What Can You Do With a Can of Pumpkin?

As soon as the temperature drops, and the leaves start changing, our menu changes too.  Watermelon, strawberries, and cantaloupe are replaced with squash.  Our favorite squash is pumpkin.  Pumpkin is one versatile vegetable.  Any vegetable that can make a yummy dessert is one worth knowing.

I'm always on the lookout for great new recipes to try.  I wanted to share a few of my "Pumpkin Favorites".

Pumpkin Dip---Here's a savory pumpkin recipe.
12 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tablespoons Taco Seasonings
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2/3 cup chopped bell pepper
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1/3 cup dried beef, chopped

Cream together cream cheese, pumpkin, taco seasonings, and garlic powder until smooth.  Stir in bell pepper, olives, and dried beef.  Chill and serve with crackers and vegies.

Pumpkin Bread-This is the best pumpkin bread I've ever had.
2 2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening
4 eggs
2 1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup nuts (optional)
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda

Combine sugar and shortening.  Add eggs and blend well.  Blend in pumpkin and water. Sift dry ingredients together 3 times, then add to pumpkin mixture. Then add nuts.
Blend well and pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies-This is a great recipe Lesli shared with us.
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup cooked, pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1 egg
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
(optional: 1 cup walnuts or 1 cup raisins)
Icing:
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/4 cup butter-softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons whipping cream, fresh OJ or rum

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg,  Stir into butter mixture until well blended.  (Add nuts and raisins if using). Drop by teaspoonful onto parchment covered baking sheet, about 2" apart. Bake 15 minutes, or until golden.  Cool.

Icing: Cream confectioners sugar and butter. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. (If icing is too thin, add more sugar, if too thick add more liquid) drizzle over cookies (I used a sandwich bag and clipped the corner-perfect!)

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies-Head on over to Tidy Mom for this delicious recipe.  They were so good and so easy!
http://tidymom.net/2010/pumpkin-whoopie-pies-with-marshmallow-filling/

I hope one of these inspires you to get busy in the kitchen!
Happy Fall Cooking!