Pumpkin Tricks by the Virtual Chef

If you have a plethora of pumpkins, 
and are  just plumb tired of pie, 
here are some tricks for you to try
To charm adults and little munchkins.



Preparing Pumpkin Pulp

If you want to use your Halloween jack-o-lantern for Thanksgiving pies, it is better to
paint your decorations onto the pumpkin rather than clean and carve it. Once you have
opened the pumpkin to carve it, you accelerate the decomposition of the fruit.

 To cook the fresh pumpkin in the microwave, clean out pulp and seeds and cut the
pumpkin shell into chunks.  Put in a microwave safe bowl or casserole dish and cover
tightly with saran wrap. Cook on medium setting in five minute increments until the
pulp is soft. Then scrape it out and discard the  shell. Process briefly in blender or food
processor.  Freeze the puree in pie-sized amounts  or use right away. 

	You can also prepare the pumpkin but cutting in half, scooping out the innards,
putting the halves, cut side down, on a cookie sheet and baking at 325 until it starts to
sag in the middle. Then scoop out the pulp and save as above.





Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

4 C pumpkin seeds
1/4 C unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
dash Tabasco sauce

Remove seeds from pumpkin pulp and wash thoroughly. Cover with lightly salted
water and let stand for four hours, holding seeds under water with a plate.  Drain in a
colander and then pat dry with paper towels. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray .
Melt the butter and add the Worcestershire sauce Tabasco sauce,  garlic powder and
cayenne pepper.  Pour into a zipper-locked plastic bag and add the dried seeds. Work 
with hands from outside of bag to coat seeds with mixture.  Spread on prepared baking
sheet and sprinkle with salt to taste.  Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes or until desired
crispness is achieved





Pumpkin Soup

2 tbsp. butter
1/4 C chopped green pepper
2 tbsp. chopped onion
1 large sprig parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 C canned tomatoes
1 14 oz. can pumpkin
2 Cups chicken stock
1 tbsp. flour
1 cup half and half
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Melt butter and add green pepper, onion, parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Cook five
minutes. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, and chicken stock. Cover and simmer 30 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Puree in blender or food processor. Blend together flour and milk
and stir into soup. Add salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture boils
and thickens. Store in refrigerator until serving time. Serve hot or cold.
Makes 6 servings.




Pumpkin Bread

2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups mashed pumpkin
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

Beat sugar and oil; add eggs one at a time. Beat in pumpkin; add sifted dry ingredients.
Pour into three well-greased loaf pans and bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes.





Pumpkin Roulage

3 eggs
1 C sugar
2/3 C mashed cooked pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 C all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 C chopped pecans
1-2 tbsp. powdered sugar
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/3 C butter
1 C sifted confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Grease a 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan. Line with wax paper or parchment. Grease and flour
the paper lining. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until thick. Gradually add 1 cup
sugar and beat 5 minutes longer. Stir in the pumpkin and lemon juice. Combine the
flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, spice, and nutmeg. gRadually stir into the
pumpkin mixture. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle with ground pecans, gently
pressing nuts into the batter. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes until just done. Sift 1 to 2
tbsp. confectioners sugar on a clean linen towel. When cake is done invert pan onto
sugar and peel away wax paper. Roll up tightly and let cool completely on a wire rack,
seam side down.
Beat cream cheese and butter at high speed until blended. Gradually beat in 1 cup of
confectioners sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Unroll cake and spread with filling.
Reroll and set on serving platter, seam side down. Garnish with whipped cream and
chopped pecans.




Spices of Gold Pumpkin Cake

2 C sifted flour
1 1/2 C sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
7 large eggs, separated
3/4 C cooked pumpkin
1/2 C canola oil
1/2 C water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Sift the dry ingredients except the cream of tartar
together into a mixing bowl. Separate the eggs and set the whites aside. Combine the egg
yolks, pumpkin, oil, water, and vanilla in a small bowl. Make a well in the dry
ingredients and add liquids all at once. Blend until smooth. Beat egg whites until foamy.
Add cream of tartar and beat until stiff. Fold into pumpkin batter. Turn into a greased
and floured 10 inch tube pan. Bake 55 minutes. Increase temperature to 350 and bake an
additional 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and invert immediately. Let
stand for one hour to cool.

Frosting

1/2 C softened butter
1 box confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
milk to spreading consistency.

Cream the butter with a little of the sugar. Add vanilla. Beat in remaining sugar a little
at a time. Add milk to a spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cake, swirling to
pretty peaks on top.




Traditional Pumpkin Cake

2 1/4 C sifted cake flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 C butter
1 C peces.




Pumpkin Ice Cream

2 large eggs
3/4 C sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin pulp
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Whisk in the sugar a little at a
time, and whisk about 1 minutes until blended nicely. Whisk in 1 cup cream and all of
the milk.

To remaining cream add pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. Whisk until
smooth. Whisk into egg mixture. Freeze according to ice cream freezer manufacturer's
instructions.

Makes 1 quart




Pumpkin Cookies

1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C shortening
2 eggs
1 3/4 C prepared pumpkin pulp
2 3/4 C all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 cup currants or raisins
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix sugar, shortening, eggs, and pumpkin thoroughly.
Combine dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture, stirring until well blended. Fold
in currants and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15
minutes or until lightly browned. Drizzle with butter frosting above, thinned to a
pouring consistency.