Pumpkin Recipes

As promised, here are some pumpkin recipes:

Pumpkin Nut Bread

An old family favorite, pumpkin nut bread makes a wonderful snack, breakfast or dessert. This recipe makes one large loaf or 2 mini loaves for gift giving. The bread also freezes well. Freeze on a plate 6 hours, wrap frozen loaf in heavy duty aluminum foil and return to the freezer for up to six months.

2 cups all-purpose flour or 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each: salt and nutmeg
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree or 1 cup solid pack canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup skim milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup each: chopped pecans and black walnuts (may substitute raisins or any combination to equal one cup)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt and ground nutmeg.

In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, milk and eggs. Mix well.

Add dry ingredients, oil and nuts mixing until just moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Do not over mix.

Spoon batter into well greased (use vegetable oil) 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or two 7-1/2 x 3 3/4 inch loaf pans, may use aluminum pans.

Bake (in the middle of the oven) large loaf for 65 minutes or two mini loaves for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in the pan.

Use a knife to go around the edge of the pan to loosen bread from the sides of the pan, invert, cool on a cooling rack or plate. Slice and serve.



Pumpkin Nut Bars

1 cup cooked pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
1/2 cup butter or margarine (melted)
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
2 cups oats
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup chopped salted peanuts, pecans, or almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, beat egg whites slightly; add pumpkin and melted butter or margarine beat until smooth.

In another bowl combine oats, brown sugar, coconut, wheat germ, and nuts.

Fold oat mixture into pumpkin mixture to form stiff dough.

Press dough into a lightly greased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch jelly roll pan.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, cut into 2x3 inch bars.

Yield about 30 bars. Serve warm or cool completey.

We thought these were the best. You can find more recipes and nutrition information at: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/nutrition.html