Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

It's the time of year when you can get pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING! I don't want to overload, but I do like pumpkin ...and sweet potato, and butternut squash...all of which appeal to me even more this time of year.

I tried this one from AllRecipes.com ...with a few alterations. I didn't have gingersnap  cookies on hand, and I have nut allergies, so skipped the pecans (in the crust and as garnish); but I did have graham crackers that needed to get used up, so I made a graham cracker crust and added a bit of candied ginger to it.

I was a little short on cream cheese, but made up the difference with a couple ounces of mascarpone; that shouldn't impact the overall outcome much.

It's good. Not fantastic, but really good. Pumpkin flavor is mild and the cheesecake texture is moist, creamy and firm. Topped mine with a dollop of barely sweetened vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon-nutmeg.

Pumpkin Spice Fudge

Too early for chocolatey Christmas fudge? It's not too early for a pumpkin fudge!

Ingredients
1¾ C sugar

¾ C pumpkin puree (canned)

2/3 C sweetened condensed milk

½ C maple syrup

3 T butter

1 t salt

½ t ground cinnamon

¼ t ground cloves

¼ t ground nutmeg

4 oz cream cheese

12 oz white 'chocolate' chips

Directions

Lightly coat a 11x7 glass casserole dish (or 8x8 or 9x9 square) with non-stick cooking spray. (I also lined mine with parchment paper, under and up the sides - which made for easier removal.)

In a saucepan, cook sugar, pumpkin, condensed milk and maple syrup over medium heat, stirring frequently until it reaches 240 F. Stir in remaining ingredients until chips are completely melted and ingredients are well blended.

Pour into prepared dish, tilting to spread evenly -- or use a spatula, coated lightly with non-stick spray, to spread evenly. Allow to cool completely to room temperature. Cut into 1" squares.

Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Wonton 'Ravioli'

I had a little of this, a little of that -- a little butternut squash soup, a few leftover sweet potatoes, and some wonton wrappers -- and pulled off a close approximation of a Ree Drummond Pumpkin Wonton Ravioli recipe. It wasn't exactly the same, but mine was delicious! Wonton wrappers as a quick 'cheater' 
version of homemade ravioli! :)

butter
minced garlic
pumpkin puree OR butternut squash OR sweet potatoes...
chili powder (I think I used a squirt of Sriracha)
salt & pepper
wonton wrappers
1 egg

shaved parmesan

pine nuts

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread (Whole Wheat)

I got this recipe from another FCS teacher. (Family & Consumer Sciences) It's good, but I may fiddle with it a bit. The bread was very dense (could be the yeast wasn't really fresh?), and with only a half cup of pumpkin, that flavor doesn't come through as much as I'd like. But it's a good starting point.

Ingredients
Dough:
2 tsp yeast
¾ C warm water
¼ C brown sugar
2¼ C flour
1½ C whole wheat flour
1 C quick rolled oats
½ t ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ C pumpkin purée
2½ T maple syrup
2½ T butter, melted
1 egg
Swirl filling:
3 T butter, softened
½ C brown sugar
1½ tsp cinnamon

Directions
Stir yeast and brown sugar into warm water in bowl of a stand mixer; let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix flours, oats, spices and salt in one bowl; stir together pumpkin, maple syrup, melted butter and egg in another.

Add half of flour mixure to yeast, then add egg mixture, then remaining flour mixture. Knead -- in mixer or by hand -- until dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Lightly coat with oil and place in a bowl, in a warm place until doubled (about an hour).

Lighlty coat a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Punch down the dough and roll dough out to a rectangle, roughly 9x15". Spread with 3 T butter; sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Starting with a short edge, roll dough into a log pinching the seam to seal. Place log into loaf pan. Let rise 40 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 375. Bake 45 minutes or until goalden brown.

Cool 15 minutes in pan before removing to wire rack to cool compeltely.

Pumpkin Biscuits

These are a very mild flavored biscuit, but still delicious, especially if you serve them warm with maple butter or cranberry relish. Throw some bacon on the side. Or go for a more savory spin with a sage herbed butter...

Ingredients
2½ C flour
1 T baking powder
½ t salt
¼ C loosely packed brown sugar
½ t cinnamon
¼ t ginger
¼ t nutmeg
½ C cold butter, small diced
1 15 oz can pumpkin purée

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift together all dry ingredients. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Stir in pumpkin purée just until combined.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently, folding to create layers. Pat or roll to ½ inch thickness. Cut with round biscuit cutter, or slice for square biscuits. Transfer to parchment lined bakign sheet.

Bake 15-20 minutes. Best served warm.

Pumpkin Bars

Generally I bake these in a jelly roll pan (baking sheet with a 1" lip) and cut them into bars, though they're more cake-like in texture than like a bar cookie. I'd love a good pumpkin cookie recipe, but I've yet to find a good recipe that really has a cookie-like texture. Most of them are more cake or muffin like in texture. I baked some of these up like mini cupcakes recently (pictured), and that worked just fine too. 

Ingredients
1¹/₃ C sugar
4 eggs
½ C oil
½ C applesauce
15 oz pumpkin puree
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg

Directions
Preheat oven to 350˚. Grease and flour (or coat with non-stick cooking spray) a jelly roll pan or line with parchment.

Blend first 5 ingredients until smooth. Combine dry ingredients, including spices; add to pumpkin mixture. Pour into prepared pan, smoothing and spreading as needed to an even depth.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes until center is dry (the 'clean toothpick' test works here).

Top with sweetened whipped cream, cream cheese frosting, or a simple powdered sugar icing.
Or do like I did: I didn't use a recipe for the topping...just blended cream cheese with some maple syrup, a little cinnamon, folded in some whipped cream...

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Perfect for fall!

INGREDIENTS:

2 C all purpose flour

½ C sugar

½ C brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1 egg

¼ C milk

½ C vegetable oil

1 C pumpkin purée

½ C dried cranberries, reconstituted

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 375°.

Grease bottoms of 12 medium muffin cups (use shortening or coat with non-stick cooking spray).

Gently mix or sift dry ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. In a separate bowl, beat egg. Add milk, oil and pumpkin to egg, and stir to mix.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour pumpkin mixture into well; mix just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Gently fold in cranberries.

Fill muffin cups about ¾ full. Bake 25 minutes.  Immediately remove from pan, cool on wire racks.

Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream

Though it's been on the website at least since last fall, I saw this one in the latest Food Network Magazine. It just seemed...like a bite of fall. If I made it again, I think I'd reduce the filling a little...or reduce it and fold in a little whipped cream. It was delicious, but very rich, and generous on the filling.

Ingredients
For the cake...
¾ C flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
3 eggs, @ room temp.
1 C sugar
¾ C canned pumpkin
¼ C powdered sugar
          plus extra for dusting

For the filling...
12 oz mascarpone cheese
1¼ C powdered sugar
2 T heavy cream
¼ C minced crystallized ginger (dry, not in syrup)


Directions
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pumpkin-roulade-with-ginger-buttercream.html

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Betty Crocker's maple bacon frosting -- a seasonal item, on sale today -- inspired my fall baking today. Sorry to say (though not exactly surprising), the store-bought canned frosting with its tiny, totally fake, stale-chewy imitation bacon sprinkles was VERY unimpressive. Makes me want to rebake these pumpkin cupcakes and make my own frosting and real crushed bacon bits.*

Ingredients
1 C butter, softened
1½ C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 C pumpkin purée
1 tsp vanilla
2¼ C flour 
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ginger
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 375˚. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.

Stir or sift together flour, soda, salt and spices; set aside.
Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and beat until well combined. Stir in pumpkin purée and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients. Scoop batter into cupcake liners. Bake 18-20 minutes.

Round or square cake pans (line with parchment paper and/or lightly coat with non-stick cooking spray) would probably require 25-30 minutes. Test them with a toothpick.



* Nov 29, 2015 addition: So...I did bake the pumpkin spice cupcakes again, mini-cupcakes this time. No bacon; brown sugar buttercream frosting with a sprinkle of coarse vanilla sugar and a dusting of cinnamon.  ...much better!

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 C mashed pumpkin, fresh or canned

1 C sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 egg & 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 C half-&-half

¼ C butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

pie crust (1)

whipped cream & extra cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (optional) for topping.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line a 9” pie pan with unbaked crust. Trim to fit pie plate; if desired, pinch and crimp edges to make a decorative pattern. Dock the dough randomly; bake about 15 minutes, until dough just begins to brown. Remove from heat; let stand while preparing filling.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin and beat until combined. Add sugar and salt, stirring to mix thoroughly. Add egg and yolks, half-&-half, and melted butter; beat until combined and creamy. Add vanilla and spices, beat until incorporated.

Pour filling into the prepared pie crust; bake 50 minutes, or until center is set (no longer jiggly). Cool on wire rack to room temperature.

Serve topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin Fudge (or Truffles)

I like pumpkin fudge; not often, but about once a year, in the fall it sounds good. We used to make it at a fudge shop where I worked during college.

Ingredients
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
½ C butter
1 C pumpkin purée
18 oz white chocolate*
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
graham cracker crumbs (for rolling truffles)

Directions:
In saucepan combine sugars, evaporated milk, butter and pumpkin purée. Bring to a roiling boil over medium-high heat; boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; immediately add chocolate and spices, stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Fold in vanilla. Pour into lightly greased 9x13 pan. Let cool (or chill in frig) until set.

To make truffles...scoop and roll into 1" balls. Chill again, if needed; roll in graham cracker crumbs.

* White "baking morsels" are easy to come by in any grocery store. White "chocolate" isn't as available. Check the label and look for cocoa butter. I find it - in 'chip' form at Trader Joe's, but only off and on.

Pumpkin Pull-Apart Rolls

(recipe makes 2 dozen)

1½ C warm milk
2½ tsp yeast
2 Tbls brown sugar
1 Tbls salt
1 egg
¾ C canned pumpkin (or puréed squash)
5 Tbls shortening
4-5 C flour
2 Tbls butter, melted
2 tsp poppy and/or sesame seeds

In a large bowl, combine milk, yeast, sugar, and salt; let stand 5 minutes.

Add egg and beat well to combine. Add pumpkin and shortening, mixing until shortening is in small pieces. Add 1½ C flour and mix well. Gradually mix in more flour, a little at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you may not use all 5 cups of flour). Knead 2 minutes.

Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (1 - 1½ hours).

Butter (or coat with non-stick cooking spray) a large baking sheet. Punch down dough; knead until dough is smooth and supple (7 minutes). Divide dough into 4 equal balls, then divide each ball into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a round; place rounds on baking sheet so they barely touch. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy/sesame seeds. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°.
Remove plastic wrap; bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool, pull apart to serve.

Pumpkin Bread

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese
¼ C butter
1½ C brown sugar
4 eggs
1 16-oz can pumpkin
3½ C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg

Heat oven to 350°.

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs individually, mixing well after each one. Blend in pumpkin.

Add combined dry ingredients, mixing just until thoroughly moistened. Pour batter into 2 greased 9x5" loaf pans. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Reduce baking time for smaller loaf pans or muffins. Muffins = about 30-40 minutes.)

Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.

Optional: For softer/moister crusts, baste the tops with butter while still warm.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

with Chili Cran-apple Relish

1 Tbls olive oil
2 Tbls butter
1 bay leaf
1 medium yellow onion
3 Tbls flour
2 tsp thyme
1 Tbls hot sauce
6 C chicken broth
2 29-oz cans pumpkin purée
2 C heavy cream
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 C brown sugar
2 Tbls cinnamon

Finely chop the onion. Heat olive oil and butter in soup pot over medium-high heat. Add bay leaf, onion, salt & pepper. Cook until tender (5-7 minutes). Add flour, thyme and hot sauce; blend. Whisk in chicken broth and bring just to boiling. Remove bay leaf; purée. (I have a hand-held immersion blender that works great!) Whisk in pumpkin. Simmer to thicken slightly (10 minutes). Add cream, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Lower heat; simmer until ready to serve. (You can always choose to start with less sugar and taste test until you're satisfied.) If desired, serve with Hot Cran-apple Relish. If you don't go for that, a simple splash of extra hot sauce adds a subtle yet satisfying 'kick' to a bowl of this sweet and creamy soup.

Chili Cran-apple Relish
1 green apple
1/2 red onion
2 Tbls lemon juice
1 C dried cranberries
1 tsp chili powder

Finely chop the apple and onion. Combine all ingredients. Serve a couple spoonfuls of relish on top of a bowl of pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin Crème Brulée

I tried a pumpkin crème brulée recipe. I think this one is from one of the cooking classes I worked for the community college. It says it serves 6, which is ridiculous. If the ramekins in this picture look like they've got a tiny bit of brulée in the bottoms…that’s accurate. Also, after cooking them for the 35-40 minutes at 300°, as the recipe states (in a water bath with water that was very HOT before ever going into the oven), they were no way near cooked. After another ½ hour I took them out of the oven. They were still too soft and wet. However, the flavor was good. I'll try the recipe again sometime and adjust the oven temp and/or cooking time. And double it!
Also…I have no torch, so the carmelized sugar on top isn’t really what it should be... especially when the top is so low down in the barely filled ramekins!

Pumpkin Crème Brulée
1/2 C heavy cream
1/4 C canned pumpkin
1/4 C sour cream
3 egg yolks
1/4 C brown sugar
1 Tbls maple syrup
(or honey, corn syrup...)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt

2 Tbls sugar - for carmelizing on top

Heat oven to 300°.
Combine all ingredients except heavy cream (and sugar for carmelizing) in a small mixing bowl. Heat cream to a simmer, remove from heat and stir in pumpkin mixture a little at a time. Strain into a pitcher or large, spouted measuring cup. (You can, of course, skip this step; just don't expect your brulée to be perfectly smooth.)
Arrange 6 ramekins (yeah right...try 3 or 4!) in a cake/casserole dish. Divide custard into ramekins. Place dish in oven and fill with hot water, being careful not to get any in the custard.
Bake 35-40 minutes (or over an hour...) until centers are soft-set. Remove from oven; remove from water bath. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Sprinkle with sugar and torch/carmelize before serving.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes
1 C flour
2 Tbl brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 C milk
3/4 C canned pumpkin
1/4 C plain yogurt
2 Tbl butter, melted

Mix egg, milk, pumpkin, yogurt and butter. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt and add to pumpkin mixture. Spoon batter onto hot griddle (with a little butter) and gently spread. Cook until edges begin to look dry (2-3 minutes) turn and cook another 2-3 minutes.