Pumpkin Dip

The day after Thanksgiving we enjoyed this festive pumpkin dip for our lunch with slices of pear and apple, and sweet potato chips. The dip is mildly flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, keeping it kid-friendly, and deliciously creamy-sweet with the addition of a jar of marshmallow cream. Yummy for a snack, lunch, or light dessert after dinner. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) light cream cheese, softened
1 container (7 oz.) marshmallow cream
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
chopped pecans for garnish is desired

1. Using an electric mixer, beat together all of the ingredients until smooth.
2. Cover and chill for several hours to blend flavors.
3. Serve with slices of pear and apple, sweet potato chips, vanilla wafers or gingersnaps.

Yield: about 2-1/2 cups
1/4 cup serving = 127 calories
.5 gm. fiber

This recipe comes from a flyer sent out by Fred Meyer Grocery Store.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

My family loves pumpkin in just about any form; breads, muffins, soup, cookies and cake are all favorites. These muffins, made with mini-chocolate chips, are a favorite way to use up leftover pumpkin. This is my variation of a recipe that comes from "Betty Crocker's Christmas Cookbook", a favorite cookbook that I have used for years. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 egg white (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup pure pumpkin, not pie mix
1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg white, milk, pumpkin, chocolate chips, and butter together.
2. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients all at once. Stir just until combined.
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 12 medium muffin cups. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Yield: 12 muffins
172 calories each
1.7 grams fiber each

Tip: Leftover pumpkin can be frozen for a future use. If, when you want to use the remaining thawed pumpkin, you find that you are lacking all that you need for your recipe, boiled, mashed carrots can be substituted. I have found that I can substitute up to 1/4 cup mashed carrots very successfully.

Pumpkin Pecan Frozen Yogurt

This wonderful, full-flavored, kid-friendly pumpkin yogurt is great for snacks or dessert, and so easy! Blessings...

Recipe:

4 cups frozen Vanilla Bean yogurt, softened (see note)

1/2 cup canned or cooked pumpkin

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients; mix well. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze until firm.

Yield: 8 servings, 1/2 cup each
195 calories
4 gms. fiber

Note: I use Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean frozen yogurt. The flavor is very good, there are live yogurt cultures in it, and there is 3 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup serving.

This recipe was adapted from Taste of Home's "Light and Tasty" magazine.

Pumpkin-Maple Dip

This wonderful dip, with the fall-flavors of pumpkin, maple syrup and spice, comes from a monthly food-insert in our local newspaper called, "Dash". The dip is wonderful with slices of apple for a simple dessert, but would be equally good for snacking. This is a fun, kid-friendly recipe for any aged "kid". Blessings...

Recipe:

4 oz. low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 cup Greek vanilla yogurt
3 tbsp. maple syrup (honey would work)
2 tbsp. peanut butter
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
pinch salt
ground peanuts for garnish if desired

1. In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients and process until smooth.
2. Serve with sliced apple or pear, graham crackers, or sweet potato chips.

Yield: 1-2/3 cups
27 calories per tablespoon

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Today a friend and I got together for lunch after not seeing one another for several months. We had a wonderful time of visiting over a simple meal of soup, muffins, fruit and a cup of chai. This simple recipe for Cream of Pumpkin Soup has been adapted from several recipes that I have made over the years, none of them really very pleasing and always missing something. The soup is creamy and tastes mildly like pumpkin- pie-in-a-bowl. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 14-oz. cans 99% fat-free chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. butter
2-1/4 cups canned pure pumpkin
1-1/2 cups chopped, peeled sweet apple such as Gala or Golden Delicious
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash ground white pepper
3/4 cup half-and-half

1. In a 3 qt. saucepan, saute' onion in the butter until soft, but not brown.
2. Add the chopped apple and 1 can of broth; bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until apple is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Puree mixture in blender in 2 batches and return to saucepan.
4. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
5. Heat over medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 7 cups
130 calories per cup
4 gms. fiber

Pumpkin Toffee Cake

Oh, my goodness, the kitchen smelled so wonderful as this cake was baking and cooling down. I couldn't wait to ice it with rich buttercream frosting and dig in later for dessert.

This recipe is kept simple and fast with a boxed spice cake mix in which canned pumpkin, chopped pecans and English toffee bits are added to make a  special family dessert. The cake is then topped with a buttercream that is so light and fluffy it melts in your mouth. This is a delicious way to end a meal, if you can wait that long! Blessings...

Recipe:

1 box spice cake mix with pudding in the mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Heath English Toffee Bits, divided
3/4 cup chopped pecans

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs and water beating on low speed; scrape down sides of bowl. Beat on medium speed for two minutes. Mix in pumpkin until blended.
2. Stir in pecans and toffee bits.
3. Pour into a greased tube pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Remove to a wire rack to cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
5. Run a table knife around the outside edge of the pan and remove the cake from the pan keeping the cake on the base. Cool completely.
6. Run a table knife under the cake to separate the cake from the pan. Place the cake on a serving plate. Frost the cake and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon toffee bits on top.

Rich Buttercream Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. milk or more, as needed  (I use 1%)

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, butter, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the milk. If the mixture is real stiff add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time until spreading consistency. Beat the frosting on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until very light and fluffy.

Yield: 12 servings
517 calories per serving
1.4 gms. fiber

Fluffly Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Cheesecake pies are a simple substitute for the often labor-intensive project of making a traditional cheesecake. This one is simplified even more by using a purchased graham cracker crust. I personally think that the purchased graham cracker crusts are very good and very helpful when time is tight, like during the holiday season. Blessings...

Recipe:

12 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsps. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 (6 oz.) Ready Crust graham cracker pie crust
whipped topping or whipped cream for garnish, if desired

1. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin pie spice on medium speed until smooth.
2. Stir in pumpkin. Add eggs and mix until blended.
3. Place crust on a baking sheet. Pour filling into crust.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with whipped topping or whipped cream if desired.

Yield: 8 servings
8 servings = 289 calories and 2 gms. fiber (without garnish)
6 servings = 385 calories and 2.6 gms. fiber (without garnish)

Pumpkin Applesauce Bread

After the pumpkin pie is baked, there is almost always leftover pumpkin for another use and this moist, fruity bread is a wonderful choice for that use. This bread is delicious for breakfast, tea or snacks. In our opinion, chocolate is a great addition to the bread so this is the way I will make it from now on. But, if you are not a fan of chocolate, the original recipe was written without this addition, so feel free to omit the chocolate chips. Blessings...

Recipe: 

2/3 cup shortening
2-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sugar-free applesauce
1 cup canned mashed pumpkin
3-1/3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. mace
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup apple juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
2. Cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir in the applesauce and the pumpkin.
4. Stir the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture alternately with the apple juice, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Pour into the prepared pans.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Begin checking at 1 hour to see how it is doing.

Yield: 2 loaves, 13 slices per loaf
2.6 gms. fiber per slice
Note: This bread freezes beautifully.

Pumpkin Date Muffins

The combination of pumpkin and chopped dates in these muffins makes for a wonderful breakfast treat. Because dates are loaded with natural sugar, less white sugar is needed than what is typically called for in a pumpkin muffin. I've made some recipes that are so heavy with pumpkin, butter and brown sugar that they are unappealing. These muffins turn out light and delicious, with only a bit of oil used. Have a blessed weekend with your family...

Recipe:

2 cups biscuit/baking mix such as Bisquick
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsps. vegetable oil
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chopped dates (not sugared pieces)

1. Measure the biscuit mix into a bowl. Remove about 2 tbsps. and add to the chopped dates in a separate bowl. Mix with your fingers to break a part the sticky pieces of the dates so that they will be evenly dispersed in the muffins.
2. Add the sugar and spices to the remaining biscuit mix and stir to combine.
3. In another small bowl, using a fork, combine the egg, milk, oil and pumpkin puree. Stir the dates and the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients; mix well.
4. Fill well-greased muffin cups 3/4 full and bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done with a toothpick. Serve warm, or cool on wire rack to serve later.

Yield: 12 muffins

Pumpkin Pie - a Great Tradition

Pumpkin pie is a favorite tradition in our family for Thanksgiving dinner. This is so much so, that one year when I didn't make one, my son let me know that it wasn't Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. I made a Chocolate Silk pie that year, which my daughter-in-law was really happy about because she isn't crazy about pumpkin. I learned a bunch that year! My husband's favorite is mince pie, but I'll save that for another time.

This year I decided to try cooking a pie pumpkin to see how it compared to the stuff in the can. My husband and I really liked the flavor. The texture is a tiny bit softer, but still very good. You can see from the picture that it certainly looks good. The big issue is the time involved in prepping a fresh pumpkin versus opening a can. I would do it again, if time allowed. The test is going to be what my son thinks of his pie when dessert is served on Thanksgiving.

This favorite recipe comes from Marlene Sorosky's cookbook entitled, "Season's Greetings". Blessings...

Recipe:

1 9-inch deep-dish pie crust or 10-inch pie crust
3 large eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1-1/4 cups evaporated milk (from a 12-oz. can)
1 cup whipping cream whipped with 2 tbsps. powdered sugar, if desired.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven.
2. In a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat eggs for a minute.
3. Add the pumpkin, sugars and spices and beat until mixed well. Scrape sides of bowl down and mix a bit more. Gently mix in the evaporated milk.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared shell. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a table knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Tip: Check the pie crust after 45 minutes to make sure that it doesn't get too brown. If it is browning too much, cover the crust with foil or a crust protector. The one I have is aluminum and is a life saver.
Tip: If you need a pie crust recipe, check the labels for Marlene Sorosky's recipe. I've been using this recipe for years with very good luck.