Halloween Cake

My BFF had a big birthday awhile back and I wanted a yummy pumpkin cake since pumpkin is her favorite.  I found one here:  https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2017/10/11/best-pumpkin-cake/

She loved it, as did everyone at the party.  I used melted yellow chocolate melts for the moon.  The witches are made of fondant I cut with a new exacto knife from a stencil I made on the computer.  The frosting was just my regular buttercream.

What you'll need

4 Eggs
1 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Sugar
1 C Oil
15 oz Pumpkin

Mix together and then add
2 C Flour
1 t Baking Soda
2 t Baking Powder
1/2 t Ginger
2 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Nutmeg
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Cloves

Pour into greased cake pan. Bake at 350 for (check your pan directions, this orange one baked for 50 minutes, the black one was about 35) or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Party Pumpkin

I have NO idea why this posted sideways?!?  At any rate, you get the idea.  This a fun center piece to your Halloween party buffet table. 

 

Give your pumpkin a good wash.  Let the kids decorate a face and give the pumpkin some hair with salami and cheese stuck with fancy toothpicks.  You could get all healthy and do vegetables or something else but that's not how we roll around these parts on Halloween!

 

Pumpkin Chipotle Soup

I was surfing around on blogs that I read from time to time and found this soup on this blog. This woman does it all but most importantly she makes a wonderful soup. Seriously, don't be scared of the pumpkin in the title. I'm not a fan of squash/pumpkin soups typically but this soup didn't taste like your "typical" soup. It was almost buttery in flavor and I called it Chicken Chipotle until people tried and liked it.

I only changed a couple of things and my recipe reflects that. If you want her orginal, click on the link above.

2 T Butter
2 T. Olive Oil
1 Onion chopped
Hanful baby Carrots, chopped
3 stalks Celery
3 cloves Garlic
2 boxes Chicken Stock~Aldi was having a sale or it would have been 8 cups water/8 bouillon cubes
14 oz can Pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix~I don't know what that means but thought I better leave it, we only have cans of Pumpkin in MN as far as I can tell, no pie mix? Just make sure the ingredients on the can is just pumpkin and you'll be good to go)
3 c. cooked Chicken ~ I actually used leftover crockpot Turkey
2 large diced Potatoes~I cut them about as thick as my finger so they didn't fall apart while cooking
1/2 c Barley
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t nutmeg
2-3 T honey
2 Chipotles chopped very fine (it comes in a small can in the mexican section of the store and is packed in a heavy sauce)—I like spicy food, if you don't start with maybe a half of a pepper first.

1 C light Sour Cream
1/4 C Heavy Cream~I used Whipping Cream that wasn't whipped, you buy it by the milk
salt and pepper to taste

To begin, saute the celery, onions, carrots and garlic in the oil and butter until carrots are almost tender. Always salt as you go along and then adjust the salt at the end. Don’t wait til the very end to add salt or your dish will lack a depth of flavor.

Then add chicken stock, pumpkin, chicken, potatoes, barley and all the spices. Cook at medium to high heat for about 45 minutes to an hour or until barley is tender. Turn heat down to simmer. Add sour cream or yogurt and whisk so that no lumps remain and then add cream. Taste and reseason.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

My friend Karol gave me this recipe forever ago and I've made it a couple of times and it's always a hit.

I think it would be a nice addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table. Love it!

2 pkgs Cream Cheese softened ~ I used light
2/3 C Sugar
2 t Pumpkin Pie Spice ~ which I didn't have so I used 1 1/4 t Cinnamon, 1/4 t Ginger, 1/4 t Cloves and 1/2 t Nutmeg
2 Eggs
15 oz can of Pumpkin
1 Graham Cracker Crust ~ extra serving size

Beat Cream Cheese and Sugar until fluffy. Add spices and beat until well combined.

Add your eggs and mix well.

Stir in Pumpkin.

Pour into crust and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool for one hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Garnish as desired. I garnished with a fork and plate:)
Mix up your cream cheese, sugar and spices
Ready for the oven
Done! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Found 3 cans of pumpkin in my cupboard and thought I'd take a stab at a new cake. I used my trusty bundt pan because that's always easy. Something about it reminded me of pie, thus the name. Hope you like it.

What you'll need:

15 oz can Pumpkin
2 Eggs
1/3 C Milk
2 t Vanilla
1/4 C Oil
1 3/4 C Flour
1 C Sugar
1/3 C Brown Sugar
1 t baking Soda
1/2 t salt
1 t Nutmeg
2 t Cinnamon

Mix the wet ingredients, add the dry. I used a whisk to get out all of the lumps. Pour into sprayed bundt pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes. Check with tester (stick a skewer in the middle of the cake and if it comes out with out wet batter, it's done), if it comes out clean, you're good to go.

Cool for 10 minutes and invert on plate. Frost lightly with cream cheese frosting. Serve.

This is my recipe for cream cheese frosting. I probably used a third of this recipe and put the rest in the fridge for another day.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 brick Cream Cheese~softened, yep low fat
1 stick butter~softened
2 t Vanilla
4 C Powdered Sugar

Mix together and frost

Ready for the oven

Out of the oven

Ready to eat

Pumpkin Shortbread Dessert

I dug out one of my cookbooks that I kept in the purge from a few years back. Holidays with Taste of Home. I found this pumpkin dessert and since Pumpkin pie is not a "rule" at my house on Thanksgiving I am giving it a try. It was a HIT!

1 3/4 C Sugar
1 1/2 C Flour
1/2 C cold Butter chopped into pieces
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (29 ounces) Pumpkin
1 t Salt
1 t Cinnamon
1 t Ginger
1/2 t Cloves
2 cans Evaporated milk
Whipped cream and additional ground cinnamon, optional

In a bowl, combine 1/4 C sugar and flour; cut in butter (I chop the butter into small pieces and smash with a fork since I didn't have a pastry mixer) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, salt, spices and remaining sugar. Stir in milk. Pour over crust.

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 50-55 minutes longer or until filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate overnight

This is what "coarse" crumbles looks like
Pat down the crust in a sprayed 13x9 pan
Make sure you beat the eggs before you add the other ingredients
Mix the milk in.
Pour pumpkin mixture over crust and put in a 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 50-55 minutes longer or until filling is set.

Out of the oven, I'm going to let it cool and serve tomorrow with whipped cream.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Bread

Yes, another Pumpkin recipe. But this bread is so yummy and it makes your house smell wonderful, I just had to share.

Pumpkin Bread

4 T Butter softened
1 C Sugar
2 Eggs
1 t Vanilla
15 oz Can Pumpkin
1 1/2 C Flour
1 t Baking Soda
1 t Salt
1 t Cinnamon
1 t Nutmeg
1/2 t Cloves
1/2 t Ginger
1/4 C Sour Cream (I use light)

Mix the first 5 ingredients, add the dry and sour cream. Mix thoroughly. Pour into greased loaf pan or mini pans. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes for a full size loaf, about 20-25 for mini loafs. The bread should be golden brown. If you are unsure, you can insert a skewer or knife in the middle and it comes out clean, your bread is done.

Ready for the oven

Out of the oven and ready to eat

Carving Pumpkins

I have a little tip for you. Can't "show" you because we don't carve pumpkins until October 30.

Instead of cutting the top of the pumpkin off around the stem, cut a big hole in the bottom.

It's great because:

* you can cut a bigger hole making it easier to get the seeds out.
* if you purchased a pumpkin that is a little tipsy, you can fix that by cutting the bottom off
* you won't run the risk of breaking the stem off when you try to take the top off after you've cut.
* You won't have to worry about the top falling inside your pumpkin.
* Easier to light the candle because you can light it and then place the pumpkin over the top of it.

Did I convince you??

Pumpkin Cookies

I made these for the first time a few years back and my kids really liked them and I got the ultimate compliment from a guy at work. He said, "These taste just like the ones my Mom used to make when I was growing up. THANK you".

I think they are more like a bread or muffin in texture than a cookie but they are good. Hope you like them too.

What you'll need:

1 1/2 C Sugar
15 oz Can Pumpkin
1/2 C Butter soft
1 Eggs

Mix together.

Add:
2 1/2 C flour
1 t Soda
1/2 t Salt
2 t Baking Powder.
1 1/2 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Nutmeg
1/2 t Ginger

Drop by spoonfuls on a sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on some wax paper. If you're feeling ambitious, you can blob a bit of cream cheese frosting on top but they are good without it.

Makes about 65 cookies.

Make sure they are completely cool before you put them in the cookie jar or they will stick together.

Mix your wet ingredients. Don't worry about the butter pieces, you'll take care of that in a minute.
Mix in the dry. This is where you want to make sure your butter gets properly mixed in.
Even spoonful of dough.
They don't spread much, so this is all the room you need. And, I only spray my pan for the first round.
Lightly browned on the bottom like this..

Pumpkin Bars

My Mom has made these for as long as I can remember and I LOVE them as does everyone when I bring them somewhere.

What you'll need

4 Eggs
2 C Sugar
1 C Oil
15 oz Pumpkin

Mix together and then add
2 C Flour
1 t Baking Soda
2 t Baking Powder
1/2 t Ginger
2 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Nutmeg
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Cloves

Pour into greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for about an hour and then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

8 oz Cream Cheese softened
1/4 C Butter
2-3 C Powdered Sugar
2 t Vanilla
4-7 T Milk

Start out with butter, cream cheese, 2 C powdered sugar, vanilla and 3 T milk. Mix it with your mixer. Keep adding milk by the T until it's the consistency you want, you are going to want this speadable but not runny. IF you add too much milk, add more powdered sugar. I've never used a true recipe for frosting, it was an add and adjust philosophy.

Chill. I think they taste better cold.

Fluffy Pumpkin Cheesecake

Let's get this party started, or should I say, Let's get October started with Pumpkin recipes!!

My friend Karol gave me this recipe forever ago but neither cheesecake or Pumpkin are really my thing. Sounded good though, so I gave it a try and my friends at work LOVED it. I loved it because it was about the easiest thing I've ever made. Thanks Karol!!

I think it would be a nice addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table or an easy dessert for a fall meal. Love it!

2 pkgs Cream Cheese softened ~ I used light
2/3 C Sugar
2 t Pumpkin Pie Spice ~ which I didn't have so I used 1 1/4 t Cinnamon, 1/4 t Ginger, 1/4 t Cloves and 1/2 t Nutmeg
2 Eggs
15 oz can of Pumpkin
1 Graham Cracker Crust ~ extra serving size

Beat Cream Cheese and Sugar until fluffy. Add spices and beat until well combined.

Add your eggs and mix well.

Stir in Pumpkin.

Pour into crust and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool for one hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Garnish as desired. I garnished with a fork and plate:)
Mix up your cream cheese, sugar and spices
Ready for the oven
Done! Enjoy!