Welcome to My Kitchen

Frost on the pumpkins and squash has come to area gardens. Many folks choose to decorate porches with pumpkins and squash of all varieties. Whether you grew your pumpkins or purchased from a market or u-pick patch, the fall decorations can augment the family menus in many recipes. Pumpkin pie is not the only recipe to use pumpkin or squash. Muffins, quick bread and soups are just a few of the recipe possibilities.

Autumn Pumpkin Muffins, a recipe from the Crisco company calls for 2 cups cooked and mashed, or canned pumpkin, and feature an orange glaze. This large quantity recipe freezes well and the glaze finish makes them ideal for breakfast buffets.

Autumn Pumpkin Muffins

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups cooked and mashed or canned pumpkin

1 cup Canola oil, Crisco brand recommended

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp grated orange peel

6 tsp orange juice

Additional chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray with cooking spray, 18 extra large muffin cups or 24 regular size muffin cups and set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine pumpkin, canola oil, sugar and eggs, mixing until well blended.

Add the set aside dry ingredients and mix well by hand. Stir in walnuts and raisins. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake 20-23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire racks.

For glaze combine confectioners sugar, orange peel and orange juice in a small bowl. Stir with a spoon until blended. Spoon over the top of the cooled muffins, Sprinkle with additional nuts if desired. Yield 18-24 muffins.

Pumpkin bread, similar in texture to banana bread is a fall favorite for many folks. Thanksgiving Bread is a fruit and nut filled bread popular in the 1970's and 80's, often given as gifts to friends and family accompanied with a Thanksgiving message. Baked in mini-loaf pans they are fun to slice thin to serve on thanksgiving morning.

Thanksgiving

Bread

6 cups sifted flour

tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1 12 tsp ground nutmeg

3 cups canned or cooked and mashed pumpkin

3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups milk

6 eggs

3/4 cup butter, very soft

2 cups whole walnuts or pecans

1 cup golden raisins

2 cups candied cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8 to 10 mini-loaf pans and set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. In a separate extra large mixing bowl Combine pumpkin, sugar, milk and eggs and beat until well blended. Stir in flour mixture until just combined, then mix in the very soft butter. Fold in nuts, raisins and cherries until evenly distributed.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center of a loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes in the pans. Then remove loaves to wire racks to cool completely. Yield 8 to 10 mini-loaves.

Note, you may bake batter in 3 or 4 regular size loaf pans, increasing baking time to one hour. If you would like to include the Thanksgiving message with gift loaves, see the Facebook Post in Welcome to My Kitchen or email the address below for a copy by email.

Pumpkin Corn Chowder, a recipe I have included several times in the column is worth repeating for new readers of the column. This gluten free soup is a great meatless dish or add some diced cooked chicken or turkey to this savory chowder if you like.

Pumpkin Corn Chowder

2 Tbsp butter or olive oil

1 small onion, minced

1 can (15 ounces) kernel corn, drained

1 can (15 ounces) cream corn

2 cups canned, or cooked and mashed pumpkin

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cups half and half

1 Tbsp chopped parsley for garnish

In a 4 quart saucepan over medium heat, in hot butter or oil, cook onion until tender, stirring often. Add drained corn, cream corn and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, broth, sugar, cinnamon and bouillon until blended and mixture begins to boil, cook gently for 5 minutes to blend flavors Stir in half and half and season with salt if needed. Heat through but do not boil. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with parsley if desired. Yield: 4 to 6 servings depending on size of bowls.

Note: 2 cups diced cooked chicken may be added to the soup. Additionally if cooking gluten free be sure to check labels on the bouillon cubes and broth.

Pumpkins and winter squash in particular can be hard to cut open. Baking the whole, well scrubbed squash in a 250 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, will soften the rind some, making it easier to cut and peel. Let it cool a bit until easy to handle before cutting and peeling.

Share your favorite pumpkin and other fall recipes with your fellow readers by sending them to Welcome to My Kitchen, Attn: Laura, P.O. Box 151, Odessa, WA, 99159, or email pandl@odessaoffice.com. Check our Facebook page, Welcome to My Kitchen, for the Thanksgiving Bread message, and other recipes and kitchen tips. Was fun to meet so many area readers at a recent Spokane quilting event. Fall is a good time to over-seed thinning lawns or plant garden cover crops and take advantage of fall rains.