Pumpkin Party - An eBook for You!

There is more to pumpkin than just pumpkin pie.  I've compiled an eBook for your filled with my favorite pumpkin recipes.  Download it today to savor the flavors of autumn and the holidays - it's a Pumpkin Party that's guaranteed to be a hit for your family and friends!

You can check out many of these recipes on the blog by clicking here, but download the eBook for bonus recipes!

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Pumpkin Blondies with Coconut Caramel Frosting

I love pumpkin.  It's so versatile - from the traditional pie, to roasted in pumpkin chili or buttery fluffy mashed pumpkin (great alternative for mashed potatoes!), pumpkin can be used in almost anything!

I've got to confess though, that I am not the biggest fan of pumpkin pie.  I love the flavors, but something about it just isn't my favorite.

I do love blondies - they are both delcious and easy to make.  Perfect combo.  When I thought about adding pumpkin to my favorite blondies, I came up with these Pumpkin Blondies with Coconut Caramel Frosting.  They are like pumpkin pie's tropical cousin!

Sweetly decadent, these blondies are rich with the flavors of pumpkin pie with just a hint of the tropics!

Pumpkin Blondies with Coconut Caramel Frosting

by Susan @ Love from the Kitchen

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 35 - 40 minutes

6067180

Ingredients (36 blondies)

For the Blondies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 cups white chocolate chips

For the Frosting

• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

Make the Blondies

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides. Grease with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cream butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree.
• Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in white chocolate chips.
• Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Make the Frosting

• Cream the butter and vanilla.
• Add brown sugar gradually while continuing to beat.
• Stir in coconut.
• Add cream in small amounts to achieve desired consistency.

Finish the Blondies

• When the blondies have cooled completely, use the parchment paper to carefully remove the blondies from the pan.
• Frost with the coconut caramel frosting.
• Cut into 36 pieces.

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Pumpkin and Bacon Twists

Today is Crazy Ingredient Challenge Day! CIC is the headed up by Dawn at Spatula’s On Parade - this is one group of talented chefs who come up with these recipes each month, made with, well, crazy ingredients! 

Pumpkin and bacon are the ingredients for this month. I think these are fantastic ingredients - both alone and together. Both work wonderfully in either sweet or savory dishes, leaving the field of potential recipe ideas wide open. I thought about soup, or pie... maybe truffles. With so many options, I had a hard time deciding. 

Then it came to me - when we were travelling over the summer, we spent a weekend in a fantastic bed and breakfast. The proprietor made puff pastry bacon twists that were amazing. I thought that adding a pumpkin filling would make them even better. And you know what? Pumpkin did make them even better!

These Pumpkin Bacon Twists are the perfect balance of sweet and savory, with a silky rich and spiced filling and just a bit of heat.

Parchment paper keeps the pastry from sticking to the baking sheet and also makes for easier cleanup. If you don't have parchment paper, you can spray the baking sheet with cooking spray instead. However, cooking spray may cause the bottoms of the pastries to brown more quickly, so watch the pastries carefully!

These would be great for a brunch party. To make ahead, cover and freeze the unbaked pastries on the baking sheets until firm. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and store in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. To bake, place the pastries onto baking sheets and bake as directed above.

Before you get to the recipe, be sure to check out my fellow chefs' pumpkin and bacon recipes!

An InLinkz Link-up

Pumpkin Bacon Twists

by Susan @ Love from the Kitchen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

6067100

Ingredients (18 twists)

• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons pumpkion pie spice
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed
• 5 slices uncooked bacon

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
3. Sprinkle two tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture onto your work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface.
4. Add the pumpkin puree to the remaining brown sugar mixture and stir to combine.
5. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14x10-inch rectangle. Spread the pumkin mixture onto the pastry. Fold the pastry sheet in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 18 strips.
6. Cut the bacon slices in half lengthwise, then crosswise, making 20 (about 5x1/2-inch) strips.
7. Place 1 bacon strip on each pastry strip. Twist the pastry and bacon together and place on the baking sheets, pressing down the ends.
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown and the bacon is crisp. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes.

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Chocolate Covered Pumpkin Pie Fudge

I'm joining Carrie at Frugal Foodie Mama in celebrating HalloWonderful Week!  I love Halloween, and I love all things pumpkin.  Today I am sharing one of my favorite Halloween treats - Chocolate Covered Pumpkin Pie Fudge.  Decadent fudge, laden with pumpkin pie spice and then covered with a thick layer of even more decadent chocolate.  Oh my!

I have to warn you - this is insanely good fudge.  Chocolate fiends love it.  Likewise for those who are all about pumpkin.  Even folks who say they don't really like pumpkin love this fudge  - the pumpkin pie flavor really shines through.  Amazingly good.  And wow is it ever rich!

Fudge isn't that hard to make either.  Here's how to do it:


Chocolate Covered Pumpkin Pie Fudge

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup salted butter, cut in to pieces
• 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 8 ounces white chocolate chips
• 3 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces dark chocolate (chopped, or high quality chips)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Line the bottom and sides of an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper or foil.  Allow parchment paper to overhang the edges, so it can be used to lift the fudge from the pan in the end.  Spray with non-stick spray.

Stir together the sugars, butter pieces, pumpkin, evaporated milk, maple syrup and spice in a 3 1/2 quart saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over low to medium high heat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees F (soft-ball stage).

Take the time to do this part slowly so that the fudge does not burn or overcook.  You could end up with very very hard fudge.  Which still tastes good, but isn't as easy to eat.

Once the fudge has reached the correct temperature, remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the white chocolate chips, mini marshmallows and vanilla until incorporated completely.

Pour the fudge into the prepared pan.  Cool for 15 minutes - and make the chocolate covering.

This chocolate covering is super-easy to make.  And delicious.  You'll want to make it for everything.  {Maybe that's just me.}  Put the chocolate in a small bowl.  In the microwave, bring cream to a boil.  Pour boiling cream over the bowl of chocolate.  Allow to sit for 2 minutes, and then stir until thoroughly combined, smooth and shiny.

Now pour chocolate over the fudge, and let cool until the fudge is at room temperature.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Lift the fudge from the pan with the overhanging parchment paper.

With a sharp knife, cut in to 1" squares.  This may seem small, but 1" is enough. {And if it isn't,  you can have two!}  Store fudge in the refrigerator.  Best when served at room temperature.

I say "store" like you will have any left to put into the refrigerator.

You just won't.

This is a must-make recipe.  You'll be a hero!

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Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce

Pumpkin makes a great ingredient for both sweet and savory dishes.  I love using it for this pasta sauce - the pumpkin puree is smooth and creamy, and each bite has a hint of a savory pumpkin pie.  Delicious!

Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried sage or 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 cup canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound mostaciolli (or other pasta of your choice)

Directions:

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan and brown the ground turkey.  Add the onion and bell pepper. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Add oregano, sage, and chicken stock.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Add white wine vinegar and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble.

Stir in the evaporated milk. Season the sauce with the pumpkin pie spice, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute.

Garnish the pasta with a sprig of oregano and serve with whole grain bread.

This is a beautiful and quick dinner - with lots of vegetables too!  {I made a vegetarian version - I eliminated the meat from the sauce and added squash that I had sauteed in butter at the end.  Also very good!}

Have you ever used pumpkin for a savory dish?

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Pumpkin Pie Scotchies

I have always loved butterscotch chips.  Even more than chocolate chips I think.  And cookies have been a part of my life forever, and I am pretty sure they always will be.  This weekend caught me in a pumpkin kind of a mood, so I decided to mix all of those together and this is what happened:

Pumpkin Pie Scotchies

Ingredients:

• 1 box white cake mix {I used a Halloween Funfettti mix!}
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 bag butterscotch chips

Directions:

Using a stand mixer, mix the butter, cake mix pumpkin pie spice together.

Add the egg and pumpkin puree and mix until blended.  Add the butterscotch chips and mix until blended.

Drop by spoonful onto silpat-lined cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 F for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown.

Cake mix cookies are so easy and delicious.  The pumpkin puree makes these so tender (take care when removing these from the cookie sheet - they are very delicate when hot!) and the flavor of pumpkin pie shines right through.  The butterscotch chips make these cookies just heavenly.

Add these to your fall baking list.  You might want to bake a double-batch - they won't last long!

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Chocolate Porter Pumpkin Soup

When Julie and Carrie announced that this month's Spiked! Recipe Challenge ingredient would be fall beers, I knew exactly what I would make.  Pumpkin Brown Ale Soup.  I've made a soup based on one we had at Mesa Grill in Las Vegas several times before, and just knew that the addition of a lovely fall brown ale would be perfect.

Here's the thing.  When we went to our local grocery store?  Hardly a fall beer in sight.  They had a pumpkin ale, which we figured would get lost in the robust spicy flavors of our soup, but nothing else.  Not even an Oktoberfest!  Apparently, San Diego has not quite hit fall.

We did come across this lovely chocolate porter which struck me as perfectly fall flavored.  And a perfect match to my soup!

Chocolate Porter Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups enriched chicken stock or low sodium canned chicken broth
• 2 cups Chocolate Porter (or other flavorful dark beer)
• 3 cups pumpkin puree (not flavored pie filling)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons chipotle puree
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Bring 2 cups of the stock to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Whisk in the pumpkin puree,  cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, honey, maple syrup and chipotle puree.

Simmer for 5 minutes.  Then add the Chocolate Porter.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Strain the soup to remove any solids.  {This is a super-important step for a velvety smooth soup!}

 Add more stock, if the soup is too thick.  Set aside 1/2 cup of the soup.

Whip the cream to soft peaks and gently stir in the soup.


This is just beautiful when served in a glass.  Distribute the soup in glasses, leaving room at the top for the cream mixture.  {Don't worry if the sides are a bit messy - you can wipe them later before you serve it}

Carefully spoon the cream mixture on top of each serving.  It should look a bit like the foam on top of a hearty glass of ale!

I love this pumpkin soup - and the addition of the chocolate porter was wonderful!


I hope you enjoy this homage to fall flavor.  Be sure to check out all of the Spiked! Recipe Challenge recipes here!

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Pumpkin Coffee Cake

I like sweet pastry in the morning.  If I could have a gingerbread latte and some coffee cake every day, I'd be a happy girl.

I was looking to make something for breakfast, but wanted something on the healthier side.  I've always like Bisquick coffee cakes, so I adapted their recipe to be lower in fat and sugar, and higher in fiber.  Here's how:



Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie)
• 1 can orange soda

Topping

• 1/3 cup Bisquick
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• Roasted pumpkin seeds to garnish

Directions:


Heat oven to 375.  Grease 8 x 8 square pan.  Stir all cake ingredients in medium bowl.  Spread in pan.

Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl (except pumpkin seeds).  Sprinkle topping of cake mixture.  Top with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Bake 18-22 minutes, or til golden.

This coffee cake was amazingly moist and light.  Not too sweet, but just about right.  And, if you use sugar-free soda, quite low in calories.  Not a bad way to start your day!

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