Pumpkins are everywhere! I see pumpkins on lawns, front steps, and in one memorable visit, a hillside full of pumpkins. When my kids were small, we carved pumpkins for Halloween. We always bought or grew an extra one for canning and cooking. Here are a couple of recipes sent in by a couple of readers. Thank you Mike and Ella. Have a great day.
Pumpkin Bars
(with cream cheese frosting)
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined.
Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10×15 inch jellyroll pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. Cool before frosting. To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioners’ sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut into squares.
Pumpkin Dessert
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
3 eggs
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup butter, chilled
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Set aside 1 cup of cake mix. Combine remaining cake mix with melted butter and 1 egg and mix until well blended; spread mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
In a large bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, milk, 3 eggs and pumpkin pie spice; mix well and pour this mixture over cake mix mixture in baking dish.
In a small bowl with a pastry blender, or in a food processor, combine chilled butter and white sugar with reserved cake mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over all.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.
I really enjoy this time with you each week and would love to hear from you. Do you have any requests? Is there a recipe you have been looking for or remember from your younger years? Can I help you find it? Do you have any recipes that are special to you that you could share with us? Please contact me at susieqcooking@ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, P.O. Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730.
