Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour (I use a mix of white whole wheat and hard red)
1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 C pumpkin puree
1/2 C applesauce
1/2 C honey
Cinnamon, ginger, cloves to taste (around 1 tsp for cinnamon and 1/4-1/2 for the others)
-add ins...we love chocolate chips and coconut, also raisins and any nut :)

You know the drill...mix eggs, applesauce, sugar, pumpkin, honey. Add mixed dry ingredients-flour, baking powder and soda, spices. Mix until just combined, stir in nuts, chips, coconut, etc...

Pumpkin Pancakes

PUMPKIN PANCAKES
*the original recipe is from Ruth at allrecipes
Combine these with the buttermilk syrup and it is incredible!!


2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar

Combine everything wet ingredients in mixer.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.
You do need to make sure you cook these long enough of they will be smooshy in the middle.  For our family I need to double this and there are usually a few left over until people get room in their stomach again and then they are usually gone within the next 2 hours :)

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIE
*the main recipe from Libby's

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teasppon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bake at 350 for about 11 minutes if you are doing mini whoopie pies (about 1 tsp size).  I have only made mini ones since that is what we like :)

Pumpkin Cookies

PUMPKIN COOKIES
*this recipe is from allrecipes.com, I modify the original by using applesauce and a little less sugar and adding ginger and cloves and a touch of baking powder.  Frosting makes a little too much so I just double drizzle :)

Ingredients

• 2 cups shortening
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 8 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup packed brown sugar

Directions

1. Cream shortening, white sugar and pumpkin. Add eggs and mix well. Sift together the baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
2. Drop from spoon to cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. To Make Frosting: Cook butter, milk, and brown sugar until dissolved. Cool and add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over warm cookies.

Pumpkin Seeds

PUMPKIN SEEDS

Ingredients:
Salt Water
2 1/2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
*This recipe may be doubled or cut in half depending on your own personal taste, guess which one I do :)

Directions:
(optional step - this helps with flavor and makes the seeds a little more crispy)
Soak the seeds in salt water for an hour or two. Spread out and allow the seeds to dry overnight.

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees
2. Mix all the ingredients except pumpkin seeds. Add pumpkin seeds to mixture and mix thoroughly. You can let it stand for a few minutes if you like.
3. Place seeds in a shallow baking dish lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Cook between 45 minutes and an hour depending on number of seeds and personal taste. Stirring occasionally while baking.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

DINNER IN A PUMPKIN
*original recipe from mom

Ingredients
1 small/medium pumpkin (pie pumpkins usually work best)
1 cup diced onion
1 1/2 - 2 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 can (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Chicken soup
1 - 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts, drained
1/4 teaspoon pepper
*These ingredients are very forgiving. You can add different amounts to fit personal tastes (for example I often use very little meat and more rice). Also it works well with lite, low fat and low sodium products.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Cut pumpkin open like you would when making a jack-o-lantern
2. Clean out pumpkin, saving seeds if you want to use them later
3. Parboil or steam the pumpkin for 5 -10 minutes depending on size of pumpkin.
4. Brown meat in a pan. Drain. Add onions and saute till slightly tender
5. Combine meat/onion mixture with other ingredients and mix well.
6. Fill the pumpkin with mixture and place in baking pan that is lined with tin foil. Don't skip the tin foil and put the lid back on the pumpkin. Add a face to the pumpkin with a black marker if you would like to do so.
7. Bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees or until the pumpkin inside is tender.

Pumpkin Bars

PUMPKIN BARS
This is my "recipe" from a mix of others. It is modified to reduce fat/sugar so it may take some experimenting to get it just right especially in different elevations. Also, this makes a more dense, less cake like bar so you might want to try a recipe without the applesauce.  Also, this doesn't make a ton of frosting so you might want more.

1/2 C oil
1/2 C applesauce
1 C sugar
4 beaten eggs
1 can (15-16oz) pumpkin (not spiced)
2 C all-purpose flour (I often use half wheat too)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger (sometimes I add more :)
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. In a mixing bowl combine oil, applesauce. Add eggs and pumpkin. Stir dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture. (Don't over mix). Spread in a 15x10 sheet pan. Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3 Tbsp Butter
4 oz low fat cream cheese (1/2 a package)
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp milk (if needed)
2-3 C powder sugar

Frostings can be grouchy. A lot depends on the humidity and temp so adjust accordingly.