It’s that time of year: leaves are changing, the air is crisp and CVS is fully stocked with Halloween candy. But how do I know it’s really autumn? My daily struggle is refraining from grabbing a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks every morning before class.
To me, pumpkins are synonymous with fall. While Einstein’s in MGC offers the perfect pumpkin bagels (and pumpkin cream cheese, for the truly obsessed), I decided to branch out and try something new.
Here are five pumpkin recipes to spice up your season.
1. Pumpkin Spice Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups canned pumpkin
3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions:
Heat oven to 350. in a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, water, vegetable oil and eggs. Beat until well mixed. Measure the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cloves into a separate bowl and stir until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, beating until smooth. Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans and dust with flour. Evenly divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove from pans by inverting onto a rack and tapping the bottoms. Slice and serve plain, buttered, or with cream cheese.
Source: http://www.hwtm.com/recipe_box/pumpkinspicebrd
2. Pumpkin Pie French Toast
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons brown sugar
8 slices of bread
Directions:
Mix the eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, mutmeg and brown sugar in low flat bowl for easy dipping. Dip the bread into the egg mixture on both sides and grill in a pan until lightly golden brown, about 2-3 minute per side. Serve with maple syrup.
Source: http://www.closetcooking.com/2009/11/pumpkin-pie-french-toast.html
3. Pumpkin Carrot Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 24 cupcakes or 2 8”or 9” round cakes
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs at room temperature and lightly beaten
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree
2 cups shredded carrots ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
Directions: Preheat oven at 350 degrees. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda and set aside. In a medium bowl blend eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin puree. Add in flour mixture until well combined followed by shredded carrots and coconut flakes. Pour in to lined cupcake tins ? full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
8oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
½ cup fresh pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 to 4 ½ cup confectioners sugar
Directions
Using an electric mixer combined cream cheese, butter and pumpkin until creamy. Slowly add in confectioners sugar until all combined. Frost as desired. Frosting note- start with 4 cups of confectioners sugar. If the consistency is still runny, add more confectioners sugar to thicken the frosting more.
Source: http://www.motherthyme.com/2011/10/pumpkin-carrot-cupcakes-with-pumpkin.html
4. Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
3 cups whole milk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces white chocolate (roughly chopped)
pinch salt
Directions: Heat the milk, pumpkin puree, and spices in a sauce pan until it just starts to simmer and remove form heat. Add the chocolate and stir until it has melted. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon.
Source: http://homeandhearth.tumblr.com/post/9863897035/pumpkin-pie-white-hot-chocolate
5. Low-fat Pumpkin Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings: 12 • Size: 2 cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg white
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with non-stick silicone baking liners or lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice; stir to blend. In another bowl, whisk the sugars, butter, egg white, pumpkin puree and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths out.Drop by level spoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. Bake 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let them stand 5 minutes before removing the cookies from the pans to cool on wire racks.
Source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/09/low-fat-pumpkin-spiced-chocolate-chip.html
What’s your favorite fall recipe? Comment below or tweet @HerCampusAU with the hashtag #HCAUfall!