I hope you had an opportunity to enjoy the warm weather we’ve had recently, because it would appear that it is gone … for now. Brrrr! I know… what am I going to do when cold weather gets here? Probably be cold, too. I’ve lived here all my life and I don’t think I can ever get used to it. I have just learned to tolerate it. Maybe not so quietly.
Well, anyway. What do you have planned for the leftover pumpkins that your ghouls and goblins haven’t carved up? Here are several recipes using fresh, cooked pumpkin. Enjoy! We’ll be looking for recipes for the holidays soon. If you have any favorites to share, I would love to hear from you.
Ingredients
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup margarine, melted
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan.
Combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Mix well and spread into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle the yellow cake mix over the top of the pumpkin mixture and pat down. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the cake mix then drizzle the melted margarine all over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 1 hour but no longer than 1 hour and 20 minutes. Top cooled cake with whipped topping when ready to serve.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh cooked, mashed pumpkin (you may use canned)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup prepared vanilla pudding
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the butter or margarine with the sugar. Beat in the pumpkin, egg and vanilla.
Stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon into the pumpkin mixture. Blend until combined.
Drop teaspoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 to 14 minutes. Let cookies cool completely then sandwich two cookies together with Vanilla Filling.
To Make Vanilla Filling: Beat the shortening and 1 1/2 cups white sugar together for 10 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and the vanilla pudding. Beat until creamy.
Ingredients
3 cups white sugar
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions: Butter or grease one 8-inch by 8-inch pan.
In a 3 quart saucepan, mix together sugar, milk, corn syrup, pumpkin and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling. Do not stir.
When mixture registers 232 degrees F (110 degrees C) on candy thermometer, or forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water, remove pan from heat. Stir in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, butter and nuts. Cool to lukewarm (110 degrees F or 43 degrees C on candy thermometer).
Beat mixture until it is very thick and loses some of its gloss. Quickly pour into a greased eight-inch pan. When firm cut into 36 squares.
I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you and any suggestions or recipes you like. I can be reached at susieqcooking@ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, PO Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730
See you next week! Susie Q
