Pumpkin Funnel Cakes

Making these pumpkin funnel cakes was a lot of fun and eating them was even more. You could just pretend you were at some county fair. And because these have pumpkin in them they are probably healthy too, right? The only trick to them is to get the batter thin enough to flow easily through the funnel, but not so fast that you end up with a big blob. Funneling a cake was not as difficult as I imagined. I went in a circle and then across to pick up edges that were straying. They all turn out different but it didn't seem to matter. I used an electric frying pan set at 375 degrees so I didn't have to worry about the temperature of the oil. They can't be made in advance and should be eaten soon an frying for the best eating.

Pumpkin Fries

This recipe came from the site The Gracious Pantry in their clean eating section. She gives a recipe for sweet fries and savory fries. These are savory fries. I used a cheese pumpkin that I grew in my garden to make these. The Hub and I shared this plate of them and both really enjoyed them. They don't hold their shape as well as deep fried potato fries but they are much much better for you. And even if you have to use a fork, it's OK. I can't wait to try the sweet fries, too.

Pineapple Upside-Down Pumpkin Gingerbread

This retro favorite was popularized by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company and Gold Medal Flour in the 1920s. Here, the classic goes autumnal with the addition of pumpkin, molasses and a mix of warming spices. This recipe from bon appetit magazine is, like a lot of their recipes, complex - both in flavors and instructions. I'm not a fan of pineapple upside-down cakes in general, but this one really takes it up a notch with a dense pumpkin gingerbread topped with fresh pineapple. I made this one morning and planned to take it to work for tasting. The Hub put a halt to those plans saying he wanted to try it and if he didn't like it either I could take it to work. Of course, it never got to Discovery Creative. Andrew and the Hub declared it good and it stayed home.

Sweet Pumpkin Fritters

This recipe came from the blog Closet Cooking, where there is also a recipe for a savory pumpkin fritter. I did not make the spiced citrus honey syrup, but just used regular maple syrup. These were remarkable good. Andrew, the Hub and I all liked them and decided to make them dinner after a large late lunch one Saturday. They call for grated pumpkin, which now that fresh pumpkins are available again, is easy to do with either a food processor or by hand. We will be using the food processor from now on after the Hub grated his finger by accident. Those things are sharp. I have plans to make the savory ones too.

King Arthur Flour's Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I made this mix from King Arthur out at our cabin during a last fling of summer. The box said it made 12 large muffins, but I got 12 muffins and 18 mini muffins out of the $6.50 mix that you add milk, egg and oil to. The picture on the website shows muffins with large tops. I guess I didn't fill mine enough to make the tops and that's why I ended up with enough batter for the minis. These muffins were good. Maybe not as good as some of the "from scratch" muffin recipes, but better than any commercial ones. I enjoyed them for breakfast for several days. The last picture is my sister Judy with dogs Lou and Ruby, who would have enjoyed the muffins too, but weren't offered any.

Toffee Pumpkin Squares

This recipe came from the webpage razzle dazzle recipes, which contains a lot of pumpkin recipes. It's a little odd in that you put the crust in, cook for 15 minutes, add the pumpkin layer, cook for 20 minutes, then add the nuts on top and cook again for 20 minutes. I liked the different layers, but the cooking method didn't keep the pumpkin from sogging out the other layers after a couple of days, which is the problem with so many pumpkin recipes. (And has prevented my Discovery Creative taste testers from fulfilling their true potential.) This recipe is great for a "day of" event.

Easy Pumpkin Mousse

This easy pumpkin mousse recipe from King Arthur Flour IS easy if you happen to have all these miscellaneous ingredients on hand. The boiled cider can be replaced with molasses and the pumpkin flavoring is optional, but there is no replacement for their pastry cream filling mix. Would it be the same if you just added instant vanilla pudding? I don't think so, but I'm going to see if I can find a recipe. Tasters on this were neighbors Ann and Bernie, the Hub, Andrew and me. All of us liked it. It is kinda like pumpkin decadence, without being too sweet, and some felt the nuts and whipping cream masked the true pumpkin flavor of the mousse. So if you happen to have these ingredients or their equivalents on hand or are looking for a non-baked replacement for pumpkin pie, this recipe might be just the ticket.

Cedar-Planked Shrimp with Chipotle-Pumpkin Seed Salsa

This shrimp recipe from Bon Appetit magazine was not a hit at our house. Even though I soaked the cedar planks all day under the rack in my kitchen sink, they were burning up pretty quickly and this made the Hub nervous. He was supposed to let the planks cook on one side for 10 minutes and then turn them over and add the shrimp. He didn't take the directions out in the backyard with him, so I suspect he may have been winging it. I'm not sure the slight smokey flavor added that much to the shrimp. Also the unevenness of the cooking made Andrew nervous, causing him to microwave the shrimp too, just to be on the safe side.  I had made the salsa earlier in the day and no one but me liked that either. Oh well, you can't win them all.

Thai-spiced Pumpkin Soup

This simple soup recipe from the blog 101 Cookbooks is fabulous. I used homemade pumpkin puree that I had in the freezer, but I think canned would work just as well. I also used green rather than red curry paste. The hand blender is a must for making it so creamy and smooth (at least with fresh pumpkin). I didn't thin mine with water or vegetable broth because I missed that part, and then wondered why it was so thick. But thick or thin the flavor is really really good. This is one recipe that I will be making over and over again.