Pumpkin Madness

Well it all started at the beginning of the fall/pumpkin season when I went and bought a pretty large pumpkin and came home to cook it. My sister-is-laws mother told me how.

This is what I do: Cut pumpkin in half, clean out all the inside, put some foil on a baking pan (hoping half the pumpkin will fit on it), put a little oil on the pan so the pumpkin will not stick. Put pumpkin cut side down on the pan, then bake at 325 degrees until a fork can easily go into the pumpkin (an hour or so). Then you peel the pumpkin and then puree it. Then I always separate in two cup baggies and freeze it. They say it should last about 6 months in the freezer. One pumpkin usually gives me plenty of pumpkin to use, share and usually throw away the next year. :)

So this Thanksgiving I chose a pumpkin theme for all my desserts.

First of course a traditional pumpkin pie. Well three one for us, my parents and husbands parents. Actually I did make one with splenda for my sister-in-law (the one for my parents house) who is a diabetic. Could anybody tell? I guess we will see :) (Well even with Splenda in one pie I don't think anyone could tell) Here is the recipe link: (one in which I replaced the sugar with Splenda. However she still will not be able to eat the crust, I did buy sugar free cool whip) http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=18470

Then a yummy pumpkin torte: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Praline-Pumpkin-Torte I have made this before and it is always a hit, it is delicious (and was a hit)!! I made it in a rectangle plan this time because I am splitting everything for two houses. It still turned out great. The circle one is much prettier!

Pumpkin roll (this was a favorite!): recipe link: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=32372

Carrot and pumpkin bars: I took another recipe and made it my own my by making it whole wheat and sugar free. Again for my diabetic sister-in-law. You have to watch out for white flour also, not just sugar so I changed white flour to wheat flour and small amount of oatmeal, then replaced all sugar products to splenda products. I also added a little extra cinnamon and I did double the cream cheese part, so I used and entire pkg of cream cheese. We will see how everyone likes them? They are actually not that bad. (Everyone that tried them actually liked them!!) :)) Recipe link: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=28459

Sugar free Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake. It might be sugar free but I know nobody will be able to tell :). It looks delicious and can’t wait to eat some! recipe link: I used the pumpkin torte pecan praline mixture (the 1st step in the recipe) and made in with splenda brown sugar and poured it on top of this recipe (This was a really big hit, it did not taste sugar free at all!): http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/31/PumpkinMarbleCheesecake63802.shtml
Here is an non-sugar free one that looks pretty yummy: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=140531

Here is a platter I will be taking with some of the yummies I made on it. Hope everyone likes it!

Pumpkin dip: Well I actually did not make this one, I ran out of thawed pumpkin and chose to be lazy, but I went ahead and left it on here so you might try it. This recipe I did not have to try out first because my good friend/neighbor made this for a party she had and I got to taste it. It was pretty yummy on cookies and it says for fruits also. Maybe I will try it for Christmas? Recipe link: http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/philadelphia-pumpkin-dessert-dip-52069.aspx

I also previously made some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and they were pretty good. Here is that link?: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=128665 although I am sure I added more chocolate chips than called for. :) My daughter did eat them and she is pretty picky, it must have been all the chocolate!

I also made some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, I did not like them that much, but when made into a cake (I added some baking soda) instead of cookies they were a bigger hit at my husband’s work. But also a note I used regular all purpose flour and it called for self rising flour so maybe that was the problem? Here is that link: http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2008/10/pumpkin-pecan-chocolate-chunk-cookies.html I also did not make the icing, I am sure that adds loads of goodness also.

Hope you have fun trying out some pumpkin recipes and have a Happy Thanksgiving! Please feel free to share your favorite recipe anytime!