From My Kitchen

Nothing says Fall like baking with pumpkin.

Three of my favorite pumpkin recipes are Pumpkin Gingerbread, Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies, and Pumpkin Waffles.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Gingerbread

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup chopped nuts (I use sugar-coated pecans from Trader Joes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin, ginger, allspice and cinnamon. In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Pumpkin Waffles

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 pinch salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 2/3 cups milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl. In a second bowl, add eggs, sugar, pumpkin, milk, and butter; beat well. Gently fold in the flour mixture. Spoon in about 3/4 cup of batter into the waffle iron. Cook each waffle for 4-5 minutes. Makes 4-5 waffles.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

with Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup shortening

1 3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 1/2 cup flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Mix first five ingredients well. In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Combine. Add chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar.