Apple-juice Sweetened Pumpkin Pie
Try to use fresh pumpkin in your pie this year, if possible. It really makes a difference! Make sure your spices are fresh, too, or fresh-grind them. Add more if you like a spicier pie. (from Carol Kline & Elin Valentine)
Pastry for 9" pie
2 c. canned or fresh pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potato, cooked and pureed
1 cup thawed apple juice concentrate
1/2 cup cream
Dash salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4-1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix above ingredients well and pour into the pie shell.
3. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake about 45 minutes longer, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Serve with vanilla cinnamon whipped cream garnished with some chopped crystallized ginger.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
I have never really cared for achingly sweet butterscotch, creme de menthe, and chocolate chip cheesecakes. I was partial to just plain cheesecake until I tasted this one. It is very rich but not too sweet, balanced nicely by the spices. (from Meredith Hodges)
Crust:
2 c graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
Combine ingredients and press into the bottom of a 9" round cake pan that has been buttered, lined with parchment paper, and the paper buttered.
Filling:
3 8-oz packages cream cheese
1-1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup cooked mashed pumpkin or winter squash
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. dry ginger
Beat cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Pour into pan. Set cheesecake in a larger pan, with hot water half way up the sides of cake pan. Bake 350° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours until set. Cool completely.
Autumn Pie
Here’s an interesting variation on good old pumpkin pie. Of course, any pumpkin pie recipe tastes very different when you use fresh pumpkin or squash instead of canned. (from Meredith Hodges)
1 9" pie crust, baked at 400° 10 minutes
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
l Tbsp. flour
l tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. grated orange rind
1/2 tsp. salt
1-3/4 cups mashed cooked pumpkin or winter squash
l cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
Mix all ingredients together well. Fill pie shell. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Cool before cutting. Serve with whipped cream.
Paul Simdar’s Cinnamon Rolls
Everyone loves homemade cinnamon rolls. These are particularly soft and golden due to the squash.
Dough:
1/3 cup warm milk
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup cooked mashed pumpkin, winter squash, or yam
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 package yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup
warm water
2 to 21/4 cups flour
Filling:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown suger
1 tsp. cinnamon
In a mixer or food processor, mix milk and butter. Add pumpkin, sugar, salt, egg, and yeast. Add 1 cup flour and beat for 5 minutes on low. Add 1 to 11/4 cups flour and beat for 2 minutes (dough is somewhat soft and sticky). Cover dough and let rise in greased bowl for 1 hour until doubled. Punch down and knead several times. Roll out into a 10 x 14" rectangle.
For the filling, brush dough with butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll up and cut into 1" rolls (about 13-14). Lay cut side up in a greased 9 x 12" pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 30-45 minutes. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Drizzle with icing.
Icing:
3 Tbsp. butter
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
11/2 Tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Pinch salt
1/2 cup + l Tbsp. powdered sugar
Cook butter, brown sugar and milk over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Cool and add remaining ingredients.