Save a Jack-O-Lantern, cook a pumpkin!  I've been doing it for years and my friends and family look forward to the many goodies one pumpkin can yield.  I always pick out an ugly pumpkin...one I think no-one will buy to carve (and waste!)...one that will no doubt end up as rot in some landfill for what purpose?  Fertilized landfill isn't worth much lol.

 

You can cut up and peel the pumpkin, then cook it like potatoes in water if you want but it's much less work to cut it in half top to bottom, scrape out the seeds and fiber, then roast it in a baking pan (peel side up) at 350° for 30 minutes or longer...however long it takes to soften the meat thoroughly.

  When you take the baking pan out of the oven, the skin of the pumpkin will peel right off.  After it cools you can cut it into half-potato-sized pieces and put it into a bowl.  Use an electric mixer or a hand masher and mix or mash until it's smooth.  Portion out what you will use immediately and store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer, depending on how soon you'll be coming back for more.  Frozen pumpkin will last several months.

 

Last year I bought a 14 lb pumpkin (for 10 cents a lb!).  It yielded enough pumpkin to make something like 8 dozen cookies, 4 (or 6?) loaves of pumpkin bread, 4 (or 6?) coffeecakes and 48 cupcakes. I  did have a list of all I baked from that one pumpkin but a friend embarrassed me into throwing it away before I committed to making this page so my numbers aren't exact but it was a LOT of yummy baked goods!  I couldn't believe it lol.  This year I'll definitely get a smaller one.

 

With the exception of the Pumpkin Bread recipe, the following recipes belong to Libby'sŪ.

 

A note:  The coffeecake recipe says to cool it on a wire rack but unless you are really talented, you'll never get it out of the pan in one piece or with its topping intact to do so.  I let mine cool in the pan on a trivet to allow air flow underneath the pan.  Also, some friends of mine who have tried it were concerned with its lumpy appearance thinking they had done something wrong...they hadn't...the cake part will rise higher than the cream cheese filling part so in order to get a totally level coffee cake, you'd have to mix the filling into the batter.  That would make it part of the cake and defeat the purpose of having the swirled "filling" so go with the recipe as it is, you will enjoy it.

 

 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Coffeecake

 

2 1/4 c All-Purpose flour

2 t ground cinnamon

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

2 eggs

2 c granulated sugar

1 1/4 c cooked, mashed pumpkin

1/4 c vegetable oil

1/2 t vanilla extract

Filling (recipe follows)

Topping (recipe follows)

 

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl; mix well.  Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture; stir until just moistened.  Spread batter into greased 9" x 13" x 2" baking pan.  Top with heaping teaspoons of filling; swirl with a knife to marbleize.  Sprinkle with topping.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack.

 

Filling:  Combine in a small bowl;

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 egg

1 T granulated sugar

 

Topping:  Combine in a small bowl;

3/4 c flaked coconut

1/2 c chopped nuts

1/4 c granulated sugar

1/2 t ground cinnamon

 

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

4 c All-Purpose flour

2 c uncooked oats

2 t baking soda

2 t ground cinnamon

1 t salt

1 1/2 c softened butter

2 c packed brown sugar

1 c granulated sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla extract

2 c coked, mashed pumpkin

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips or raisins

 

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine, flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter; gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla; mix well.  Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition.  Stir in chocolate chips.

*Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until firm and lightly browned.  Cool on wire racks.

 

* For Libby'sŪ "Great Pumpkin Cookies" use 1/4 c batter for each cookie; spread into a pumpkin shape using a thin metal spatula.  Add a bit more dough to form stem.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until cookies are firm and lightly browned.  Cool on wire racks.  Decorate using icing or peanut butter to affix assorted candies, raisins or nuts.

 

This dough may be frozen in airtight container.  Thaw in refrigerator, bake as directed.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cupcakes

 

 

2 1/2 c All-Purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

2 t ground cinnamon

3/4 t ground nutmeg

1 3/4 c cooked, mashed pumpkin

4 eggs

1 1/2 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c vegetable oil

2 c chopped walnuts, divided

2 c butterscotch morsels*, divided

 

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in medium bowl.  Beat pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar and oil in large bowl at medium speed for 3 minutes.  Stir in flour mixture gradually; stir in 1 c walnuts and 1 c butterscotch morsels.  Combine remaining walnuts and morsels in small bowl.

Spoon about 1/4 c batter into 24 greased or paper-lined muffin cups.  Top with about 1 T of nut and morsel mixture.

Bake for 20-23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks.

 

*Semi-sweet chocolate morsels are just as delicious in this recipe as the butterscotch.

 

 

Pumpkin Bread

 

 

2 c All-Purpose flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice

1 t salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 c cooked, mashed pumpkin

1 c granulated sugar

1 c undiluted evaporated milk

2 T vegetable oil

1/2 c chopped nuts

1/2 c craisins, optional

 

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl.  Beat eggs, pumpkin, sugar, evaporated milk and oil in large bowl until well blended.  Gradually add flour mixture; stir in nuts and craisins; mix until just moistened.

Pour into greased 9" x 5 " loaf pan.  Bake for 60-65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.