Pumpkin Cranberry Granola

This past weekend we got into the Halloween spirit in the one way guaranteed to bring out the autumn merriness in everyone.  We went to the pumpkin patch with my adorable nephew, aka the cutest little boy on the Planet Earth.  It was a gorgeous, crisp fall day.  The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and there were pumpkins as far as the eye can see.  There's nothing like a good old pumpkin to brighten your day, especially if you are one-and-a-half.

"Mama, look at this PUMPKIN!!!"

There were farm animals to be petted...

There were funny wooden cut-outs that you could put your adorable little face into...

There were, of course, pumpkins...

And to top it all off, there were apple cider donuts to be eaten.  I mean seriously...does life get ANY better than this?

I don't think so!

By the end of the pumpkin patch adventure I was in a complete pumpkin trance.  Luckily I had in my possession a recipe from the ever wonderful Two Peas and Their Pod blog for pumpkin cranberry granola, and one short hour later my kitchen smelled like pumpkin heaven.  This is a super-simple, super-delicious granola that is flexible enough to make pretty much any way your heart desires.   First you mix up a wonderful concoction of pumpkin puree, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla and applesauce, and try very hard not to just eat this mixture with spoon right there in the middle of your kitchen.  You pour it over a nice pile of oatmeal that has been mixed with pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon and nutmeg, and pop it all in the oven until it is just a little bit crispy.  Once it comes out of the oven, you can toss in cranberries, pumpkin seeds, nuts...whatever your little pumpkin-lovin' heart desires.  Pumpkin Granola Heaven.

The end.  (Except for the recipe below!)

Pumpkin Cranberry Granola, from Two Peas and their Pod

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• Optional: additional nuts, pepitas, raisins - whatever else feels good to you!

1. Heat over to 350.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Stir oatmeal, spices and salt together in a large bowl.

3. Whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth.  Pour into oat mixture and mix until oats are coated.  Spread the mixture onto baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and stir.  Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until golden and crisp.  Remove from oven and stir in cranberries and any other mix-ins.  Let cool completely.  Store in airtight container.

Click here for printable recipe

Pumpkin Slow Cooker Soup

Okay, so 'tis the season!  And by that, I mean Pumpkin Season:  Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Bread, and let's not forget Pumpkin Pie Cookie Bars, one of my first and best posts on this little blog.  But out of all of these, there's nothing quite like a warm, thick, delicious pumpkin soup, made from an actual pumpkin.

Now if I am being perfectly honest, that is one of those little decorative pumpkins from our local farmer's market, but he was just so dang photogenic that I had to take his picture.  He's not what you want for this scrumptious soup...for the soup you want a sugar pumpkin, which are actually not that hard to find in your garden-variety supermarket at this time of year.  Pick out a nice medium-sized one.

The next trick is to get someone else to cut up that pumpkin into nice little chunks.  I have a handsome Southern husband that I draft for this sort of stuff - it's definitely the hardest part of the whole recipe.   You cut the stem off as you would if you were carving it into a jack-o-lantern, and scoop out those seeds.  You'll want to save them to make toasted pumpkin seeds, which make the perfect garnish for this soup once you are ready to serve it.  Once your sugar pumpkin is hollowed out, then you need to chop it into smallish chunks - two inches or so - making sure you slice or peel the outside skin off. 

Once you have a nice pile of peeled and chopped sugar pumpkin, it's all downhill from here.  You give the pumpkin a quick saute with some chopped onion just to get the outside brown and then pile that pumpkin into your handy slow cooker, and pour in enough chicken broth to cover it up.  Toss in a little cheesecloth bag of spices and go find something else to do for five hours or so.

Back to those pumpkin seeds - at some point while your soup is cooking away, take those pumpkin seeds and toast them up...the very best recipe I have found is the one from Elise at Simply Recipes.  Don't skimp on the salt - it will seem like a lot but I promise it's not.  Here's the link:

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Fast forward five hours: your pumpkin is nice and soft.  Now ideally you have one of those hand-held immersion blenders - if you do, just lower it right into the slow cooker and blend away until the soup is smooth and creamy.  (Make sure you take out the bag of herbs first.)  If you don't, just ladle the pumpkin and broth into your handy regular blender - I KNOW you have one of those - and blend away.  Stir in a little cream, ladle it into bowls and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.  And some pumpkin seeds.  Voila - it's pumpkin soup time!!

Pumpkin Slow Cooker Soup, from allrecipes.com

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium sugar pumpkin, seeded, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock, or more as needed
• 1 sprig each fresh rosemary, thyme and sage
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Cinnamon for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pumpkin and onion and saute until lightly browned (you may have to do this in batches).

2. Transfer to slow cooker and pour in enough chicken broth to cover the pumpkin. Tie all the herbs and spices into a piece of cheesecloth and add to slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for four hours.

3. After four hours, remove herbs and puree the soup with a blender.  Stir in heavy cream.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with cinnamon and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Click here for printable recipe.

Pumpkin Apple Walnut Stuffed French Toast

This recipe is the living breathing proof that you can find a good recipe pretty much anywhere you go if you just pay attention. I work in the heart of midtown Manhattan, and every morning instead of doing the healthy, responsible thing and walking from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to my office, I hop into a taxi. It's my one commuting indulgence -- I don't stop at Starbucks, I don't pick up a giant New York City bagel with cream cheese (although I WANT to. I really do.) But I do jump right into that cab every morning.

And those of you lucky to have taken a New York taxi lately know that they have installed these little television screens in the back of each one. They give you the weather (thank you!), a lot of ads (really??? I really have to listen to ads on my cab ride, too??) and every once in a while, a little news story that you are actually interested in. Last week it was a story about this wonderful-sounding restaurant called The Turning Point, located on the New Jersey shore. (Or as we native New-Jerseyites say, "down the shore.") The story focussed on their pumpkin-stuffed french toast, and it had me paying rapt attention in the back of my cab at 7am in the morning....which means, it looked like some rocking good french toast. So later that day I tracked down the recipe, which was a bit more complicated than anything I want to attempt on a weekday, but gave me the basis for a pretty delicious streamlined version. And you know me....breakfast for dinner is my idea of heaven. This particular recipe is like French Toast meets Pumpkin Pie, and when topped with a good dollop of whipped cream and cinnamon sugar....ahhhhhhhhhh.

So thanks, Annoying New York City Taxi TV! You finally paid off. Now please stop running all those ads for the new Jay Leno show and we'll be all set.

PUMPKIN APPLE WALNUT STUFFED FRENCH TOAST, adapted heavily from this version from The Turning Point.

Makes 2 servings.

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsps vanilla

1 Tbs cream cheese

2 Tbs applesauce

1/8 cup chopped walnuts

4 slices sandwich bread

1. Combine all ingredients except bread, eggs and milk and mix thoroughly.

2. · Spread pumpkin mixture on bread and put bread slices together sandwich style.

3. Mix eggs and milk together in shallow bowl

4. Soak sandwiches on both sides in egg/mil mixture.

5. Heat frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat, grease with about 1 tablespoon of butter.

6. Cook sandwiches on griddle until both sides are lightly toasted.

7. Serve with maple syrup and fresh whipped cream. I like to shake cinnamon sugar on the top of mine.

Click here for printable recipe

Pumpkin Walnut Fudge

Yes, yes...we all know how wonderful pumpkin pie is, and pumpkin bread, and pumpkin muffins. And of course, when you add bacon to pumpkin you are pretty much on an express train to heaven.

Pumpkin Soup with Bacon and Blue Cheese

But up until now, I had not tasted true pumpkin nirvana, and now I have, and its name is Pumpkin Walnut Fudge. Let me start by saying that this recipe calls for 12 ounces of white chocolate, and an Entire Jar of marshmallow creme, which us regular folks know as Fluff. So if you are looking for the health food blog, you are in the wrong place. But oh, mama...it does taste good.

This recipe is adapted from one I found on Recipe Girl, who sounds like someone I would love to hang out with, just from her name alone...and she has some rocking great recipes on her site...check out her link on my blogroll. Anyway, the only significant change I made to her fabulous recipe was to add about a cup of chopped walnuts, which I both stirred in and sprinkled on to the top. This recipe does involve a candy thermometer, which always slightly terrifies me, but honestly, it was a snap. Get one of those ones that clips on to the side of your pot and you are all set.

So there you go, Pumpkin Walnut Fudge...it's only three short hours away, and two of those hours are cooling time. It is your civic Halloween responsibility to make some. Recipe below -- thanks again, Recipe Girl!

PUMPKIN WALNUT FUDGE, adapted from Recipe Girl

3 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup melted butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
½ cup canned pure pumpkin
2 Tbs corn syrup
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
12 oz package white chocolate morsels
7 oz jar marshmallow crème
1 cup chopped walnuts, plus another 1/2 cup for sprinkling on top
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Line 9″ square pan with aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick spray.

2. Stir together first 6 ingredients in a 3½ quart saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234° (soft ball stage) or for about 12 minutes.

3. Once mixture reaches 234°, remove from heat and quickly stir in remaining ingredients until well blended.

4. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining walnuts on top and press down slightly. Let stand 2 hours or until completely cool; cut fudge into squares.

Click here for printable recipe

Pumpkin Soup with Bacon and Blue Cheese

Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin. I do love pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins. Of course there are THESE:

Incredibly Amazingly Delicious Pumpkin Pie Bars

I think there is only one thing that could make pumpkin better than it already is. Say together with me now...

B A C O N.

And this recipe not only involves both pumpkin AND bacon, but it also comes together in, oh, about 10 minutes. Does life get any better than this? I don't think so. Sweet, salty, cheesy, bacony, pumpkiny wonderfulness. Who loves you, baby?

PUMPKIN SOUP WITH BACON AND BLUE CHEESE, adapted from All Recipes

2 15 ounce cans pumpkin
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup half-and-half
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 slices bacon
1 cup crumbled blue cheese

1. Stir together the pumpkin, chicken stock, half-and-half, shallot, molasses, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large stockpot over low heat; simmer 10 minutes.

2. While soup is cooking, cook bacon until crispy and crumble into pieces.

3. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with bacon and blue cheese. Sigh with happiness.

Click here for printable recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Tis the season for pumpkin - pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins. I heart pumpkin. And so whenever a new recipe for pumpkin anything comes my way I will give it a try, especially in these early fall days when the frost is on the...pumpkin.

This recipe comes via my favorite baking site, Joy The Baker, and tastes like a cross between an oatmeal cookie and a slice of really great pumpkin pie. She says you can use either butterscotch or chocolate chips on the top - I made mine with butterscotch because them seemed more pumpkin-ish to me, but since I will definitely be making these another thousand times or so, I will try them with chocolate as well. As with most bar cookies, these are best if you cut them into pretty small squares (an inch or so). Plus that way you can eat ten of them at one time and still feel like you are having just a small bite. Right?

Happy autumn everyone, and bring on the pumpkin...

PUMPKIN PIE BARS, adapted from Joy The Baker

1 1/3 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

1 15oz can pumpkin

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Handful of butterscotch or chocolate chips

1. Preheat oer to 350. Line 13x9 inch pan with foil, with ends extending over sides, and grease with cooking spray.

2. Combine flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar and all the brown sugar in medium bowl. Add butter and mix with 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can also do this by pulsing in the food processor. Stir in oats and nuts

3. Reserve 1 cup of the oat mixture and press the rest into the baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.

4. Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin and spice until well blended and pour over crust. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture and chips. Bake 25 minutes at 350.

5. Cool 10 minutes and use foil ends to transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely and then cut into squares.

6. Store in refrigerator.

Click here for Printable Recipe!