I've never been a fan of pumpkin. I like squash-type vegetables just fine, and have even enjoyed a pumpkin pie slice on special occasions. But if there's a choice between a fruit pie and pumpkin pie, I pick fruit pie a la mode with good vanilla bean ice cream any day.
Lately, though, I have had an obsession with finding pumpkin pie alternatives, and have been playing with different pumpkin (dessert, of course) recipes. It just seems like an autumn-ish thing to enjoy. So, in my search for good pumpkin pie alternatives, here are two:
Pumpkin Squares
CRUST
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
FILLING
1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
TOPPING
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
FOR CRUST:
BEAT flour, oats, brown sugar and butter in a small mixer until crumbly. Press onto bottom on an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
FOR FILLING:
BEAT pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in a large mixer bowl. until smooth. Pour over crust. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.
FOR TOPPING:
COMBINE brown sugar and nuts in small bowl; sprinkle over filling. Bake for an additional 15 to 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.
*This one is an oven-watcher, just because you have to bake each layer. However, it's still a pretty easy recipe. And it is SO MUCH BETTER than regular pumpkin pie. The crust is oat-y (better than regular pie crust); the filling is creamy and flavorful (better than regular pie); and this has a yummy nutty topping (which regular pie does NOT!). I ate 4 squares (without cooling it) before Curtis got home, and then 3 days later, finished off the last 3 squares for lunch. Yummy, whether you eat it warm or cold.
Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg
1 cup pure pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups OCEAN SPRAY® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, chopped (Loved the Trader Joe's brand - the cranberries were huge! So much better than Craisins from Ocean Spray.)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans instead.)
PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
COMBINE flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Add pumpkin and vanilla extract; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture, mixing just until moist. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
*NB: These cookies don't spread out on the pan very much, so you can place them closer together on the cookie sheet. And since they take 20 minutes to bake, you'll want to do that, to limit oven-watching time. Even though I baked two sheets at a time in my convection oven, I still had a total of 4 pans (almost 4 dozen cookies). Also, it is a very soft, light dough - make sure you make good rounded spoonfuls to avoid having little "peaks" all over it - those ends come out dark brown, and not so pretty. These are tasty - almost cake-y - and light in both taste and sweetness.
I will be searching for yet one more pumpkin recipe. I went to a Halloween potluck party where someone brought a 13x9 pan of a pumpkin something or another with a yummy crumb topping. We ate it warm (with ice cream). Are you feeling fall yet?
