Pumpkin Patch

One year we had a great pumpkin patch. When the kids were young they planted pumpkin seeds in the lot that had previously been home to a neighborhood of A-frame huts housing mama sows and baby pigs. This rich soil grew great pumpkins with an abundant carpet of vines. We did everything pumpkin - they even sold some - an early business endeavor.
Pumpkin is a favorite fall, or anytime, flavor with our family, but now I prefer to buy canned pumpkin instead of cleaning and cooking the patch variety. This time of the year, I usually have some canned pumpkin in the refrigerator left from one recipe waiting for the next preparation. Or it can be added to smoothies, waffles, or cake mixes. Here are a couple of new recipes we've enjoyed.

Simple ingredients!

MINI FALL PUMPKIN PIE CROISSANTS

(These were served at a recent meeting of our PEO chapter, everyone enjoyed them so that the hostesses shared the recipe, when I made this at home I used 1/2 recipe/1 tube of refrigerated crescent rolls)

 2 tubes of Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls. Roll each crescent roll out and cut lengthwise in 2. This recipe will make 32 mini croissants. Each croissant will get a generous teaspoon of the luscious cream cheese pumpkin pie filling:

4 oz. (1/2 block) of softened cream cheese

1 cup of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 – 2 T pumpkin pie spice (adjust to taste)

3 – 4 T sugar (granulated or powdered; adjust to taste if you want the filling sweeter)

 Beat the above ingredients together until fluffy and creamy and spread about one teaspoon of filling over each triangle of dough. Mix together 4 T sugar and 1 T pumpkin pie spice and roll each pumpkin pie croissant in it. Bake at 375 for about 13-15 minutes they should be lightly browned and the dough baked through.

Another recipe from Southern Living magazine that was a hit is one I'll use again and again:

PUMPKIN STREUSEL MUFFINS

Makes 2 dozen

¾ cup butter, softened

1 (8-oz). package cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ cups canned pumpkin

½ cup toasted chopped pecans

½ cup sweetened dried cranberries

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Streusel:

Stir together ½ cup shopped pecans

            ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar,

            1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

            1 Tbsp. melted butter

            ¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

2.     Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients. gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed. Stir in pumpkin and next 3 ingredients.

3.     Spoon batter into 2 lightly greased (12-cup) muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Sprinkle with Pumpkin Pie Streusel.

4.     Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes, remove from pans to wire racks, and cool 20 minutes.

And, for a fun touch, this from Pinterest - 'Candy Corn' dessert. In a glass cup layer chunk pineapple, mandarin orange slices and whipped topping. Top with candy corn pieces.