Two Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

Just in time for Halloween here are the easiest pumpkins muffins in the world. They are moist, flavorful and adaptable to your flavor preferences as you can use whatever cake mix you prefer. I added in some mini chocolate chips so mine are technically three ingredients. :)

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins
From Duncan Hines
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 box of cake mix - chocolate, vanilla, or spice work best
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin
Optional: 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (white chips are better for spice or yellow cake mixes)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two muffin tins or place in muffin papers. Mix the can of pumpkin and cake mix together until combines. Stir in chips if using them. Fill muffin cups to almost full as these muffins don't rise very much. 

Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 

Meatless Mondays: Mediterranean Pumpkin Soup

My wonderful friend Jess made this soup a couple of weeks ago and had me try a bite of it. I loved the smoky pumpkin flavor and the fact that this recipe is super healthy. I borrowed her cookbook and made it just a few days later. It's a great way to use up one of the several cans of pumpkins I still have sitting in my pantry from hoarding them this fall. I say hoarding because I was told that canned pumpkin would be in limited supply at our commissary. This caused me to not only purchase three or four cans here on the island, but I also also freaked out when there were truly none in stock at the store and asked my Mom to ship some cans to me from the States. My lovely obliging Momma sent me four cans. Note to self: seven large cans of pureed pumpkin is a little excessive. Regardless, this soup is a wonderful and guilt free Meatless Monday Meal!

Mediterranean Pumpkin Soup
From Mediterranean: A Taste of the Sun Cookbook and my friend Jess :)
Serves 4
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 pounds pumpkin, peeled and seeds removed (I used 28 ounces canned pumpkin)
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced (I used 1/2 yellow onion)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cumin
3 3/4 cups chicken stock (I used homemade turkey stock given to me by  my friend Krimp)
2 tablespoons peanut butter (I added this in, was not in original recipe)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro leaves to garnish
4 tablespoons plain yogurt, to serve


Directions
Cut the pumpkin into chunks. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch Oven to medium and add the leeks (or onion) and garlic. Cook gently until softened. Add the ginger and cumin and cook, stirring for another minute. Add the pumpkin and the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender. Process the soup in batches if necessary or use a hand blender to create desired thickness (not necessary if you used canned pumpkin).  Serve the soup in bowls with a swirl of yogurt and a garnish of cilantro leaves. 

Mini Pumpkin Muffins

I realize that posting a pumpkin recipe in December isn't going with the flow of Christmas cookies or other Holiday goodies, but I made these the other day and they are so yummy and soft and moist I still want to share them with you. This recipe comes from Deanna House, a cook book author from my home state of Michigan. The ladies in my Mom's family all love Deanna House and make her recipes frequently, so I decided to dive into her cookbook and start trying some out myself. 

Mini Pumpkin Muffins 
From Even More House Specialties by Deanna House
Printable Version
Ingredients
1/4 cup shortening or butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup mashed pumpkin
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup raisins if desired (I omitted these)


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. At medium speed, cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, Allspice, and cloves; set aside. In a small bowl combine pumpkin and milk. 

Add dry ingredients alternately with pumpkin mixture to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir well after each addition. Add raisins if desired. Fill paper lined mini muffin cups 3/4 full of batter. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

One of the best things about being a food blogger is stealing borrowing ideas from fellow bloggers. I saw Pumpkin Snickerdoodles on Greens and Chocolate and was in awe of how brilliant she is. Snickerdoodles are by are my most favorite cookie of all time. The idea of adding in pureed pumpkin to this classic cookie recipe was just too tempting not to try. 

I was very happy with how they turned out. The pumpkin created a moister more cake-like cookie with a beautiful orange color. Because it made a big batch I shared them with neighbors and friends and everyone complimented them. Cookie success!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Inspired by Taylor @ Greens and Chocolate

Recipe modified from this Snickerdoodle Recipe

Printable Version 

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filling

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl (or in stand mixer) beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup of sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Add in pumpkin and combine. 

Beat flour in slowly, mixing as you go. Cover and chill dough for about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. 

Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. 

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool. 

Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese

I'm not sure if it's because on Okinawa we don't have fall weather (temps are in the 80s everyday) and I'm feeling a little homesick, or if it's because of the nostalgia that pumpkin pie flavors create, but I'm really enjoying making things with pumpkin this year. I saw a version of pumpkin cream cheese on Pinterest and thought, "I can do that!" so I set about making my own version. I used pumpkin pie filling but you could use pureed pumpkin too. I thought that it tastes like pumpkin cheesecake! Spread over english muffins or cinnamon raisin bagels, this pumpkin pie cream cheese is the perfect fall flavored breakfast!

Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese

Printable Version

Four servings

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup pumpkin pie filling

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or use a combination or cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves that equal 1/2 teaspoon)
Dash of salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients until smooth and creamy. 

Serve on toasted bagel or English muffin. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal

The cooking blog world is being inundated with pumpkin recipes right now, so I thought I'd add one more. If you're feeling fall-ish and want a little pumpkin in your life try this clean eating pumpkin oatmeal. 

I'm going to save you the disappointment I experienced and come right out with the truth: this does not taste like pumpkin pie.  It tastes likes pumpkin oatmeal, thus I changed the title to reflect this. It is however very pumpkiny and filling and healthy. It's also a beautiful orange color and will help you get into the fall spirit. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal
Serves 1
From The Gracious Pantry
Printable Version
Ingredients
1/4 cup dry oats, cooked (I used steel cut oats)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I created my own with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger)

1 tablespoon flax seeds (I used ground)
1/4 cup pecans
Maple syrup to taste

Directions
Cook oats according to package directions. In the last five minutes of cooking stir in the pumpkin puree, flax, and pumpkin spice.

Scoop mixture into a serving bowl and top with pecans and maple syrup. 

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Just about every food blog I follow has posted pumpkin bars before me, but this was the first time I had ever made these fall favorites myself. It just doesn't feel like fall without scarfing up some of these babies. My favorite part is the creamy sweet frosting. This recipe makes a huge batch. I shared 1/2 of them with my neighbors and still had enough to last hubby and I for a few days.

Pumpkin Bars
From Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book
Printable Version

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 beaten eggs
1 15 ounce can pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cloves. Stir in the eggs, pumpkin, and oil until combined. 

Spread in an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours on a wire rack and spread with Cream Cheese Frosting. 

Cream Cheese Frosting
Note: this is for about 2 cups of frosting

Ingredients
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

Directions
Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar beating well until the frosting reaches a spreading consistency. Spread onto pumpkin bars and cut into squares.