I make not only pumpkin pie, but also a bread and a cheese cake. All use similar spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Secondary spice include coriander, mace, and even allspice and clove. Brown sugar is also used as is molasses. Evaporated milk is also added, as are several eggs. My pumpkin cheese cake has these spices and also a non- sugar sweetener, and a little molasses. I tend to like mine spicy compared to bland flavored ones on the cans of pumpkin. In the case of cheese cake, creamed cheese is used with that being the biggest ingredient. Mini chocolate chips are great in the pumpkin bread as are walnuts.

This is similar to a "spiced" pumpkin pie I made a couple years ago. My friends called it the spiked pumpkin pie. It was a big hit. This came from Emeril's website (www.emerils.com). Pumpkin cheesecake is also very yummy!

UNCLE DAVE'S RUM PUMPKIN PIE version 2
from Cooking Section, December 2001

Ingredients needed:

* WET INGREDIENTS:
* 2 eggs (beaten)
* One and one-half cups pureed cooked pumpkin
* One and two-thirds cups light cream
* 2 tablespoons rum or bourbon
* DRY INGREDIENTS:
* Two-thirds cup sugar
* One-half teaspoon salt
* One and one-half teaspoon ground cinnamon
* One-half teaspoon ginger
* One-half teaspoon nutmeg
* One-fourth teaspoon allspice
* One-fourth teaspoon cloves
* One 9-inch pie shell
* TOPPING:
* One-half cup tightly packed brown sugar
* 6 tablespoons butter
* One and one-half cups shelled pecans

Heat sugar and butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the pecans and brown, turning to coat them evenly. Remove from heat and cool.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine all the wet ingredients and stir to mix. Combine the dry ingredients. Pour into the wet mixture and mix well. Pour into the pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for 20 minutes. Add the topping and bake another 10 minutes.

Oh Yummy!... Thanks Booberry!

Tania ~_~

This was a huge hit last Thanksgiving. I have no idea where it came from, but give many kudos to whoever developed it. Very similar to Booberry's recipe. The crust, in particular, is fantastic. I've used it for making other cheesecakes & also a frozen strawberry-mash thing.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Sour Cream Topping
(this recipe is made the day before serving)

Crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted & cooled

In a bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, pecans, and sugars. Stir in the butter & press the mixture into the bottom & 1/2 inch up the side of a buttered 9-inch springform pan. Chill the crust for 1 hr.

Filling:
1 1/2 cup solid pack pumpkin
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (fresh is best)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
24 oz cream cheese, cut into bits & softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp bourbon

In a bowl, whisk together pumpkin, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and brown sugar.

In a large bowl w/an electric mixer cream together cream cheese & granulated sugar. Beat in remaining ingredients & pumpkin mixture, until smooth. Pour filling into crust, bake in the middle of a preheated 350*F oven for 50 to 55 min, or until center is just set. Let cheesecake cool in pan on rack for 5 min.

Topping:
2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp bourbon, or to taste
16 pecan halves (for garnish)

In a bowl whisk together sour cream, sugar & bourbon. Spread over the top of cheesecake & bake for 5 min more (in 350* oven). Let cheesecake cool in pan on rack & then chill, covered, overnight. Remove the side of the pan & garnish the top w/pecans.

Thanks Ruby! I'm definately trying these! I may get fatter, but my palate will be happy! lol!

Tania ~_~

Here is a cake type recipe, but it kind of has the texture of pumpkin pie,it is yummy, and was a hit at a harvest party I went to!

Pumpkin Crunch

Description: It is absolutely devine!! This is so easy to make and almost fool proof. It is the most asked for dessert in my family.

Contributed by: Lisa From the Pimpkin nook

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Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can (16oz) solid pack pack pumpkin
1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter
whipped topping

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Preparation Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease bottom of 9x13 pan.
Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in large bowl.
Pour into pan.
Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture.
Top with pecans.
Drizzle with melted butter.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden.
Cool completely.
Serve with whipped topping.
Refrigerate leftovers. If you have any leftover, that is!!!

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Variations:
Add 2 tablespoons of Bourbon for Bourbon Pumpkin pie

in Nov. Bon Appetite hmm or maybe Gourmet mag - there is a fabulous recipe for Spiced Pumpkin cheesecake w.peacan bourbon sauce! VERY GOOD

Also our family recipe for pumpkin pie is fabulous but I dont' have it here at work - I will remember and come back and post.

It has been some time since i have posted over here - I missed it!

Thanks so much for the recipe AhBee01! :O)

Wystiria, thanks for the heads up on the Spiced Pumpkin recipe...I'll keep an eye out for it! Please post your pumpkin pie recipe when you have a chance...I want to try everything!

I'm going to be in Pumpkin Heaven!

Tania ~_~

You know, something super easy that everyone (I've tried them on) loves is pumpkin muffins. I think that this was originally a weight watchers recipe, but who cares? I often take them to potlucks & people snatch them right up. :) Very moist muffins.

1 box of spice cake
1 can of pumpkin puree (or 15oz fresh puree)
1/2 cup water

Mix together. (don't add any additional ingredients that the cake calls for, you only want the dry cake mix) Follow cooking times/temps on the cake box. Easy peasy.

You need to try a recipe with Orange Juice, Dark Molasses and raw spices. Email me for the recipe!!!

Happy Holidays!!!

I haven't tried this yet..............but saw it a few days ago on Paula Deen's Thanksgiving show.

Sounds good! I am trying to decide between this and a pumpkin tart recipe (new also) for Turkey Day.

Deanna

Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen Show: Food Network Specials Episode: Paula's Southern Thanksgiving 1 cup apple butter
1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine apple butter, pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Stir in eggs.
Gradually add milk and mix well. Pour into pie shell.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until set.

Cook's Notes:
-If the crust begins to burn, place tin foil around the crust and lower the temperature of the oven.
-A tasty topping for this pie is praline pecans.

Too funny. I was about to type in my family's Apple Butter Pumkin pie recipe. Identical to the one above. Only difference is we bake ours for 25 minutes at 375. It puts my frozen pumpkin and my canned apple butter to good use. I have discovered over the years that it works quite well in those pre-made shortbread crusts.

My family would kill me if I made any other recipe but Libby's!

My mother substituted nutmeg for cloves in the Libby recipe -- a tiny change but an excellent flavor. My mother-in-law used cloves. So I'll make a nutmeg pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving & a cloves pumpkin pie for Christmas. We love them both, and they remind us of home.

Allspice, ginger, and cinnamon can also be used in various amounts. I even use a small amount of lemon juice and even ground coriander.

Hi Tania,

The issue of pumpkin versus squash for pies is probably discussed elsewhere in the harvest forum but since it is Thanksgiving and we have just enjoyed our 1st "squash pie" of the season (personally went back for seconds :o), I feel compelled to comment.

Every year, we grow Burgess Buttercup partly because it is so good in pies. There was a discussion in the vegetable forum earlier this year on our favorite squash for pies and it was encouraging to me how many folks chose a Curcurbita maxima squash (a link is below).

Hubbard or Banana; Buttercup or Kabocha - Try substituting a C. maxima squash in your favorite pumpkin pie recipe. You may never go back to pumpkin!

Oh, and as for a recipe . . . I copied the one off a can of Libby's years ago and assume it is the same as we used back in the Ozzie and Harriet years - just substituting squash for the pumpkin. Found it on the net at http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=18470

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: Your Favorite Winter Squash To Grow For Pies

Being as you brought it up, Steve, "pumpkin" is meaningless from a horticultural viewpoint. Indeed, there are pumpkin varieties found in all four of the more commonly grown squash species.

The fact is, all winter squashes can be substituted for each other in most recipes. Often there will be subtle or not so subtle flavor changes by doing so.

However, given the nature of the spices used in pumpkin pie, I doubt if the average person would detect any differences, no matter what variety of squash was used---with the exception that the field pumpkins tend to be more stringy and fiberous, and they might be aware of that.

You may be very right, Gardenlad.

But, there's no way that I'd even consider using one of our C. pepo jack o'lantern pumpkins. In recent years, I have only compared our pies with store-bought (good heavens!) and the identical recipe using what comes out of the can -- weighed in the balance and found wanting.

Using Pink Banana squash for pies is part of my childhood memories - beyond objectivity, I'm afraid.

Steve

I don't know what's in the cans nowadays, Steve.

Used to be hubbard was the squash of choice by the big canners. I suspect that had to do with the relative sizes, which makes processing easier.

But I recently checked, due to a question on another thread, and the cans now say "pumpkin,"---whatever that means.

As sweet as they are naturally, would you really use a Kabocha for pie? Seems to me that would be guilding the lilly.

Imagine 1 1/2 cups of refined cane sugar in one pie, Gardenlad.

A Libby pie is beautiful and tasty but substituting a lovely flavorful squash from the garden wouldnÂt be excessive or unnecessary. Even if, or especially if, one reduces the refined sugar in preparation. (No guilt on gilding any lily, here ;o)

As regards kabocha, I am so totally unfamiliar with growing and utilizing this squash. We have tried a couple of varieties with very limited success (season may be too short, nights too cool). Blue Hubbards have done okay but, perhaps for the same reasons, not especially well. So, we return happily each year to buttercups and harvest this season could be measured by the wheelbarrow.

I realize that the terms "pumpkin" and "squash" cannot be directly related to species; as you point out, forms of several are called pumpkins. "100% pure pumpkin" says the Libby web site. Then they refer to "a special variety of pumpkin called the Dickinson." But, it looks as tho the Dickinson is a C. moschata rather than C. pepo (Jack oÂlanterns). IÂve used C. moschata butterNUTs and certainly donÂt prefer them to C. maxima butterCUPs. Taste is subjective, however.

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: Llibby Llabel

Just to put it in perspective, Steve, the Kabocha are so sweet they make the buttercups seem bland by comparison. And, as we both know, there's nothing bland about a buttercup.

I have no problem with the idea of substituting home-grown squash for whatever comes in the cans. Of the two methods of preparing puree, though, I much prefer roasting; otherwise the puree becomes too watery IMO.

I've used several squashes for traditional punkin pie recipes and so many other recipes calling for pumpkin - really cannot detect a difference with the spices called for! This year, i had a hearty crop of New England Pie Pumpkins from Fedco Seed and we all loved them. cute things, too - i enjoyed handing the little squashes out to friends the last few months for making festive decorations, too. They have kept very well and are thick-walled, not stringy, and manageable size.
Glad of it

>really cannot detect a difference with the spices called for!Exactly my point. For most people the best approach is to find a squash whose flavor and texture you like, and use it for all your "pumpkin" needs---be it pie, bread, bisque, gratin, or what-have-you.

Whichever you choose, it will likely work in savory recipes as well.

Give pumpkin cheesecake a try too.