Pumpkin Bread

I've made a lot of different pumpkin bread recipes.  Most have been really good.  I've even claimed (a few times maybe) that I'd found the "PERFECT RECIPE" and I would love it forever.  Then I'd decide to try something different next time.  I recently tried out this recipe - I loved the moist, dense texture.  I swap out oil for coconut oil in most of my recipes - you should try it!  But just in case you don't have it on hand, or don't want to invest in any just to try my recipes, you CAN use regular oil or an equal amount of applesauce.

This recipe is wonderful - it gives you a loaf to eat and a loaf to share!  My husband's coworkers were lucky enough to get the second loaf of this recipe....but honestly?  I would have eaten the whole thing, given the opportunity!

This would make a terrific side to take with you if you are attending someone else's Thanksgiving Dinner...just saying... ;)


1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin
4 eggs
1/2 c. coconut oil (can use reg veg oil -- but coconut oil is awesome!)
1/2 c. applesauce
2/3 c. water
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. sugar
3 1/2 c. self rising flour (or ap flour + 2 tsp baking powder)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 TBS (yes, Tablespoons!) pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350. Grease/flour 2 loaf pans.
Cream together pumpkin, eggs, oil, applesauce, water, vanilla and sugar. Add dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. Divide among two pans. Bake for 60-70 min until toothpick comes out clean (you may want to tent foil over them for last 10-20 minutes).

Pumpkin Butter...so easy, so good.

I love all things pumpkin, in case that wasn't obvious already.  
Pumpkin Butter is SO easy to make, I don't know why I haven't tried it before!  It just takes a little time, maybe I'm just too impatient.  But I gave it a whirl this week and am pleasantly surprised at the ease of making it AND it's absolute deliciousness!!

1 (29 oz) can pure pumpkin
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. brown sugar
1 Tbs pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
freshly grated nutmeg
juice of 1/2 lemon
  
Stir everything except lemon juice together in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  When mixture begins to boil, reduce heat and cover.  You'll want to prop the lid open just a little to let the steam escape (a wooden spoon handle works great). Let simmer for at least 35 minutes.  The mixture will pop and sputter and splatter a lot, just to forewarn you.  Stir occasionally.  Remove lid after 35 minutes, stir in lemon juice and let cool for about 10 minutes.  Transfer to heatproof container and chill.  Keep refrigerated.

This can be used on so many things - from toast, to beer bread, to oatmeal, to yogurt!  It makes anything taste kind of like pumpkin pie.  It is so yummy, you won't regret trying this tasty treat!  It is perfect for this time of year.  I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does.

 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Two of my favorite things together: Pumpkin and Snickerdoodles!  If you know me even a little, you know I'm pretty much a pumpkin fanatic.  And Snickerdoodles are my favorite cookie ever.  I don't know why I don't make them more often...maybe because you have to chill the dough then roll it in the cinnamon sugar.  It's always worth it though.  And these are not exception.

I got this idea from A Bitchin' Kitchen

 

Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 sticks salted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and spice.
In mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add in pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix until smooth and fully combined.  Slowly add in flour mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill dough (freeze at least 30 minutes or chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour). 

While the dough is chilling, mix together 1 c. white sugar with 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice in a gallon-size ziploc baggie.

Shape chilled dough into balls (I used my medium scoop from Pampered Chef - it holds about 1 Tbs, give or take).  Toss each ball in the sugar mixture in the baggie.  Place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden.  Cool on pans for 5 minutes then remove to cooling rack.  TRY to wait until they're mostly cool before you test them!!

Pumpkin Donuts: Baked, Not Fried

Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Updated 9/17/2012: it was brought to my attention that I left out the most important ingredient of these delicious donuts - the pumpkin!!  I have no idea how that happened, but it is now corrected below.  Please make sure you make these WITH pumpkin...they're much better that way.  I'm going to go hide in embarrassment now.  Thanks!  :)

These beautiful gems showed up in my Pinterest feed the other day.  The original recipe can be found on the King Arthur Flour website.  I adjusted a few things to make them "mine."  Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that if it's got pumpkin in it, I'm probably going to make it.  And eat it.  My kids are HUGE pumpkin fans as well - probably because I make everything with pumpkin from September until December.  

I happened to have a large donut pan for baking, and a mini one.  Which is kind of a funny story -- I had insisted on getting them years ago, then never used them and ended up putting them in a yard sale or something.  Then last year, a friend of mine brought these two pans to me and said someone had given them to her as a gift but she never used them and since I'm always baking I should have them!  I'm kind of glad I took them, too, it makes recipes like this so much fun!  And my kids love having donuts for an afternoon snack :) 

Now, if you do not have donut pans, these can be made in a mini muffin pan (think of them as donut holes if you want to), or even regular muffin tins - just don't fill those all the way to the top, and adjust your baking time accordingly.

These are moist, pumpkiny treats coated in a generous shaking of sugar mixed with pumpkin pie spice (if you don't have any on hand, you can make your own by combining 1 tsp of cinnamon with 1/2 tsp each of nutmeg and ginger - this will make you 2 tsp, increase accordingly to what you'll need!)

Recipe
Pumpkin Donuts
1/2 cup *coconut oil (in liquid state)
3 large eggs
1 (15 oz.) can of PURE Pumpkin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

(*regular oil or melted & cooled butter can be used in place of the coconut oil.  I have been using the coconut oil in place of oil and butter in many of recipes with great success - and no, it does not make everything taste like coconut!)

Preheat your oven to 350.  Lightly grease your donut (or muffin) tins.
Place your oil, eggs, pumpkin, sugar, spices, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.  Beat together until fully combined and smooth.  Slowly add in the flour, stirring just until combined.

Spoon into wells, not filling them more than 2/3 full.  Bake regular sized donut tins for about 15-18 minutes (mini donut pans for about 13-16 minutes, regular sized muffins for 22-25 minutes), use cake tester or sharp knife in center to test doneness.

Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes so they can be moved easily.  Remove from pan and cool on rack a little bit longer.  While still warm (but not so hot they'll fall apart when handled), toss with the pumpkin spice cinnamon sugar coating:

Coating:
1 c. white sugar
1 Tbs pumpkin pie spice
Add both to gallon size ziplock bag.  Close and shake well, until spice is even distributed.  

Toss donuts one or two at a time in bag.  

This recipe made 12 regular sized donuts (yes I had to wait until the first 6 were done before and out of the pan before I could make the rest of them) AND 12 mini donuts.  

And they all disappeared as soon as the kids were home from school...

Pumpkin Bisque

Bisque.  Pumpkin.  How could I resist??

I searched for a recipe...only found a couple (for "bisque" -- plenty for different types of soup)...and I ended up pulling from several different ones and making my own little creation.  I was worried no one would like it (it seems as if it would be an acquired taste), but my family (well, except my son) LOVED it!!!  My hubby couldn't get enough, and my girls - after tasting ours - all asked for their own bowls!  And ate it right up!  This recipe made a LOT, and there's only enough left over for one bowl (lunch for hubby tomorrow!).  

Recipe:

1 Tbs butter
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
5 c. chicken stock
32 oz. can pumpkin puree
1/2 to 1 tsp allspice (if you don't have allspice you can use equal parts of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves)
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 c. dry sherry (or substitute with apple cider vinegar)
1 c. light cream or half & half
Bacon, cooked crisply

Melt butter and sautee onion and garlic until soft and tender.
Pour in stock, pumpkin, spice, sugar and sherry.  Stir together over med-hi heat.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Turn off heat, let sit for at least 10 minutes.
Transfer soup to blender (may have to do in two batches); blend until smooth.
Return soup to pot, add in cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
Serve with bacon.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

I was looking for something fairly quick and easy to throw together today to take to our friends' house after trick-or-treating tonight.  I'd heard of "dump cake" before, but I'd never tried it myself.  I got this recipe from a friend, and since I had everything on hand, I figured I'd give it a whirl.

It was easy to mix together, and "dump" it all in the pan, and the taste?  Sooooooo good!  Like pumpkin pie with a crispy topping!  It would have been excellent with a little whipped topping, had I thought ahead to pick some up.  But it's delicious by itself!

Recipe for Pumpkin Dump Cake:

1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin
1 c. sugar
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk (I used heavy cream, because that's what I had :))
3 eggs
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spices
1/2 tsp. salt
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cubes (3/4 c.) butter, melted
1 c. pecans, chopped (optional -- I left them off)

Combine pumpkin, sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spices and salt in mixing bowl. Beat well. Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch glass pan. Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin mixture, then sprinkle on the pecans. Pour melted butter over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Store in fridge.

(I actually only used one full stick of butter, and I didn't melt it, I just cut it up and placed it on top of the cake mix before putting it in the oven, and it turned out beautifully!)

Chili made with Pumpkin

Update for picture:

Okay, so I don't have a picture for this post (I'll try to get one up ASAP) but I really wanted to post this recipe.  I don't really measure or follow any exact recipe when it comes to making chili, I kind of wing it.  I'm going to outline my process below -- the end result was sooooooooo yummy!  It went quite nicely with a batch of beer bread made with a pumpkin beer (courtesy of my hubby).  

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
1 lb. ground turkey
1 small can diced tomatoes (with liquid)
1 small can diced tomatoes with green chilies (with liquid)
1 small can tomato sauce
2 c. pumpkin puree
small pinch of cinnamon
1 can red kidney beans (rinsed & drained)
1 can white kidney beans (rinsed & drained)
1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
chili/taco seasoning as desired (I used Emeril's Bayou seasoning, plus some taco seasoning)

In a large pot, heat oil.  Throw in onions, peppers and garlic.  Saute until slightly transparent (this is my favorite part -- I love how this smells!!).  Add in ground turkey and cook until no longer pink.  Add in the rest of the ingredients, stirring.  Make adjustments as needed.  Once everything is all mixed together, cook until it starts to bubble, stirring occasionally.  Lower heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes (the longer it simmers, the better it is!  I let mine cook for about an hour while my beer bread was baking).

We serve ours with corn chips and shredded cheese on top.  It is a great meal for a cold and rainy night.  Also, if you leave the ground turkey out, it makes a great vegetarian dish.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Glaze

I happened upon this recipe, and I had to try it!  It does, after all, combine two of my most favorite things -- pumpkin and cinnamon rolls!  They were a hit with everyone I shared them with and I'm excited to make them again (maybe tomorrow!).  

PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS WITH CARAMEL GLAZE
2-3/4 to 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/2 cup solid-pack pumpkin
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup Hershey's cinnamon chips (optional)

In a bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour and yeast; set aside.
In a saucepan, heat and stir pumpkin, milk, sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and salt until warm (120°-130°) and butter is almost melted.
Add to flour/yeast mixture along with egg.
Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
Stir in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Roll into a 12-in. x 10-in. rectangle.
Melt remaining butter; brush on dough.
Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough.
Sprinkle cinnamon chips on top.
Roll dough, jelly roll style, starting with the longer side.
Cut into 12 equal slices.
Place rolls, cut side down, in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan (I like gooey bottom cinnamon rolls, so I usually make a syrup of brown sugar and warm water and put that in the bottom of pan before placing the cut rolls in the pan).
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

For glaze:
4 Tbs butter
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 Tbs milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 - 2/3 cup powdered sugar

For frosting, melt butter in a saucepan; stir in brown sugar and milk.
Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 1 minute.
Stir in vanilla, salt and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar; beat until well blended.
Add more sugar, if necessary, to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle over rolls.

Yield: 1 dozen.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

I don't know if you know this, but yesterday was National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day!  My hubby mentioned this to me via chat while he was still at work, and I told him if only I had some cream cheese I could whip something up to celebrate!  Well, he brought me home cream cheese and ginger snaps so that I could make these mini cheesecakes that taste OH, so gooood!  I went with the mini ones because they only needed to bake for half an hour, then chill for about an hour, which meant we could still enjoy them on Pumpkin Cheesecake Day!  I searched online, and found this recipe from MyRecipes.com.  I made it pretty much as directed, and added a homemade whipped cream topping.

MINI PUMPKIN CHEESECAKES WITH CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM


18 Ginger Snaps
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 Tbs. corn starch
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, room temperature
1 c. pumpkin puree
1/3 c. light corn syrup


Preheat oven to 325.
Line 18 muffin wells with paper or foil liners; place 1 Ginger Snap in each.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, corn starch and pumpkin pie spice together until well blended.
Add eggs and mix well.
Add in pumpkin and corn syrup; beat 1 minute.
Divide filling evenly among lined muffin wells.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, just until set.
Let cool to room temp, then chill at least one hour.
Top each mini cheesecake with a dollop of Cinnamon Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
Sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired.


Cinnamon Whipped Cream
2 c. heavy cream, chilled
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla


Chill mixing bowl and beaters.  Pour cream into chilled bowl, beat on high speed.  Slowly add in sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.  Beat until stiff peaks form.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Chips

Breakfast for dinner is a big hit in our house. We love to have pancakes, french toast, eggs, etc. Since I'm in the middle of my pumpkin frenzy, I decided recently to perfect my pumpkin pancake recipe. These are soooooo good - the result is a light & fluffy texture, with just a hint of pumpkin, and the cinnamon chips add a delicious element. We drizzled a little maple syrup on top, but they're just as tasty on their own.

Puffy Pumpkin Pancakes

1 cup milk

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 c. Hershey's cinnamon chips

In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine. Fold in cinnamon chips.

Heat a nonstick griddle over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake (batter should be thick - you'll want to spread it out into shape desired). Flip when surface is covered in bubbles and edges are dry.

This recipe made (for us): 3 large, 3 medium and 6 mini pancakes :)