Your Favorite Pumpkin and Squash Recipes!

[DrakeMaiden]

You are so bad (in a good way)!

ETA: Cookies are on the menu for this weekend. BUT now I have two that call for cranberries. What am I supposed to do? I don't have enough pumpkin!

 

[me&thegals]

Heh, heh, heh Pumpkin is a kind of squash, so they are interchangeable if you are running out of pumpkin. I think buttercup and butternut are really nice for all types of cooking and baking. If you can, get your hands on a huge eating pumpkin, cook it whole, dig out the guts after it's done and then mash the rest. I do this and then freeze in 1- and 2-cup containers for use all year round.

Here is my absolute favorite of all, with mini choc-chip pieces mixed in. So good with a book, a cup of hot tea and a fireplace!

Pumpkin Breadmakes 3 loaves
3 cups pumpkin puree
cup vegetable oil
cup applesauce
2 cups white sugar
6 eggs
4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or AP flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground cloves
1 t baking powder

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2.In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.

Note: Mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts or whole fresh/frozen cranberries make great add-ins.

Can cut this recipe in thirds for only 1 loaf of bread. Also makes wonderful muffinsjust bake 20 min instead of 45-60.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

No, I change my mind . . . you are wicked! Pumpkin bead with chocolate chips! Is there anything more perfect than that?

 

[me&thegals]

I'm tellin' ya!

I may be deluding myself, but I consider the above to be nearly healthfood (ducking from Wifezilla ) Seriously, though, the above recipe I cut the oil in half, the sugar WAY down and converted to all whole-grain flour. With the ww-pastry flour, it is so light and tender. Mmm... I really don't have time to make a batch today! But....

 

[delia_peterson]

Ok, its me...the one with the stupid questions. Pumpkins are on sale down the street. After I bring them home and clean them, peel the skin off and puree,and you can use it right away?And then I can freeze the left overs right?
Thank you for being patient with me. :/

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Yes, best to watch out for Wifezilla and her ducks.

Mmmmm . . . I'm going to have to see about some more pumpkins.

Well, if you cut out all that sugar and oil, it just means you have to eat larger servings, you know?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Ok, its me...the one with the stupid questions. Pumpkins are on sale down the street. After I bring them home and clean them, peel the skin off and puree, can I freeze what I don't use?
Thank you for being patient with me. :/

Not a dumb question. Yes, but you have to roast the pumpkin first. Something around 350 or 375 F for 20 min to an hour (I am not remembering specifics right now, but mostly you just roast until it is tender). Make sure your pumpkins are sweet pumpkins, not jack-o-lantern types.

 

[delia_peterson]

Ok, its me...the one with the stupid questions. Pumpkins are on sale down the street. After I bring them home and clean them, peel the skin off and puree, can I freeze what I don't use?
Thank you for being patient with me. :/

Not a dumb question. Yes, but you have to roast the pumpkin first. Something around 350 or 375 F for 20 min to an hour (I am not remembering specifics right now, but mostly you just roast until it is tender). Make sure your pumpkins are sweet pumpkins, not jack-o-lantern types.

Clean it and cut it into small sections to roast? I am glad you said sweet! They are large"face"pumpkins that are on sale..

 

[me&thegals]

Exactly as drakemaiden says. Then, mash it as uniformly as you can, however you would do mashed potatoes or any puree.

And, actually, I have a lazier way to cook them than peeling. I'm worried I'm going to lose a body part on some of these pumpkins! I poke a couple holes in each side--just like when baking a potato--and put the whole thing on a cookie sheet, then into a 300-350 oven. I let mine go a couple hours, but some of mine are pretty big. The cookie sheet catches the juice. Then, when it is very soft, I cut it open and scoop out the seeds, then save the flesh.

For really enormous ones--30+ pounders--I cut the thing in half, scoop out the seeds, put face down on a cookie sheet and do as above.

 

[delia_peterson]

Thanks guys!!!!!