As fall continues, pumpkin desserts are ripe for the season
I continued the fall baking this weekend with another great
seasonal ingredient. After a year-long canned pumpkin shortage of
which most people may not have been aware, canned pumpkin is again
prevalent on grocery store shelves. I have never been a fan of
pumpkin pie, but in the last couple years I’ve found that minus the
pumpkin pie spice mixture I do like pumpkin-based desserts.
As fall continues, pumpkin desserts are ripe for the season
Since my mom loves pumpkin pie
– and other desserts, I let her pick out which ones to bake this
weekend. She had half a dozen recipes selected and we narrowed it
down to two. We made the pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing on
Friday evening so we could share them at a birthday party the next
day. We made the chocolate chip pum
pkin cake with chocolate glaze on Sunday so we could have a
slice and my mom could take the rest of the cake to work to
share.
As fall continues, pumpkin desserts are ripe for the season
I continued the fall baking this weekend with another great seasonal ingredient. After a year-long canned pumpkin shortage of which most people may not have been aware, canned pumpkin is again prevalent on grocery store shelves. I have never been a fan of pumpkin pie, but in the last couple years I’ve found that minus the pumpkin pie spice mixture I do like pumpkin-based desserts.
Since my mom loves pumpkin pie – and other desserts, I let her pick out which ones to bake this weekend. She had half a dozen recipes selected and we narrowed it down to two. We made the pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing on Friday evening so we could share them at a birthday party the next day. We made the chocolate chip pumpkin cake with chocolate glaze on Sunday so we could have a slice and my mom could take the rest of the cake to work to share.
The pumpkin bars were moist and paired perfectly with the cream cheese frosting. The chocolate glaze also complemented the chocolate chip pumpkin cake well.
Chocolate chip pumpkin cake
Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home
¾ c. butter, softened
1 ½ c. sugar
½ c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 can (15-oz.) solid-pack pumpkin
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
¾ c. finely chopped pecans, divided
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon; add to the creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips.
Divide batter in half. Stir melted chocolate into one portion. In well-greased 10-inch fluted tube pan, sprinkle ½ c. pecans. Spoon chocolate batter over pecans; top with pumpkin batter. Sprinkle with remaining pecans.
Bake at 325 degrees for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center.
All the cake to cool for 20 minutes, then drip chocolate glaze (recipe below) over the cake.
Chocolate glaze
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
¾ heavy cream
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips melted
12 oz. white chocolate chips melted
In a small saucepan, scald the cream over medium heat. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium, heat-proof bowl and cover with cream. Let sit for two minutes, then whisk until smooth.
Pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing
Recipe courtesy of Patty Ronning, as adapted by Paula Deen
4 eggs
1 2/3 c. granulated sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
15-oz. can pumpkin
2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
Icing:
8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
½ c. butter or margarine softened
2 c. sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13×10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.
To make the icing, combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla extract and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.
Pumpkin pound cake
Recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Garden
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
¾ c. shortening
2 eggs
2 ½ c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt
1 – 15-oz. can pumpkin
1 c. raisins
1 c. chopped pecans or other nuts
1 c. chopped maraschino cherries
Orange juice (optional)
Coarse sugar (optional)
Maraschino cherries (optional)
In a large mixing bowl beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, shortening and eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed for two minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Add flour mixture and pumpkin alternately to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Stir in raisins, nuts and cherries.
Turn batter into a greased and floured 10-inch fluted tube pan. Bake in 350 degree oven about an hour or until a toothpick is inserted near the center comes clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Brush with orange juice and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Garnish with maraschino cherries, if desired.
Makes 14 to 16 servings.
