It's the Great Pumpkin!

So, September is all about apples, October is all about Halloween candy, and November is all about pumpkin dishes. At least, in my opinion.

As a result, I decided to share some favorite pumpkin recipes today. I'm sharing recipes that focus on the sweet side of the pumpkin flavor. One of these days, I'll have to share some savory pumpkin recipes...but not this day! Bring on the pumpkin sweets!

 

Above: This loaf slightly sank in the middle because of my high altitude (I live on a mountain, whereas in the other pictures, I lived down in the valley).

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp each salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips (mini chocolate chips, preferably)
1/2 cup nuts, optional
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend eggs, brown sugar, flour, white sugar, ginger, pumpkin, oil, soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Then add raisins or chocolate chips, nuts (if using), and water.

Pour into greased and floured bread pans.

Bake for 65-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Notes: Mini chocolate chips make it a lot easier to slice the bread, but you can use regular chocolate chips as well.



Above: Pumpkin Ring Cake pictured without the glaze...to illustrate the point that this cake is awesome plain, with the glaze, with powdered sugar sprinkled over the cake, or with a dollop of whipped cream on each slice.


Above: Pumpkin Ring Cake with the glaze.


Above: Pumpkin Ring Cake with glaze and a dollop of whipped cream.

Pumpkin Ring Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups Original Bisquick mix
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 can (16 oz) canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 12 cup fluted tube cake pan.

Beat Bisquick, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 cup milk, eggs, and pumpkin in a large bowl on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Spread in pan.

Bake for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; turn upside down onto heatproof plate or wire cooling rack. Remove pan, cool cake completely.

Stir remaining ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over cake.

Nutrition information: 1 serving (makes 12 servings) equals 405 calories, 10 g fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 76 g total carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website. You can find it here.

Notes: This is also very good with whipped cream (in place of or in addition to the powdered sugar glaze).



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 spice cake mix
1 pkg. chocolate chips
1 egg
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together well (I would suggest mixing all ingredients except the chocolate chips with an electric mixer and then folding the chocolate chips in).

Grease cookie sheet. Drop by teaspoonfuls on sheet. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Source: The Gathering of Friends: Volume 1 cookbook. ISBN: 9780-09816986-0-1

Notes: I made these a LOT bigger than a teaspoon each. I would say that each cookie took nearly 2 tablespoons of cookie dough. As a result, they took longer to cook than 10-12 minutes. I would suggest cooking them for 12 minutes and then checking them and adding 2-4 minutes and then checking them again until they are done. Use the toothpick test to check for doneness. Just like a cake, a toothpick inserted in the center of the cookie should come out clean. And that is when the cookies are done.

Also, if you like your cookies a little sweeter, I would suggest mixing in 1/4-1/2 cup of granulated sugar prior to folding in the chocolate chips.

Pumpkin Pie Cake (Aunt Margaret's Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pkg. yellow cake mix (reserve 1 cup for topping)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 beaten egg
2 cups pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs beaten with 2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter

Directions:

Mix the yellow cake mix, 1/2 cup melted butter, and 1 beaten egg and put in a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Mix pumpkin, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and 2 beaten eggs with 2/3 cup milk, and pour over cake in pan. Mix reserved cake mix and 1/4 cup butter, and sprinkle over cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Serves 12

Source: This is my Aunt Margaret's recipe (I know you weren't expecting that from the title).

Notes: Definitely serve this with whipped cream. Don't skip it! Also, the edges of my cake are curved and rounded because I made it in a disposable tinfoil pan that had shaped edges. I kind of like it! It added some personality! And then I didn't have to worry about bringing a dirty pan home.

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Buttermilk Glaze

Ingredients:

Cake:

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk

Glaze:

1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare the cake, lightly coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour. Spread pumpkin over 2 layers of paper towels; cover with 2 additional layers of paper towels. Let stand about 10 minutes. Scrape drained pumpkin into a bowl.

Place 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Lightly spoon 3 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted inc enter comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Drizzle cake with glaze.

Source: December 2006 Cooking Light. You can find it here.

Nutrition information: 1 serving (makes 16 slices. 1 slice per serving) equals 273 calories, 8.7 g fat, 5 g protein, 4.6 g carbohydrate, 1.4 g fiber, 72 mg cholesterol, 2 mg iron, 243 mg sodium, 66 mg calcium.

Notes: I really like this cake. It's not a super sweet cake. I would describe it as a breakfast or brunch cake...or a tea cake. But that buttermilk glaze is addicting. You'll love it!


Pumpkin Pie Punch

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Makes: 1 1/2 gallons (about 24 cups)

Ingredients:

15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 gallon apple cider
2 liters ginger ale, cold

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Add the apple cider and whisk until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Chill.

In a large punch bowl, gently stir together the cider, pumpkin mixture, and ginger ale. Serve with ice.

Source: Deseret News/Alison Ladman/Associated Press

Notes: I know this sounds kind of weird...but it was awesome! Trust me!