Monday, October 23, 2006

Yields: 9 1/2 cups or 8 first-course servings
Cook Time: about 35 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 carton (32 ounces) chicken or vegetable broth (4 cups)
1 can (29 ounces) pure pumpkin (not pumpkin-pie mix)
1 can or bottle (12 to 15.2 ounces) carrot juice
1/2 cup roasted shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Directions:

1. In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Add carrot and onion, and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently. Add garlic, cumin, and cinnamon, and cook 1 minute, stirring.

2. Add broth, pumpkin, and carrot juice to saucepan, stirring to combine. Cover saucepan and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, 15 minutes to blend flavors.

3. Stir soup just before serving. Pass pumpkin seeds to sprinkle over soup. 

Thursday, October 12, 2006

ingredients
1 16oz. can pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2/3 cup water
3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 cups self-rising flour

directions
Preheat oven at 350F degrees. Grease two loaf pans. In large bowl mix all dry ingredients together. In separate bowl mix pumpkin, eggs, oil, and water together; add to dry ingredients. Fold together until well moistened. Divide batter between the two prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans after about 15 minutes cool time. Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 1 hr. to 1 hr. and 15 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

Friday, October 06, 2006

This is THE MONTH of the PUMPKIN, peoples!

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 (29-ounce) can pumpkin
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
5 eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Topping Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cold Butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Garnish Ingredients:

Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped, sweetened, if desired
Ground cinnamon

Cooking Instructions:

Heat oven to 350°F.  Combine all filling ingredients in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth.

Pour into greased 13x9-inch baking pan.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until partially set.

Meanwhile, combine 3/4 cup flour and 1/2 cup brown sugar in small bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in pecans.  Sprinkle topping over hot, partially baked pumpkin filling.  Continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cooled completely (1 1/2 hours).

To serve, dollop each serving with whipped cream; sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.  Store refrigerated.

Yield: 15 servings

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Ingredients:

1 pkg.  (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1/4 cup caramel topping
1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Beat cake mix, 1 cup of the pumpkin, the milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. of the pumpkin pie spice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Bake 28 to 30 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and remaining 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Stir in the whipped topping.

Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife. Stack layers on serving plate, spreading the cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top of cake.) Drizzle cake with caramel topping just before serving; sprinkle with the pecans. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.