The Beautiful Pumpkin

Don't you love celebrating each season with the food of the season. One of my favorite things to do in the fall is visit a local Farmer's Market and buy all manner of wonderful produce. I went a few weeks ago and took along two of my teenagers for their strong backs and muscle. As they love to eat, I didn't hear too much complaining.



The very humble pumpkin makes some of the best fall baking. Pumpkins are everywhere as wonderful ways to decorate for fall and all the gorgeous ideas I've seen using them on-line are just stunning. As it's been a busy fall for us, I've kept things pretty simple with just a couple pumpkins for decoration but there hasn't been a lack of pumpkin in my kitchen. Yum!



I've been making this pumpkin spice bread recipe for years since I found it is the Family Fun Cookbook. It's wonderful, makes two loaves, smells awesome and even freezes well.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

2 cups pumpkin, canned
3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Heat oven to 350°F In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin sugar, water, oil and eggs. Beat well until mixed. Measure flour, blaking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cloves into separate bowl, stir until combined. Blowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, beating until smooth. Grease two 9x5" loaf pans and dust them with flour. Evenly divide the batter between them. Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10-15 minutes then remove from pans. Slice and serve.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

I found this recipe on the internet last winter. I'm pretty sure it's been around but it's yummy and fast and so it's worth writing again.

1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1 box yellow cake mix
2 sticks butter
1 c. pecans
Cool Whip

Beat together pumpkin, milk, sugar, and eggs. Add salt, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Mix well. Pour into 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over top of pumpkin mixture. Melt 2 sticks butter and drizzle evely over all. Sprinkle on nuts. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Cool. Top with whipping cream or Cool Whip.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

If pumpkin pie is wonderful, then this pumpkin cheesecake is to die for. It's a Kraft.com recipe and on our holiday must bake list.

18 PEEK FREANS Ginger Crisps (1 sleeve), crushed (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 pkg. (250 g each) PHILADELPHIA Brick Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Dash ground cloves

HEAT oven to 350°F.

COMBINE cookie crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

BEAT cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Remove 1 cup plain batter. Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter.

SPOON half the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. Repeat layers; swirl with knife.

BAKE 45 min. or until centre is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Have a beautiful Saturday!

Julia