Six Pumpkin Recipes (And One Gingerbread)

I know, I know...Two days after Thanksgiving, and if you're like many Americans, you have a ton of turkey and other leftovers in your 'fridge, just begging to be used. What's a person to do? Look for recipes for all that food. And I very nearly started blogging recipes to use up turkey and leftover mashed potatoes/sweet potatoes/stuffing/everything else in all those containers.

Problem is, most people know how they're going to use up their leftovers. Turkey becomes turkey sandwiches and/or turkey casserole. Mashed potatoes become potato pancakes; that's not a bad idea for mashed sweet potatoes, too. This year was the first that I actually found a new leftover turkey recipe that I might use (turkey sliders); unfortunately, after cutting it out from the flier (I'm thinking a Publix flier), I promptly managed to lose it.

But then, it seems that recipes for using up the leftovers are everywhere. So, rather, I've put together six pumpkin recipes and one gingerbread one. Many of these have graced this blog before, while a few others are new contributions. None of these are my inventions. If I know where they came from, I mention it; if not, and if someone knows where they came from, let me know. (Thanks, in advance.)

Pumpkin Smoothie

Prep: 4 min

Yields: 6 servings

Probably from Nestle/Libby's

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin, chilled

1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk, chilled

1 1/2 cups orange juice

1 small sliced banana

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 dozen ice cubes (optional)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional)

Directions

PLACE pumpkin, evaporated milk, orange juice, banana and sugar in blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Pour over ice. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

NUTRITION FACTS

Amount Per Serving 6 servings

Serving Size 1/6 of recipe

Calories 150

Total Fat 1.5g

Dietary Fiber 3g

Pumpkin Carrot Swirl Bars

Prep: 20 min

Cooking: 25 min

Yields: 48 servings

Probably from Libby's/Nestle

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 cup finely shredded carrot

Cream Cheese Topping (recipe follows)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda in small bowl. Beat granulated sugar, butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin and carrot; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; mix well. Spread into prepared pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of Cream Cheese Topping over batter; swirl mixture with spoon.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

FOR CREAM CHEESE TOPPING:

COMBINE 4 ounces softened light cream cheese (Neufchâtel), 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon milk in small mixer bowl until thoroughly blended.

NUTRITION FACTS

Amount Per Serving 48 servings

Serving Size 1/48 of recipe

Calories 70

Total Fat 2g

Dietary Fiber 1g

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Wow a holiday crowd with this amazing pumpkin cheesecake!

From Recipe Cookbook Nestle® Very Best Baking

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cooking Time 55 minutes

Serves 16

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted OR 1/3 cup margarine, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 package cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 can LIBBY ® 100% Pure Pumpkin

2/3 cup NESTLÉ ® Carnation ® Evaporated Milk

2 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 container sour cream, at room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

FOR CRUST:

COMBINE graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

FOR CHEESECAKE:

BEAT cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust.

BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.

FOR TOPPING:

COMBINE sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan.

Vegan Pumpkin Risotto

A vegetarian and vegan twist on classic Italian risotto - pumpkin! Why not? Pumpkin adds a sweet and unique flavor perfect for fall, as a vegetarian Thanksgiving7 entree, or anytime. This Italian risotto recipe is both vegetarian and vegan.

Ingredients:

1 onion. diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups arborio (risotto) rice

1 cup white wine

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp margarine

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Sautee the onion in olive oil over medium heat for three to five minutes, or until soft. Add the rice. Allow to cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Slowly add the wine. Start to add the vegetable broth8, 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the moisture to cook off before adding the next 1/2 cup. Stir frequently.

Add remaining ingredients, stirring well, and cook for just a few minutes, until heated through.

Pumpkin Orange Cake Roll

This angel food cake roll is filled with a cinnamon-orange scented pumpkin filling. A lighter alternative to heavy holiday desserts.

from Recipe Cookbook Nestle® Very Best Baking

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cooking Time 30 minutes

Serves 10

Ingredients

1 package (16-oz.) angel food cake mix

2 1/2 teaspoons orange peel, grated, divided

1 1/4 cups LIBBY ® 100% Pure Pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

2 tablespoon CROSSE & BLACKWELL® Red Currant Jelly, optional

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line a 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan with foil. Foil should extend 1 inch above edge of pan. Sprinkle a clean towel with powdered sugar.

PREPARE cake mix according to package direction, adding 1 ½ teaspoons orange peel at end of mixing time. Spread into prepared pan.

BAKE for 30 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off foil. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.

COMBINE pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract and remaining orange peel in a medium bowl. Carefully unroll cake; spread pumpkin mixture over cake. Re-roll cake. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Spoon jelly into small, heavy-duty plastic bag. Cut off corner of bag; squeeze to drizzle jelly over cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Soup

For a dramatic presentation, serve this warm, creamy soup inside a scooped-out pumpkin. It's just as delicious ladled out of a pot.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cooking Time 20 minutes

Serves 6

Not sure where this came from.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

6 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)

one 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree

one 8-ounce jar applesauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

freshly ground pepper, to taste

croutons, optional

Directions

Heat the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir until mixed. Add the chicken broth and pumpkin and stir until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients except the cream, pepper, and croutons. Stir well, cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until hot and the flavors have blended.

Stir in the cream and heat until hot. Garnish with freshly ground pepper and serve immediately with crisp croutons, if desired.

GINGERBREAD

Sweeten the season with our gingerbread.

This simple recipe is the perfect holiday dessert, especially when topped with yogurt or fresh fruit. Just grab a fresh box of ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda- an important ingredient for great baking and prepare a treat for the whole family.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup light molasses

3/4 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS:

Sift together flour, Baking Soda, ginger and salt. Using an electric mixer, cream shortening in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating after each addition. Beat in egg thoroughly; blend in molasses. Gradually stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Beat thoroughly. Stir in water. Turn into greased and floured 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool on rack. Makes one 8-inch square cake. Cut into 16 servings.

Whoever first posted this (probably on one of the emailing lists I was on, years ago), added, "I LIKE MINE TOPPED WITH A DOLLOP OF COOL WHIP!"

Stuff for the Holidays

A little of this and that to spice up your holiday meals.

Spice Tea

I used to make this every year for Christmas presents.

8 oz loose tea

3 orange peels

1 1/2 - 2 sticks cinnamon

2 T chopped cloves

Cut orange peels into small pieces. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring occaion-ally. Let cool, add to loose tea, along with broken cinnamon sticks & cloves. Store in tight containers.

Rose Hip Marmalade

This recipe is from friends of the family, an Episcopal priest and his wife. Both were involved in the civil rights movement. He past away several years ago, but I still remember them fondly.

3 lbs. rose hips

1 large lemon

2 large oranges

6 C sugar

4 C boiling water

Remove stem & flower area ends from rose hips. Cut each berry in half. Cover with boiling water; simmer for 30 minutes. Rub through sieve or food mill. Add to pulp juice of lemon & oranges, coarsely ground-up rind of oranges, & sugar. Boil about 20 min-utes. Pour into jelly glasses. When cool, cover with paraffin.

Onion Supreme

My dad came for a week at Christmas, 1987. He fixed this to go with Christmas dinner, along with several other veggies. The day I drove him to Tampa International to fly back to New York, we went for coffee at a shop in the airport. When I asked for a copy of this, he grabbed a paper napkin and wrote down the recipe. It’s a great way to fix onions; I’ve always had onions in things, but never as a side dish. However, this is incredibly easy, as well as fantastic.

2 leeks (discard green), sliced thin

3 - 4 yellow onions, sliced thin

4 bunches scallions (discard green), sliced thin

20 small white onions

1 stick butter or margarine

1 1/2 C half & half

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

Melt butter over low heat & sauté leeks, scallions, garlic & yellow onions for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook white onions in enough water to just barely cover. Add white onions (after 45 minutes) to skillet & pour in half & half. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes more & serve.

Cranberry Pie

Dad sent this in a letter dated "18 Nov '79". He wrote, "Here is a recipe for a pie. 1st the way it was in the paper and the way I made it."

2 T cornstarch

1 C sugar

1/3 tsp salt

1 1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T butter

2 C cranberries

Pie crust

Blend 1st four ingredients & cook in double boiler until thick. Add next 3 ingredients & cook 10 minutes. Put in pie shell & bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes, covering pie with foil for the first 10-15 minutes. (Crust can be any kind you want.)

Variation

2 T cornstarch

3/4 C honey + 1/4 C molasses

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 C hot water

1 C raisins

1 T margarine

1 1/2 C cranberries + 1 C canned cranberries (kind with berries in sauce)

Pie crust

Make as above.

Egg Nog Pumpkin Pie

1 C canned eggnog

1 egg

18 oz. can pumpkin pie filling

9" pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large bowl, combine egg nog, egg & pie filling; blend well. Pour into crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 50 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Garnish with whipped cream.

Peanut Butter Pie

I drove cab for several years. This was given to me by one of my fares, a divorced man with custody of his two kids. It took three trips to get the recipe, including the amounts. I increased the amounts of the peanut butter and sugar from 1/3 C.

1/2 C peanut butter (note)

8 oz. cream cheese (note)

1/2 C confectioner’s sugar

8 oz. tub cool whip (note)

graham cracker crust

Mix peanut butter, sugar, cream cheese & cool whip together, pour into crust, refrigerate or freeze for 1 hour.

NOTE: The peanut butter should be creamy. The cream cheese can be low fat, but should NOT be fat-free; the pie won’t taste (or set up) right. The cool whip can be low fat, too.