Butternut Squash Soup

I've made this twice now and both times it was delicious! It has crazy high reviews on allrecipes.com, which is no surprise. This is almost the same as the recipe online with just a few tweaks. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 chopped onion
4 tablespoons butter
6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (1 squash)
3 cups water
4 tsp Better Than Bouillon chicken base
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and chili powder.

Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth.

Return to saucepan, and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

Serves: 4-5

Pear Butter

My friend Kristi mentioned that she attempted some pear butter for her kids, as they are starting the elimination diet. Doesn't that sound fabulous? (the pear butter, NOT the elimination diet...) When I found pears 10 for $10 at Kroger, it was game time. It came out pretty much the same consistency of my apple butter recipe - very spreadable and delicious.

INGREDIENTS:
5 lbs pears (about 10 pears)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon (*I used Cinnamon Plus)

DIRECTIONS:
Wash pears, then quarter and remove seeds and skins.  Put into dutch oven with 3/4 water and boil for 30 minutes or until very soft. Remove from heat, drain and mash with whatever you have that mashes well. (I used a slotted spoon).  Return to pot and add sugar, OJ and cinnamon.  Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low heat, stirring every hour or so for about three hours or until reduced to a spreadable consistency.

This made about 36 oz of pear butter. I put half in a container to freeze and half in the fridge to enjoy!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

These cookies are moist and delicious. Not over-spiced, but with a definite taste of fall (while they are good any time of year!) Taken from allrecipes.com.



INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of 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. * I used the back of a spoon, dipped in water after each "smoosh"

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze evenly over cookies.

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Yield: 3 dozen

Pumpkin Stew

Photo by Taste of Home

Ever since I discovered this recipe in Taste of Home magazine in the Oct/Nov 1995 issue, it has been my favorite beef stew recipe and I've made it *almost* every year since then.  It is meant to be baked in a pumpkin, which gives it a unique presentation and some great pumpkin squash flavor. However, I've also made it in the crock pot with equally good results.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 cup water
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 large green pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 pumpkin (10 to 12 pounds) (make sure it will fit into your oven!)

Directions

• In a Dutch oven, brown meat in 2 tablespoons oil. Add water, potatoes, carrots, green pepper, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Stir in bouillon and tomatoes. Wash pumpkin; cut to 6 to 8 in. circle around top stem. Remove top and set aside; discard seeds and loosen fibers from inside.
• Place pumpkin in a shallow sturdy baking pan. Spoon stew into pumpkin and replace top. Brush outside of pumpkin with remaining oil. Bake at 325° for 2 hours or just until the pumpkin is tender (do not overbake). Serve stew from pumpkin, scooping out a little pumpkin with each serving. 
• Yield: 8-10 servings.

Fall Comfort Muffins

I've had this recipe from The Finer Things in Life for a while and finally decided to make it. It was a hit! The pumpkin flavor is barely there, but I like that it adds some nutrition.

Ingredients:
1 c. melted butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. honey
4 eggs
1/3 c. water
1 c. mashed banana
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus (I used a CopyCat recipe) or pumpkin pie spice
2 c. white flour
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. chocolate chips (or a few more)

Directions:
Blend sugar and butter. Add honey, eggs, and water. Mix well. Add banana and pumpkin. Mix well. Stir dry ingredients together, add to wet batter just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Makes 3 dozen muffins exactly (using my Pampered Chef large scoop).

Spice Cookies with Pumpkin Dip

It's fall! Now's the time to make these fabulous cookies. I can't be held responsible for what they will do to your waistline, however. You can't eat just one...

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger and cloves
1 teaspoon salt
PUMPKIN DIP:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup pumpkin pie filling
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add molasses; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill overnight. (* Or for a few hours. Dough won't roll well when warm.)

2. Shape into 1/2-in. balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 6 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

3. For dip, beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add pumpkin pie mix; beat well. Add sugar, cinnamon and ginger; beat until smooth. Serve with cookies. Store leftover dip in the refrigerator.

Yield: about 20 dozen