 6 4oz chicken breasts; garnish with salt and pepper and bake in oven safe casserole for 25 minutes or until chicken reaches 165' f. Double recipe to stuff one roasting turkey, and garnish with apple and onion chutney below.
Perfect with flavorful chicken breast or turkey and pumpkin stuffing, or omit the onions to serve with pumpkin French toast
Ingredients:
1 21 oz can apple pie filling or topping
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1/4 cup dried sweet cranberries
1 small red onion (1/2 cup)
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
Procedure:
1. In sauté pan over low heat, cook onions in 1 oz olive oil till light brown, around 5 minutes
2. Add apple pie filling, cranberries, ginger and vinegar
3. Heat until warmed thru on low heat around 5 minutes
4. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper
5. Place in oven proof dish and keep warm until service.
Yields 12 3 oz servings
Ingredients:
6 egg yolks
2 cups light cream
1/4 c brown sugar
1/3 c granulated sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
2 Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Muffins, crumbled
Procedure:
1. Butter or spray 6 8oz ceramic baking dishes or a 1 - 1 1/2 qt baking dish
2. In a mixing bowl incorporate yolks, cream, sugars, nutmeg, salt. Whisk well
3. Equally divide the muffin crumbles in all the dishes
4. Equally divide the egg and cream mixture and fill each dishes to 1/4 inch under the rim. Equally divide chocolate atop each dish
5. In a preheated 325' F oven, place bread puddings in an oven safe baking dish and fill it with water until half of the dish is submerged
6. Bake in oven for @ 35 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle of the pudding pulls out clean
7. Remove from water bath and serve immediately or refrigerate.
Yields 6 servings
EDITOR'S NOTE: Pictures of the fall offerings and recipes are available upon request.
About Dunkin' Donuts
Founded in 1950, today Dunkin' Donuts is the number one retailer of hot regular coffee-by-the-cup in America, selling 2.7 million cups a day, nearly one billion cups a year. Dunkin' Donuts is also the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world and sells more hot regular coffee, iced coffee, donuts, and bagels than any other quick service restaurant in America. Dunkin' Donuts has more than 7,200 restaurants in 30 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Dunkin' Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin' Brands, Inc. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.
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Contact: Susanne Norwitz
Dunkin' Donuts
(781) 737-3801
Susanne.Norwitz@DunkinBrands.com
