Everything Pumpkin

I love Pumpkin Spice season! October and November bring lots of reasons and recipes for making pumpkin flavored foods. This was a good year for growing pumpkins, the largest pumpkin at the Kansas State Fair weighed in at 1034 pounds, setting a new state record. I prefer to get my pumpkin for cooking in a can at the grocery store and appreciate the efforts of those who helped get it there. In fact, with the seasonal predictions of a 'shortage' of canned pumpkin, I'm picking up a couple of cans each time I buy groceries.
The fresh pumpkin that I do buy are for decorative purposes. While you can cook your own pumpkin puree for recipes, I find it much more simple and not too expensive to buy the canned. We may wonder why this gourd that most of us won't cook, which came from humble beginnings when it was the food grown by poor farmers in desperate times, became so popular. It may be attributed to it's image of American heritage and representation of a more idyllic rural life. It is one of the few foods most associated with our American forefathers. And, after all, didn't the pilgrims and Indians have pumpkins at the first Thanksgiving?

Kansas State Fair winner - 1034 pounds!

The variety for pumpkin spice flavored foods grows each fall, with what has been called "pumpkin creep", as the foods are introduced earlier each year. One source said that 70% of pumpkin sort of flavors are purchased September - November. (That is the season most of the 'limited edition' foods are sold). Since Starbucks introduced the pumpkin spice latte 10 years ago and begin the pumpkin panic, this has truly became the flavor of fall.
I enjoy the variety of pumpkin flavored food products this time of year and admit to trying many of them. Coffee and coffee creamer are still my favorites, closely followed by baking mixes, cream cheese spread, and of course the many home baked recipes of pies and quick breads. But, I'm not so sure of, and not so anxious to try, some such as potato chips.

My favorite muffin recipe was even transformed by pumpkin. The original recipe is with bananas, but using the same amount of canned pumpkin make a tasty fall treat. I first posted this in a blog of May 20, 2012 and it has remained one of my favorite recipes, so quick to prepare and bake 12 muffins for a quick family or friend mid-morning treat.

WHOLE GRAIN PUMPKIN MUFFINS

 1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

½ cup packed brown sugar

⅓ cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

½ cup milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

¼ cup canola oil

        Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray muffin tin with nonstick spray. Mix flour, oatmeal, sugar, nuts and baking powder in large bowl.

      In another bowl, beat egg and mix in mashed banana, milk and canola oil. Stir in to dry ingredients and mix lightly. Bake 18-20 minutes or until muffin tops are browned. Loosen muffins and serve warm.

Makes 12 medium muffins.