Award-winning pumpkin recipes

Contest-Winning Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert

Contest-Winning Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps (about 30 cookies)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 5 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• Ground nutmeg
• Maple syrup
• Sweetened whipped cream, optional

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine gingersnap crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom of a greased 13×9-in. baking dish; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin, cinnamon, and vanilla. Add eggs; beat at low speed just until combined. Pour over the crust; sprinkle it with nutmeg.
3. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the baking dish to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Cut into squares; serve with syrup and, if desired, sweetened whipped cream. Refrigerate leftovers.

Purple-Ribbon Pumpkin Cake

Purple-Ribbon Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• 2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Chopped pecans, optional

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin, sugar, eggs, and oil until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt, ginger, and nutmeg; gradually beat into pumpkin mixture until blended.
2. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Frost cake; garnish with pecan if desired.

Contest-Winning Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

Contest-Winning Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons shortening, cubed
• 3 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
• 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

FILLING:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 cup eggnog
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine flour and salt; cover and pulse to blend. Add shortening and butter; cover and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. While processing, gradually add water until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until easy to handle.
2. Roll out pastry to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond the edge of plate; flute edges.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, eggnog, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until blended. Pour into the crust.
4. In a small bowl, beat brown sugar and butter until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Stir in pecans; sprinkle overfilling.
5. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Pure Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Pure Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Ingredients

• 1 medium – ripe pumpkin

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Wash and cut the pumpkin in half.
2. Remove all the seeds. Clean the pumpkin inside from the fibers by scraping them off with a spoon.
3. Cut the pumpkin into small pieces and place them onto a large 15 X 22 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake pumpkin in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the knife inserts into it easily.
4. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely on a baking pan.
5. Separate the cooked pumpkin from the pumpkin skin with a spoon.
6. Place it into a food processor. Blend the pumpkin pieces for 1 minute stopping the food processor every 20 seconds to push large pumpkin pieces to the bottom of the food processor. Then blend it for 2 more minutes or until all well blended.
7. The puree is all ready for baking. You can store the puree in sterilized cans in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. Enjoy homemade puree!