Recipe Monday

[wowie]

disclaimer: haven't tried either of them but they sound good!

You Can’t Have Your Jack-O-Lantern and Eat It Too

To make your own fresh, delicious pumpkin puree, select a ripe and firm medium-sized sugar pumpkin. Cut open the pumpkin and remove the seeds and fibrous strings. Cut the pumpkin into four to eight pieces. Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil and cover each piece of pumpkin with foil. This will minimize the cleanup task. Place the pumpkin pieces on the baking pan. Bake at 325 F for 1 hour, or until pulp is soft. 

Remove the pulp from the rind with a spoon and discard the rind. Place in food processor or blender and puree. Use immediately or store in freezer in freezer safe bags.

The Best Pumpkin Bread Ever

1 3/4 cup fresh pumpkin puree*
4 eggs 
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sweetened applesauce
2/3 cup water 
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups white sugar 
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking soda 
1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon**
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg** 
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves** 
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger **
raisins and/or walnuts, optional

*Or substitute one 15-ounce can pumpkin puree or solid pack pumpkin
**Or substitute 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for these individual spices

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour well three 7 x 3-inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, butter, applesauce, oil, water, white sugar and brown sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nu tmeg, cloves and ginger (or the pumpkin pie spice). Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Do not over mix. Add chopped walnuts and or raisins, if desired. Pour equally into the prepared pans.

Bake for about 50 minutes or until done. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Note: This bread is even better the second day. And the third. And that makes it a perfect candidate for holiday gift-giving. It just gets better and better. Freezes well, too.

Fabulous Pumpkin Dessert

1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, or one 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk 
3 eggs 
1 cup white sugar 
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
1 18.25-ounce package yellow cake mix 
3/4 cup butter, melted 
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, milk, eggs, sugar and spice. Mix well, and pour into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top. Drizzle with melted butter. Top with walnuts. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Servings: 24.

Comments

[stargazer60.livejournal.com]

I love pumpkin bread...I should try this....

[pusspower.livejournal.com]

I love pumpkin anything, so thank you!

[fomocobaby.livejournal.com]

I love pumpkin stuff, but I can rarely be bothered with pumpkin puree from scratch. All hail the puree in a can!

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

The consistency isn't as thick.

I remember my dad trying this by cutting a pumpkin in half, placing it on a cookie sheet, and it just collapsed and he wasn't sure what to do with it.

*notes user pic is at least the right color*

[planetofjanet.livejournal.com]

The second one sounds really interesting; I wonder what it looks and tastes like. Mark makes a pumpkin mousse brulee of sorts that my Mom insists on whenever she's here for Thanksgiving. It's a nice change from pie. And yes Fomo, viva la canned puree!