The Flavour of Pumpkin Season

With Pumpkin month October behind us, I thought I'd share my 5 favourite recipes using pumpkin...

Pumpkin Spice Latté
Ingredients
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus more to garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups whole milk
1 to 2 shots espresso, about 1/4 cup
1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped until firm peaks form
Directions:
Heat the pumpkin and spices: In a small saucepan over medium heat cook the pumpkin with the pumpkin pie spice and a generous helping of black pepper for 2 minutes or until it's hot and smells cooked. Stir constantly.
Stir in the sugar: Add the sugar and stir until the mixture looks like a bubbly thick syrup.
Warm the milk: Whisk in the milk and vanilla extract. Warm gently over medium heat, watching carefully to make sure it doesn't boil over.
Blend the milk: Carefully process the milk mixture with a hand blender or in a traditional blender (hold the lid down tightly with a thick wad of towels!) until frothy and blended.
Mix the drinks: Make the espresso or coffee and divide between two mugs and add the frothed milk. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, or nutmeg if desired.

Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
GLAZE:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 Tsp milk
1 Tsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

　
Pumpkin Oatmeal
Ingredients:
3 ½ cups milk, or more to taste
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tsp brown sugar, or to taste (optional)
2 Tsp pecan pieces, or to taste (optional)
Directions:
Mix milk, oats, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, salt, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg together in a cooking pot. Cook on medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly. Sprinkle brown sugar and pecan pieces over the oatmeal to serve.


Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 ½ cups oil
1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree
3 cups flour
1 Tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375° F.
In a medium bowl, cream together egg, sugar, oil, pumpkin and beat until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients. Fill muffin time lined with paper ¾ full. Sprinkle each one with brown sugar.
Bake for 20 minutes until center comes out clean.


Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
3/4 cup ground hazelnuts
3 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 (8 ounce) package scream cheese, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
4 eggs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
Using a fork, combine gingersnaps, hazelnuts, 3 tablespoons brown sugar and melted butter. Press mixture onto the bottom and two inches up the sides of the pan to form the crust.
With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the pumpkin. Mix in the cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, or until center of cheesecake is set. Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do! 

Blessings