Seeing Orange

With Halloween right around the corner, it is no surprise that pumpkins are everywhere: white pumpkins, orange pumpkins, fairy tale pumpkins, sugar pumpkins, giant pumpkins, mini pumpkins, tall pumpkins, squat pumpkins - pumpkins everywhere! Faced with this all together pleasant bombardment of squash, I spent some time in our recipe archives looking for fun and fabulous pumpkin recipes to use in the next few weeks.

Since almost everyone has a favorite pumpkin pie recipe, be it your Grandma Ruth's grandmother's sister's recipe, passed down on a crumbling recipe card, or the recipe from the back of the can of pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie is a personal journey. So instead of providing even more alternatives in that category (although our Maple Sugar Pumpkin Pie with Rum Cream recipe is amazing!) we have a whole list of other - equally delicious - pumpkin ideas. Happy Pumpkin picking!

Pumpkin Apple Sauce Bread

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup apple sauce
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk
3-2/3 cups gluten free flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup raisins

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F

Using a elecric mixer at medium speed, beat together sugar, molasses, pumpkin, apple sauce, oil, eggs and milk. Mix in dry ingredients.

Pour into 2 well-greased 9"x5" loaf pans and bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes in pans before carefully turning out onto a wire rack. Allow bread to cool to room temperature and store loaves wrapped in foil. Can be frozen for up to three months.

Also check out our Golden Pumpkin Bread and Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread recipes!

Chocolate Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients
2 cups gluten free flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 15x10 inch jelly roll pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, sugar, pecans, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, canola oil, and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared jelly roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into 2 inch squares and serve.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Brownie Crust

Ingredients
For the Crust
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup gluten free flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

For the Cheesecake
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1-1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pumpkin puree (16 oz)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves

Directions
For the Crust
Preheat oven to 325°F and lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan.

In a medium saucepan bring a small amount of water to boil.

Melt butter and 2 ounces of chocolate, stirring constantly, in a double boiler over simmering water; water should not touch top pan.

Remove chocolate mixture from heat and let cool slightly. Stir 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg into chocolate mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk gluten free flour with baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture. Stir in chopped walnuts.

Spread batter in prepared springform pan; smoothing surface with a spatula. Bake for 10 minutes, or until risen and dry to the touch. Set springform pan on a large sheet of foil and fold sides up around sides of pan.

For the Cheesecake
Melt remaining chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in cornstarch and vanilla.

Add 1 cup of cheesecake batter to melted chocolate and stir well to blend.

Beat pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves into remaining cheesecake batter. Pour 3/4 of pumpkin cheesecake batter over brownie crust.

Check chocolate mixture to see that is thin enough to spread. If it is too thick, heat it in micro-wave for 10 seconds. Pour the chocolate batter on top of pumpkin cheesecake batter. Spoon remaining pumpkin cheesecake batter on top of chocolate batter. Use a table knife to make a few decorative swirls. Do not overswirl.

Set springform pan in a medium roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to reach halfway up side of springform pan.

Bake pumpkin cheesecake at 325°F for 1-1/2 hours, or until it is firm around edges, but slightly jiggly in center. Turn oven off, prop oven door open and let cheesecake stand in the water bath in warm oven for 1 hour, or until completely set.

Remove pumpkin cheesecake from water bath and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Remove foil and springform pan ring from cheesecake. Carefully transfer cheesecake to a platter, cut into wedges and serve.

Also look at our Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust recipe!