Make-It Monday

A new addition - I've decided to include recipes on Mondays that I've tried or gotten from others, or been recommended.  Maybe I'll have themes, maybe not.  Everyone needs some new ideas to jump start from!

This week the recipes are dedicated to that beautiful Autumn fruit (or is it a vegetable?  It has seeds, so I believe that makes it a fruit) the PUMPKIN. 

Leaves turning and weather crisping up always makes me want to buy cans of the stuff because we love it.  So here a few goodies:

Harvest Loaf

1/2 c. butter
1c. sugar
2 eggs
2c. pumpking (one small can)
2c. flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1c. chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 1 hour for a loaf, 20 mins for muffins or 10 mins for mini muffins.

We love this stuff.  We make the mini muffins all year round.  I never put in the nutmeg, but other people might like it.  And, the small can of pumpkin is a little more than two cups, but I always use it all.  It only makes it moister, but you may need to increase your cook time a little bit.


Pumpkin Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

* Hint: make the syrup first so it can rest

2c. flour
3 Tblsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tblsp vinegar

Mix wet, then dry and combine.  Make pancakes with it.  The recipe says 1/4 c. for each pancake.

Syrup:

1/2 c butter
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk (or milk with a little vinegar or lemon juice added)
1 tsp. white corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Heat butter, sugar, buttermilk and syrup in sauce pan.  After sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla.  Mixture will fizz to twice its height, so have a big enough pot.  Let rest, stirring occasionally until fizz is mostly gone.  Serve hot.  Can be reheated later.

This syrup recipe came from my aunt Karen, and my mom said she puts it over pumpkin pancakes.  Being in love with pumpkin, I thought that sounded great so I went to the internet for the pancake recipe.  Aunt Karen, if yours is different, let me know so I can try it.


Pumpkin-Carrot Cake with Brown Icing Sugar

1 pkg carrot cake mix
1 c hot water
1 c canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/4 c. oil
1 1/2 pkg cream cheese
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
2 c. thawed cool whip

Heat oven to 350.  Grease 2 round pans.  Remove carrot/raisin packet from cake mix pkg, mix with hot water and let stand 10 mins.  Add cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, and oil.  Beat til well blended.  Pour into pans and bake 30-35 mins.

Cool cake 10 mins in pan.  Remove from pans and cool completely.

Beat cream cheese and brown sugar together.  Wisk in cool whip. 

Stack cake in layers with cream cheese icing between.  Cover cake with cream cheese icing.


This is a very moist cake that could be a replacement for pumpking pie at Thanksgiving.  It tastes almost the same, but of course who could say no to cream cheese icing over pie crust?  The kids and I made it yesterday and it was hit.


Good luck, and happy pumpkins!