Pumpkins are one of the most cheerful sites in fall. Whether they are part of your centerpiece, sitting in a huge pile in a roadside stand, or lit up as a jack o'lantern on Hallowe'en night, they are the epitome of fall for most people. While Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie, there are many more varied and delightful uses of the pumpkin!
Pumpkin Bread
Makes 2 loaves.
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda 1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. nutmeg 3 cups sugar 4 eggs, beaten 2 cups of fresh pumpkin 1/2 cup water 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, water, oil and pumpkin. Stir until blended. Add nuts. Mix well. Pour into two 9x5" loaf pans. Bake 1 hour. Cool slightly and take out of pans to let cool on a rack. This tastes best if you wrap, refrigerate and wait a day to eat it. It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be frozen.
Pumpkin Shortbread Dessert
3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1 cup butter or margarine 4 eggs, slightly beaten 1 can (1 lb 13 oz) pumpkin 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 2 cans (12 oz size) evaporated milk
Preheat oven to 425 F. In a bowl, combine the flour and 1/2 cup of the sugar; cut in butter. Press evenly and firmly into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Combine remaining 1-1/2 cups sugar, eggs, pumpkin, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and evaporated milk; pour over crust. Bake for 15 minutes; lower heat to 350 F and bake for 55 more minutes or until filling is set. Cool and refrigerate overnight before serving.
Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Streusel
Crust:
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1/4 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces 1 large egg yolk 2 tablespoons (or more) ice water Filling:
1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 3 large eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoons ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping:
1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 2 1/2 ounces) 1/4 cup finely chipped crystallized ginger 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
Crust: Place ginger in processor and process ;until minced. Add flour, sugar, cloves and salt; process to combine. Using on/off turns, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix yolk and 2 tablespoons water in small bowl. Add yolk mixture to flour and butter mixture; process just until mixture forms moist clumps. If dough is too dry, blend in more water by teaspoonfuls. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Soften dough slightly at room temperature before rolling.) Preheat oven to 350. Roll out dough on floured surface to 12-inch-diameter round. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold edges under crust. Crimp decoratively, forming high-standing rim (about 1/2 inch above rim of dish). Freeze crust for 15 minutes. Line crust with foil and then fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust 10 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake until crust is set and pale golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer crust to rack; cool completely.
Filling: Whisk all ingredients in large bowl until combined. Pour into pie crust. Bake until skin begins to form on filling and filling begins to set, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven. Let pie stand 10 minutes to set slightly. Maintain oven temperature.
Topping: Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Rub in butter with fingertips until mixture begins to form small clumps. Sprinkle topping over pie. Bake until pie is set and streusel is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.
Beat eggs with sugar until mix is light colored and thick. Add gelatin and beat to blend well. Mix in pumpkin puree and spices and chill mixture until it begins to set up. Whip cream into soft peaks; fold in pumpkin mixture. Pour into 4-6 dessert dishes. Chill for 4 hours. Before serving, garnish with crystalized ginger
Pumpkin Roll Cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray 3/4 cup cake flour 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice 6 large eggs, separated 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar 2/3 cup canned solid pack pumpkin 1/8 teaspoon salt Powdered sugar Filling 2 tablespoons dark rum 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin 1 cup chilled whipping cream 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 10 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup English toffee pieces Additional powdered sugar 1 1/2 cups purchased or homemade caramel sauce, warmed
Preheat oven to 375. Spray 15x10x1-inch baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Sift flour, cinnamon, ginger and allspice into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup brown sugar in large bowl until very thick, about 3 minutes. On low speed, beat in pumpkin, then dry ingredients. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into batter in 3 additions. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake cake until tester is inserted comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Place smooth (not terry cloth) kitchen towel on work surface; dust generously with powdered sugar. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto kitchen towel. Fold towel over 1 long side of cake. Starting at 1 long side, roll up cake in towel. Arrange cake seam side down and cool completely, about 1 hour. Filling:
Pour 2 tablespoons rum into heavy small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Stir over low heat just until gelatin dissolves. Beat chilled whipping cream and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar in large bowl until firm peaks form. Beat in gelatin mixture. Fold in 6 tablespoons English toffee pieces. Unroll cake; sprinkle with 4 tablespoons English toffee pieces. Spread filling over. Starting at 1 long side and using kitchen towel as aid, roll up cake to enclose filling. Place cake seam side down on platter. Trim ends of cake on slight diagonal. Dust cake with powdered sugar. Spoon some of warm sauce over top of cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup toffee. To serve, cut cake crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Pass remaining sauce.
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 cup quick-cooking oats 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted margarine 2 cups granulated sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 can (16 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup light cream 1-1/2 cups shredded coconut 1-1/2 cups pecan halves
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. To make the cake, mix together the flour, cocoa, oats, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside. Beat together the margarine and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until all is well blended. Gradually beat in the almond extract, pumpkin and crushed pineapple. The mixture may look curdled. With a wooden spoon, gradually stir in the flour mixture to make a smooth thick batter. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake until just done in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting: melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the brown sugar and cream and stir until smooth. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Remove from heat. Preheat the broiler. Spread the frosting evenly over the warm cake. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat until the frosting is golden and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes. Let the cake cool to room temperature before cutting into squares.
Ginger Pumpkin Raisin Muffins
5 1/2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger 1/2 cup golden raisins 2 tablespoons brandy 2 cups sifted unbleached all purpose flour 1 tablespoon ground ginger 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cooked pumpkin puree 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large egg whites 1 large egg 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar 1/2 cup light molasses 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 375. Line sixteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Mix 2 1/2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, raisins and brandy in small bowl. Sift flour, ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Whisk pumpkin puree, buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and egg in large bowl until foamy. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar; beat until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in molasses and oil. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin mixture in 3 additions each. Stir in raisin mixture. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Mix 3 tablespoons crystallized ginger and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over muffins. Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool on rack.
Savory Autumn Pork and Pumkin Stew
1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 2 onions, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced a 14- to 16-ounce can tomatoes, including the juice 1 1/2 cups water 1 pound turnips, cut into 1-inch pieces 4 cups chopped washed turnip greens or kale a 2-pound pumpkin (preferably a sugar pumpkin), seeded, reserving the seeds for toasting if desired, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
In a heavy kettle heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it brown the pork, patted dry, in batches, transferring it with a slotted spoon to a bowl as it is browned. Add the onions to the kettle, cook them, stirring occasionally, until they are golden, and stir in the garlic. Add the tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up, the water, and the pork with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl, bring the mixture to a boil, and braise the stew, covered, in the middle of a preheated 350 F. oven for 1 hour. Stir in the turnips and braise the stew, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the greens and the pumpkin and braise the stew, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender. Season the stew with salt and pepper and serve it with the rice.
Pumpkin with Dried Shrimp
2 lb pumpkin 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons brown sugar 10 dried shrimp Dash of salt and pepper 1 cup frozen peas
Peel and remove seeds from pumpkin; cut pumpkin into 1-inch pieces. In a large saucepan, combine the pumpkin, water, soy sauce, brown sugar, shrimp, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, stirring or tossing mixture occasionally, for 15 minutes or until pumpkin is done. Add peas and cook, uncovered, until liquid evaporates.
Savory Pumpkin Soup
2¼lb pumpkin 2 onions, chopped 1 oz butter 1 medium potato, peeled and diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 pint water 1 pint vegetable stock 5 fl oz light cream chopped parsley to garnish salt and freshly ground black pepper
Remove the skin and seeds from the pumpkin; dice the flesh. Fry the onions in the butter or margarine for 10 minutes, then add the pumpkin, potato and garlic and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the water and vegetable stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Purée the mixture in a food processor or blender, add the cream and seasoning to taste. Heat through again gently without boiling, garnish with the chopped parsley.
Moist Pumpkin Cake
2 cups Sugar 1 cup Oil 4 Eggs 3 cups Flour 2 teaspoons Baking powder 2 teaspoons Baking sodas 2 teaspoons Cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon Cloves 1/2 teaspoon Ginger 1 teaspoon Salt 1 Can pumpkin pie filling or fresh pumpkin, cooked 6 ounces Mini choc chips 1/2 cup Chopped nuts Mix everything in order given. batter will be thick. Pour batter into a greased tube pan and bake 350 65 to 70 minutes. Recipe from the Washington Post.
For this operation you need a traditional-shaped Bundt pan (or
two), two boxes of cake mix, enough white frosting to cover 2
cakes, orange and green food coloring, a cupcake tin, and some
extra devil's food cake crumbs or chocolate jimmies. (If you know
how much scratch cake to make to fill two Bundt pans, go ahead
and make it from scratch.) What you do is make up the two boxes
of cake mix as usual and bake them in the Bundt pan(s), except
for one lonely little cupcake baked in the cupcake tin. Cake
flavor doesn't matter, though if you use chocolate you will be
able to use the crumbs later on, as you will see.
Unmold the Bundt cakes and place them bottom-to-bottom. If you
use the original Bundt pan, the ridges on the cakes will make the
cakes resemble a pumpkin at this point. Set the cakes on a large
platter (one cake will be on top of the other, upside-down) and
frost them with the white frosting tinted orange. There will
probably be a big hole down the middle of the cake. Fill that
with leftover frosting and set the green cupcake on top. The
cupcake will be the pumpkin stem. Unwrap that and put it in the
hole in the cakes and frost that with the white frosting tinted
green. You can use leftover chocolate crumbs or chocolate
jimmies to sprinkle around the cake on the platter to resemble
soil. You could use crushed Famous Chocolate Wafers or even Oreo
cookies to make "soil." For the finishing touch, carve a jack
o'lantern face out of the pumpkin cake!
