Whole Wheat Pumpkin Poppers

Pumpkin Bars!

Pumpkin Bars
2 cups flour (I use one cup whole wheat flour)
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup oil (I use 1 cube (cup) melted butter and 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
16 oz. (2 cups) pumpkin (I prefer fresh pumpkin or butternut squash)
4 eggs
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8oz cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
lemon juice (I like to juice a whole lemon)
milk to thin (1 to 2 Tablespoons)

Mix all ingredients, pour into 13x9x2 greased pan. Bake 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Cool completely.
*For tips on cooking fresh pumpkin or butternut squash see this post.
*This makes a very thick pumpkin bar which is perfect for feeding a crowd (I half the recipe if I'm not sharing).

Prepare cream cheese icing by whipping softened cream cheese with butter and vanilla until smooth. Mix in powdered sugar until smooth. Add lemon juice to taste. Stir in milk to thin frosting to spreading consistency. Frost bars and serve!

Pumpkin Pie with crumb topping

Read my post here on how to cook a pumpkin- seriously it only takes 10 minutes in the microwave and I promise fresh tastes SO much better than canned! I have never liked pumpkin pie until a few years ago when I learned how to make it with fresh pumpkin. It makes all the difference.

I won't say this is the best recipe because I have not liked pumpkin pie long enough to try many recipes, but I will say I like it, and that's saying a lot.

1 small pumpkin (2-3 cups once it's cooked and mashed)

1 can evaporated milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 9" unbaked pie shell see here for recipe

Crumb Topping

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, chilled

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook pumpkin in microwave for 10 minutes. Scoop out flesh and all pie ingredients into a blender. Mix until smooth. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts.  Sprinkle topping over pie. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes or until set.  

New World Chili

To go along with my post on pumpkins- here's a yummy fall recipe to try. I've made it several times before but forgot how easy it really was to make. I whipped it up in less than 30 minutes and that includes the cooking of the pumpkin. Like all soups/chili's you can mix up the beans and veggies any way you like and it's so easy to shrink or expand the batch. If you follow my version of this recipe it makes a big batch enough for 2 meals (unless you have a really big family!) I like to freeze half and save for another day when I'm too busy to make dinner.

3 cans diced tomatoes (14.5oz)
2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 8oz can tomato sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)
1 small pumpkin or butternut squash, seeded, cooked, peeled and chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 cup dried cranberries
1 can green chilies (I didn't have any and it still tasted great)
1 tablespoon chili powder (or to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin (or to taste)
2 cloves garlic
4oz monterey jack cheese, shredded

Cut pumpkin in half, remove seeds and place cut side down on microwave safe dish. Cook 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in large stockpot add all remaining ingredients except cheese, and cook until heated through, 15-20 minutes. Peel skin off pumpkin and chop into cubes. Stir into chili mixture. Top each serving with cheese.

*original recipe stirred in 2 cups shredded fresh spinach, I have not tried this but bet it would be yummy
*original recipe includes chicken breast, I went meatless, but think shredded chicken or turkey would be a great addition

How to cook pumpkin or butternut squash

I'm posting this information because I used to be intimidated by real pumpkins but have learned how easy it really is. And since it's the time of year, I'll be posting several recipes with pumpkin. I highly recommend using fresh, it tastes sooo much better. Also, butternut squash is an excellent substitute for pumpkin, in fact I think it makes better pumpkin pie than pumpkin. So you can exchange butternut squash for pumpkin and vice versa.

To cook either of these, simply cut off the stem, cut in half, remove all the seeds, place cut side down on a microwave safe pan (the pampered chef small bar pan works perfect for this) and microwave on high for 10 minutes (if you're using a large pumpkin you'll need to increase the time- you can usually tell because the top will start to cave in and the flesh will be soft). That's it! Let cool a bit then scrape out the flesh, mash or puree and use in your favorite recipe. I prefer a bit of texture in mine just because it feels homemade. You can also scoop into freezer bags and freeze, makes it easy to pull out and make yummy recipes like these pumpkin muffins.

 

Pumpkin Muffins (whole wheat)

This is the best pumpkin muffin recipe! It is so scrumptious. And any muffin recipe with 100% whole wheat that tastes fabulous is totally worth making. I think my boys like muffins better than cookies- the batch was devoured in less than 30 minutes!

*NOTE: I've updated this recipe and reduced the sugar by more than half. This version is healthier and tastes just as fabulous, however if you want to double the sugar and use white flour, you can!

I prefer using butternut squash in place of pumpkin in almost all my recipes- it has a milder flavor and seems a bit more moist than pumpkin. We have a local farmer that sells them for 50 cents each in the fall. They can be stored in a cool place for 6-8 months or you can slice in half, sccop out the seeds, microwave for 10 minutes, mash and freeze in ziploc freezer bags. I freeze 1 cup at a time then it's easy to pull out and use in a recipe.

This recipe comes from my favorite Whole Grain Baking book by King Arthur Flour, but I've modified it to be a little healthier.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

1 cups whole wheat (I use freshly ground white whole wheat or King Arthur whole wheat flour)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 cube) butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pumpkin (I use fresh pumpkin or butternut squash)

3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I love it with pecans)

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in bowl. Cream together butter & sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla and pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients mixing until evenly moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into 12 muffin tins, bake 22-25 minutes.