Thursday, September 3, 2009

Pumpkins

Pumpkin Recipes

I love pumpkins...I have to smile every time I look across the street at my pumpkin on a table, so big and orange in color...

Years ago my father wrote a song for me...I wish I had listened more carefully... I can remember some of the words. He was a western singer and guitar player, his band went all over Arizona playing, and he wrote a song for me...some of the words I can remember were:

Daddy's Little Punkin'
Time to go to sleep,
Close your eyes,
And sleep and dream in Peace.
Sadly, that is all that I can remember to the song...My Mom can't remember all the words either.


I have been thinking about Pumpkin Recipes, and hope this will be good for cold fall days...

Pumpkin Fudge
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 (12 oz) package white chocolate morsels
1 (7 oz) jar marshmellow creme
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together the first six ingredients in a 3 1/2 quartsaucepan over medium high heat, cook and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil.Cook stirring constantly until candy thermometerreads 234 degrees (soft ball stage) or for about12 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir in remainingingredients until well blended. Pour into a greasedaluminum foil-lined pan (9 inch square) and let itstand 2 hours or until completely cool. Cut fudge intosquares...makes about three pounds.
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Pumpkin Pie Dip
1 (8 oz) package of Cream Cheese, softened
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 (15 oz) can of Pumpkin Pie Filling
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1` teaspoon ground ginger

Beat Cream Cheese and sugar at medium speed with electric mixer until
smooth. Add pie filling, cinnamon, and ginger, Beat well. Cover and chill
for 8 hours. Serve with gingersnaps, sliced apples, and sliced pears.
You can make the bowl look pretty by putting in some cinnamon sticks and sprinkling a little cinnamon on top of the mixture.
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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups of fresh Pumpkin Seeds
2 Tablespoons ground Rosemary (dried)
2 Tablespoons Oilve Oil
1 Tablespoons coarse ground Sea Salt
Rinse pumpkin seeds in water and drain on paper towels. Toss
with remaining ingredients and spread on a baking sheet. Bake
at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until crisp. Cool and store
in an airtight container. Makes 2 cups.

------And my favorite pumpkin recipe.........

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
4 oz. (1/2 of an 8 oz. pkg) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 TBSP Milk
1 TBSP Sugar
1 Tub (8 oz) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed and divided
1 Honey Maid Graham Pie Crust (6 oz)
1 Cup Milk
1 can (16 oz) Pumpkin
2 Pkg (4 serving size each) Jello Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
Mix Cream Cheese, 1 TBSP milk and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended.
Gently stir in 1/2 of the whipped topping. Spread into the crust.
Pour 1 cup milk into large bowl. Add Pumpkin,pudding mixes and spices. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended (Mixture will be thick)
Spread over the cream cheese layer.Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Garnish with remaining whipped topping. Store any left over pie in the refrigerator.