Po’ Girl’s Recipe Page Soon to Come

It’s pumpkin time!  I love pumpkin anything, almost.  If I get a young, sweet one, I will just eat the flesh with a little butter and salt.  Delicious as any good squash.  Problem is many don’t eat them til they are older so they think the taste is very blah.  It’s OK to eat as a vegetable just as any fresh squash is.  It has never gotten proper consideration on the dinner plate.

I always end up sick of Pumpkin Spice by Fall’s end.  From the creamers in my coffee to any recipe I can cram it in, I will do just that.  Was never a fan of actual Pumpkin Pie, not sure why.  I will eat it if it’s offered to me though.  A small piece smothered in whipped cream is not bad.

Please enjoy the following Pumpkin recipes with this disclaimer:  Results are not guaranteed and be aware that I often use less sugar in my recipes than most conventional recipes contain. 

Pumpkin Muffins

 

1 1/2 C flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)

1/4 C brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

dash of other spices of choice such as

nutmeg, cloves, ginger, turmeric or cardamom

1/3 C oil or melted butter

1 egg

1/4 C vanilla creamer

1/4 C Pumpkin Spice

or any creamer/milk with additional sugar for sweetness

3/4 C Pulp of Pumpkin or Butternut Squash

1/2 C well chopped Walnuts (optional)

1/2 C chocolate chips (optional)

This made a dryer batter with results more like a scone than a muffin when I baked them in muffin top holders. (not pictured)

Bake at 375° for approximately 15 minutes, but keep an eye on them.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

2 1/4 C flour of your choice

1/4 C wheat germ

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

dash of nutmeg, cloves, ginger or other spice of choice

1/2 C butter

1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 C sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 TB Pumpkin Spice Creamer

2 eggs

3/4 C pulp Pumpkin or similar squash

10 oz Chocolate Chips (optional) for plain pumpkin cookies

Chopped nuts (optional)

Mixing & baking identical to making any chocolate chip cookie. The puree & creamer goes in with the wet ingredients, once all incorporated, then the dry, which should have previously been combined and set aside, is mixed in.

Bake at 350° for approx 9 minutes but keep an eye on them.

Cheesecake

 

Ritz Cracker crust

42 crackers (crumbled in food processor till done)

2 TB sugar

4-5 TB melted butter

Mix everything in bowl & press in the bottom of an ungreased 8″ Springform Pan with Parchment paper on the bottom. Please click on areas highlighted for more in depth information on how to easily cover the bottom of your pan if you are not familiar with how to do this.

Place the pan in the freezer while you prepare the Cheesecake filling of:

2 – 8 oz pkgs of cream cheese (OK if one is low fat, have not tried all low fat yet per critics)

3/4 C sugar

1/2 C sour cream

2 TB cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Using a mixer, cream the cheese and the sugar, then add the sour cream and additional ingredients mixing til combined for each one, one at a time.

To make this

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake

you will merely add 3/4 C pumpkin puree & 1/4 C Pumpkin Spice creamer before adding the eggs                                            AND

place 1 tsp cinnamon & dashes of nutmeg & cloves (spices of your choice) to the cornstarch mixture changing up the amount by 1 TB to a total of 3 TB cornstarch.

Once it’s all combined and smooth, take out the crust and pour in the filling. Place in a pre-heated oven of 325° for approximately 45 minutes but please keep an eye on it, especially when you can begin to smell your baking.  One I baked just right, the other slightly over baked but eatable. 

Once it’s out, let it cool for at least an hour or two on the stove before trying to remove the springform band around it. The parchment paper allows it to slide onto the plate very nicely (Parchment will remain under the cake).   Never cut inside any pans if you can avoid it. I have never had to “slide a knife” around the edge as some instructions have advised. You should not ever have to do this.

Place the cheesecake in the fridge for a number of hours to completely chill. Some swear overnight, but I have not had to wait more than a few hours. Make sure it’s completely chilled before cutting.

Great Instant Pot Cheesecake recipe but you will need a special 6″ pan to fit inside the Instant Pot, plus some are not happy with the condensation that drips onto the cake.  Click for more info.

I plan on posting some Instant Pot recipes of my own very soon.