A Little Cuisine... Pumpkin!

The weather is finally starting to feel like Fall and with that I start craving pumpkin! Pumpkin rolls, pumpkin pie, pumpkin shakes etc! Here are a few of my favorite pumpkin recipes:

(I've tried to give credit where credit is due!)

PUMPKIN BARS

Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe Blog

4 eggs

1 2/3 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

15 oz. can pumpkin

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

ICING

8 oz. cream cheese softened

1/2 cup butter or margarine softened

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

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 x 9 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 and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

PUMPKIN ROLL

Recipe from the Libby's Pumpkin can

picture from allrecipes.com

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup Libby's 100% pure pumpkin

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

6 TBS. butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 15x10 inch jelly roll pan. Line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle dish towel with powdered sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts (if you choose to add them).

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting from narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese, powered sugar, butter and vanilla in a small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

PUMPKIN LAYERED PIE

Recipe from my friend, Kesha

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 TBS. milk

1 TBS. sugar

1 1/2 cups cool whip (will eventually use all of the 8 oz.)

1 graham cracker crust

1 cup cold milk

1 can 16 oz. pumpkin

1 large package vanilla instant pudding

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

Mix cream cheese, milk, and sugar in a bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Fold in 1 1/2 cups cool whip. Spread in crust. In bowl, pour in milk, pumpkin, pudding and spices. Beat with wire whisk until combined. It will be thick! Spread over cream cheese mixture in pie crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Put cool whip on top when ready to serve.