Grandma Elsie Knew About Pumpkin Spice Before It Was Cool

It's that time of year again – the holidays are fast approaching and as many of you know, the season kicks off with my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving. One of the many reasons I look forward to Thanksgiving is because it’s the season of Grandma Elsie’s Famous Pumpkin Chiffon Pie and other crowd-favorite recipes, and special time with family and friends.

Grandma Elsie and Her Special Tradition

For those of you who don't know the story behind Grandma Elsie and her famous Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (which is the best I’ve ever tasted), I'd like to share it. For those of you who do, I hope you'll indulge me in a retelling to honor the woman whose generous spirit and tradition are behind the pies.

Instead of getting holiday gifts for friends and neighbors, Elsie Edelstein, who I adopted as my grandmother, made pumpkin pies and hand-delivered them before Thanksgiving. The blessing, as she used to say, was in the making (“food brings people together”) and in the giving ("it’s better to give than receive!”).

A tradition that started with one creative and thoughtful woman was quickly adopted by her daughters and grandchildren, along with friends and neighbors.

And these aren’t any old pies.

The Famous Pumpkin Pie Recipe

These are the most delicious, mouth-watering pumpkin pies you’ve ever had. Even people who don’t like pumpkin pies love her now-famous recipe. You can, too, and here's the recipe.

For two decades, The Grossman Group has adopted her wonderful tradition by passing along Elsie’s famous pie and spice mix recipes to friends, clients, and colleagues in our network.

You'll see there are a heap of recipes using Grandma Elsie's famous spices! From scrumptious breakfast to dinner with a twist, tasty snacks, elegant drinks, and decadent desserts, there's something for everyone as you gather around the table with friends and family over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Grandma Elsie’s Vegan Chocolate Pudding (with a kick)

Recipe and photo provided by our dear friends Peg Champion and Brad Whitworth, founders
and Head Chefs of Grandma Elsie’s West Coast Test Kitchen.

Total time: 10 minutes plus time for chilling

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup organic sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 8 ounces high-quality unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate
• 1 pound silken tofu
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon Grandma Elsie’s spice mix
• 1/2 teaspoon chile powder or cayenne pepper
• Chocolate shavings (optional) 

Preparation:

Combine sugar and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat. Break chocolate into small pieces and add to the hot sugar-water. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted.

Put all the ingredients except the chocolate shavings into a blender and purée until smooth. Stop blender to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, if needed.

Divide contents into 6 ramekins and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes. Garnish with chocolate shavings before serving. 

Notes:

The combination of cinnamon, sugar, chile, and chocolate will remind you of Mexican hot chocolate. Use the best quality chocolate you can find. We love Scharffen Berger unsweetened dark chocolate. You can substitute 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for the sugar. If you want an extra kick, add a tablespoon of Cointreau or cognac before blending.  

To print the recipe, visit this page.

Coming Together for the Holidays

I’ve always felt that Thanksgiving is a great holiday because it prompts me to take time to recognize all the things I’m grateful for. For me, it’s my family, time with my children (although they’re at the age where they’re less interested in spending time with me!), our health, and my team at The Grossman Group.

For nearly 25 years, we’ve been engaging employees and helping leaders lead with heart. We’re grateful to have the opportunity to partner with our clients in navigating evolving workplace challenges with communication strategies that empower teams and produce impressive business results. It brings us such joy to help organizations connect with their people in new and meaningful ways, and to help leaders see the difference they can make when they lead with their heart, first.

What are you grateful for this year?

—David Grossman