Pumpkin Crunch

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Pumpkin Crunch

Ingredients:


1 (15 oz.) can fresh pumpkin
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
2 sticks butter, cut into pieces

FROSTING:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, evaporated milk, cinnamon and sugar until well combined. Add eggs and mix well.

Pour mixture into a 9X13 baking dish prepared with a non stick spray. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over entire top. Sprinkle nuts evenly over cake mix and top with butter pieces. Bake at 350º F for 50-60 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Prepare frosting while cake is cooling. In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, whip cream cheese until light. Add in whipping cream and continue to whip until fully combined and thickening. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon and whip until smooth.

To Serve: Scoop out a slice of the pumpkin crunch and top with a dollop of the cream cheese frosting, or frost the entire pumpkin crunch with the frosting.

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies

recipe from bakerella.com

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies


2 1/4 cup self-rising flour
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks


Whisk together flour and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter.

Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla.

Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined.

Add flour/spice mixture to sugar mixture in three additions. Alternate with pumpkin in two additions, ending with flour mixture.

Stir in chopped pecans and chocolate chunks.

Drop on cookie tray lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes about four dozen cookies.

Let cool.
 
 
Maple Brown Butter Frosting
3 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp maple flavoring


Sift sugar and set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat until golden brown. Watch closely so it does not burn.

Add butter to sugar, scraping all the butter into the bowl.

Add milk and maple flavoring. Stir until smooth.

Spread on top of cookies with an knife or offset spatula.

Praline Pumpkin Cake

adapted from Betty Crocker

Praline Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
1 cup (from 15-oz can) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting
Caramel topping, if desired
Additional coarsely chopped pecans, if desired


Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. In 1-quart heavy saucepan, stir together butter, whipping cream and brown sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted. Pour into 2 (9- or 8-inch) round cake pans; sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup pecans.

2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin, water, oil, eggs and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Carefully spoon batter over pecan mixture in each pan.

3. Bake 43 to 45 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. Stir remaining 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice into frosting. To assemble cake, place 1 layer, praline side up, on serving plate. Spread with half of the frosting. Top with second layer, praline side up; spread remaining frosting to edge of layer. Drizzle with caramel topping and additional pecans. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ Marshmallow-Sour Cream Topping

adapted from epicurious

Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ Marshmallow-Sour Cream Topping


For crust:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 9 ounces)
1 cup pecans (about 3 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger (I used 1/4 tsp. ground ginger because I didn't have this)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted


For filling:

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
5 large eggs
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used 1-1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla extract


For topping:

2 cups mini marshmallows
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream (I used 3/4 cup)



Crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with nonstick spray . Grind cookie crumbs, pecans, brown sugar, and ginger in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter; using on/off turns, process to blend. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; press onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Bake crust until set and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.


Filling:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low speed to incorporate each addition. Add flour, spices, and salt; beat just to blend. Beat in vanilla. Transfer filling to cooled crust. Bake until filling is just set in center and edges begin to crack (filling will move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 20 minutes (mine was ready after 1 hour). Cool 1 hour. Run knife around sides of pan to release crust. Chill cheesecake in pan overnight.


Topping:

Stir marshmallows and milk in medium saucepan over low heat until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Cool marshmallow mixture to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Add sour cream to marshmallow mixture; fold gently just to blend. Pour topping over cheesecake and spread evenly, leaving 1/2 inch uncovered around edges. Chill to set topping, at least 1 hour.

Sweet Little Sweet Potato Pies

recipe from Good Things Catered blog

Sweet Little Sweet Potato Pies

Ingredients:

1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 c. walnuts
1 1/3 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp 1% milk
4 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c mashed sweet potato (one small, roasted)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch allspice
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. heavy cream


Directions:

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare small tart pans.
-In bowl of food processor, add oatmeal and walnuts.
-Process until fine in texture.
-Place into medium bowl, add next seven ingredients and stir to combine well.
-Divide mixture among pans and press to coat bottom of each evenly.
-Place tart pans onto baking sheet and place into oven to bake for 15 minutes, until beginning to smell toasting, not browned.
-Remove from oven and set aside.
-In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine.
-Pour sweet potato mixture into tart pans, filling to 1/8 inch of top of crust.
-Place tarts, on baking sheet, back into oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until filling is cooked through and slightly puffed.
-Remove from oven and let cool completely.
-Top with dollop of whipped cream and fresh grated nutmeg, is desired, and serve.

Pimpkin Pie Custard Tarts

recipe from Dunkin Cooking blog

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
4 tsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 - 15oz. can - pumpkin puree
1 - 12oz. can - evaporated milk
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 c. sugar
2 Molasses Cookies Crumbs
12 Graham Cracker Tart Shells


In a large saucepan combine the gelatin, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in pumpkin and evaporated milk then let stand for 5 minutes to soften gelatin. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture bubbles: cook and stir for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat then gradually stir 1 cup of the hot mixture into eggs; return all egg mixture to the saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat for another 2 minutes. (Do not boil) Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Place 1 ½ tsp. of the cookie crumbs into the bottom of each tart shell then fill the shells with the custard. Place into the fridge to chill for 6 – 24 hours.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes

recipe adapted from Baked Perfection blog

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes


3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground gloves
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs


Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin tins with paper liners. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown, Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking, leaving any burned sediment behind; let cool.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, and brown-butter mixture. Add the flour mixture, and whisk until just combined.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Frost with Maple Pecan Frosting. Makes 15 cupcakes.



Maple Pecan Frosting

1/2 cup maple syrup
2 ounces cream cheese softened
1/2 cup butter softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup pecans toasted and finely chopped

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring maple syrup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until reduced by about a third, 10-12 minutes. Pour into a glass measuring cup nested in a bowl of ice water and stir constantly until syrup is very thick and barely warm to touch, 3-4 minutes. Remove from ice water. In a bowl, with a mixer on low, beat cream cheese and butter until well blended. Beat in powdered sugar (adjust the amount of sugar to reach your desired consistency); scrape in reduced syrup; beat until smooth.