pumpkin

thank you!

Sounds awesome. I think I'll trade out the chocolate chips for dried cranberries though. Thanks!

It came from my friend's mom.  I haven't tried them out yet but I'm getting antsy!  I still need to sort through all the baking threads here first though so that I make sure to get them to turn out properly.  If anyone has any insight into what I should do with flour/baking soda/baking powder I would love the advice!

Halloween Cookies
4 c. flour  (7 1/2 c. )
2 c. oats (3 1/2 c. )
2 t. cinnamon (3 1/2 t. )
2 t. baking soda (3 1/2 t.)
1 t. salt (2 t.)
1 1/2 c margarine (3 scant c.)
1 c. sugar (2 scant c.)
2 c. brown sugar (3 1/2 c.)
1 egg (2)
1 t. vanilla (2 scant t.)
16 oz. pumpkin (29 oz.)
1 c. chocolate chips (2 c.)


Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugars together.  Add
vanilla and egg.  Sift together dry ingredients, add oats.  Alternate
adding dry ingredients to butter mix with pumpkin.  Stir in chocolate
chips.  Drop on to greased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper)  Bake
for 20 to 25 minutes.  Decorate like Jack-o-Lanterns.

I used to think that canned pumpkin was better than fresh.  But that was because I would boil or steam the pumpkin and it would make the pumpkin watery and rather bland.  I couldn't find the canned pumpkin at Waitrose this weekend, and I had promised to bring a pumpkin pie to a church potluck. 

So I bought fresh pumpkins and I roasted them.  The only things I did differently from Pioneer woman is that I peeled the raw pumpkin with my vegetable peeler, (it gives the pumpkin more places to brown, which I think intensifies the flavour), I put some vegetable oil at the bottom of the pan to keep the pieces from sticking and I salted them a bit to help draw out the moisture.  Then I used my stick blender to purée.  It was a thick, dense and a deep rich orange purée.  The pumpkin pies were the best I have ever made. (Just don't add any salt to the pie mixture though, as the salt from the roasting will be enough.) 

Totally worth the effort it takes to roast them.

So I bought fresh pumpkins and I roasted them.  The only things I did differently from Pioneer woman is that I peeled the raw pumpkin with my vegetable peeler, (it gives the pumpkin more places to brown, which I think intensifies the flavour), I put some vegetable oil at the bottom of the pan to keep the pieces from sticking and I salted them a bit to help draw out the moisture.  Then I used my stick blender to purée.  It was a thick, dense and a deep rich orange purée.  The pumpkin pies were the best I have ever made. (Just don't add any salt to the pie mixture though, as the salt from the roasting will be enough.) 

Totally worth the effort it takes to roast them.

That's pretty much what I do as well.  Delicious.  My Nana and I made tons of pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving one year and she taught me how to do it 
 

Thanks guys for the pumpkin puree tips!  I think I'll try to locate a pumpkin this weekend and have at it. 

Also, if you're using fresh pumpkin for the first time, you're going to want to use a small pumpkin.  Even better is one of those small ones with the dark green patches ('sugar pumpkins' back home, not sure if they have a special name here.) 

The big, jack o'lantern type pumpkins can produce strange textures and, in my opinion, have an extremely bland flavour.  They're edible but not what I'd call tasty.

Mmmm.....  all this fresh pumpkin talk is making my mouth water.  I think this weekend I MUST cook a baked pumpkin.  Stuffed with raisins and nuts and brown sugar.  Oh yummm!! 

Don't forget to save the seeds and toast them! Mmmm!  I may do my pumpkin today, actually! I might try that trick with the salt, as last year I spent ages putting the pureed pumpkin through a sieve to get the extra liquid out. I really think fresh pumpkin actually tastes better than tinned, in my opinion. It's a bit fiddly, but one medium roasted pumpkin makes about 10 cups of puree, so that's about ten batches of goodies! 

Don't forget to save the seeds and toast them! Mmmm! 

Pumpkin seeds are my favorite!! This is why I want to carve a pumpkin 

seriously, you guys are awesome!  

I mentioned to my mother that the baby wanted pumpkin pie and her response was simply 'the baby doesn't need pumpkin pie' I think it's been too long since she was pregnant to remember cravings...

I think the baby needs pumpkin pie.    My baby is 20 and still needs pumpkin pie--her grandma's homemade. 

Amazon.co.uk has Libby's pumpkin puree:

NoT: I made the cookie recipe and OMG does it make a lot! I baked 2 dozen and put the rest of the dough in the freezer. So yummy.

Amazon.co.uk has Libby's pumpkin puree:

NoT: I made the cookie recipe and OMG does it make a lot! I baked 2 dozen and put the rest of the dough in the freezer. So yummy.

Oh great! It's good to know they turned out well!   We got a butternut squash this past  weekend for some risotto and I did a test puree with that and it turned out fine.  So I decided I'll do pumpkin this coming weekend and take a crack at those cookies.

Amazon.co.uk has Libby's pumpkin puree:

NoT: I made the cookie recipe and OMG does it make a lot! I baked 2 dozen and put the rest of the dough in the freezer. So yummy.

Holy freak! £4.99 for a tin of pumpkin before shipping.  No way am I that desperate.  Glad I can find it on my own, or I'd use a pumpkin or butternut squash.

Holy freak! £4.99 for a tin of pumpkin before shipping.  No way am I that desperate.  Glad I can find it on my own, or I'd use a pumpkin or butternut squash.

I know! The import prices are ridiculous. There's a place in town charging nearly 9 quid for a box of lucky charms!

Our place in town charges similar prices for Lucky Charms too--can't bring myself to buy the, as much as I want some, but they still only charge around £1.80 for pumpkin (if I remember right).