I love pumpkin treats with pumpkin spice. Can't say I love all the pumpkin spice things. Pumpkin pie is my favorite non chocolate sweet.

I think they can get a little crazy with it, such as the Pumpkin Spice Spam or Pumpkin Spice Deodorant someone posted here on another thread. That being said, this is one of my favorites. The combined spices in the recipe are pretty much pumpkin spice. Easy to halve the recipe, too. Just frost with your favorite cream cheese icing. These never last long.

Pumpkin Bars
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temp.
2 cups canned pumpkin (one 15-oz. can)
4 eggs, room temp.
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. each cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 15 X 10 1/2 X 1 pan. Sift flour, baking soda, spices, and salt together; set aside. Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Spread mixture into pan. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched or toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost with cream cheese icing.

Note: To halve the recipe, use a 9x13x1 sheet pan (quarter sheet). The baking time will be about the same...start checking at 20 minutes.

I love true pumpkin spice, preferably in pumpkin pie. That's definitely my favorite kind of pie. But I find that most of the pumpkin spice things taste fake. Or else they're way too sweet. I'll hold out for the pie.

My SIL has asked me to make shortbread cookies for Thanksgiving this year which for us is this weekend. I'm going to put some pumpkin spice and chopped pecans in half the recipe and then sprinkle demerara sugar on top and see what it's like.

I don't usually make pumpkin stuff. I love pumpkin pie but that's about it.

I like baked goods made with pumpkin....and the spices that are associated with that. But I am not fond of everything else and its uncle flavored as pumpkin spice..,.....a perfectly good way to ruin a latte, IMO! And beer. And pumpkin spice candles are just nasty.

I've made the pumpkin bars similar to chloebud's recipe and they are delicious and hugely popular with my family. My recipe also includes raisins and chopped pecans or walnuts.

My favorites are the pumpkin cake donuts made only at this time of year by a local bakery. You gotta get there early or they will be sold out as they are that popular!

Pumpkin pie made from pumpkin roasted and pureed at home is so much lighter in consistency and tastier than the canned stuff. And yes, the pie crust must be homemade.

I make two loaves of pumpkin bread, yearly, for at least 32 or more years, for a person that I do business with. One year I didn't, and got calls from both his secretary and himself asking me if I was ok :o) Last year, I was driving in my car, got a phone call to remind me of the pumpkin bread. Told him the loaves were in my car on the way to deliver lol

No no no. Just say no.

Still looking for a great tasting pumpkin ice cream. Everything I have purchased thus far this year has been disappointing.

Nope, overwhelming.

Gray wings, do you have Kroger in your area? They had a store brand pumpkin ice cream that was really quite good. But they closed all the stores in this area so I guess we won't be having that anymore.

Raye, can you point me to a recipe or technique for pumpkin puree? I tried it a few years ago because I wanted to make pumpkin ravioli. If I remember, I roasted the pumpkin and pureed it and it tasted like absolutely nothing. I did use an actual pie pumpkin, not a jack-o'-lantern, and a recipe for the ravioli. It was very disappointing.

aok - I've just used regular pumpkins. A friend taught me how to do it. Chop up the pumpkin and roast it at 400 degrees, around 30 minutes. Remove the meat from the rind and then puree, use cheesecloth to strain out the excess water. Like any crop there may be years where there is less flavor than others.

Why do you have to wait until fall to use pumpkin pie spice? Many places sell pumpkin pie all year round so if you like the flavor why not just use it. I have found that each company does seem to have a slightly different blend of spices so you might have to try a couple or look at the label for the mix you prefer.

A few pumpkin baked goods are ok. Pumpkin spice everything else (beverages scents, etc) no no no.

I just printed a recipe from the British House & Garden web site. It's for a pumpkin custard over pulled pork. It sounds delicious!

I'm not the purist Raye is - I do use Libby canned pumpkin, but not their canned pumpkin pie mix. And I prefer to use my own spices, not a pre-mix.

I've got to make a pumpkin crisp to take to pulmonary rehab next week - it's our Halloween party and everyone brings food. I bring this as it was something a beloved pulmonary rehab member bought for many years until she finally succumbed to our disease. It's delicious.

graywings123 have you tried Trader Joe's pumpkin ice cream? It's creamy and full of pumpkin flavor. Almost like eating pumpkin pie with whipped cream. I highly recommend it!

I like Paul's Pumpkin bars - as a family we've been making those for decades even though we have no idea who Paul is. The recipe came from a vintage Valparaiso cookbook. I like pumpkin pie. Pumpkin bread. All the rest of these things flavored with pumpkin spice? The popularity escapes me.

I will enjoy the Starbucks egg nog lattes when those come seasonally available, but not pumpkin spice drinks, or pumpkin spice anything else ;0)

I only like it in pumpkin pie or a pumpkin loaf. I was really surprised to see Pumpkin spice egg nog at the grocery store and only 1 container of regular egg nog.

Nope! Those spices are too powerful for me. I get headaches from it.

I like it in traditional pumpkin baked goods only, like pies,cakes,bread and cookies. It does not belong in beverages, English muffins and bagels and I don't need to be smelling it everywhere. Disgusting trend.

Yes - in pumpkin pie pumpkin bars/bread and seasonal pumpkin spice ice cream. Like so many things, manufacturers go into overkill drive and ruin the specialness of special treats.

Yes. Love it. But agree with wtchmelol--doesn't belong in beverages. I got someone else's pumpkin spice coffee at Dunkin and I couldn't drink it--too sweet--too pumpkiny.

I'm going to get me to a Kroger or TJs before the pumpkin season is over. Thanks for the recommendations!

I love the Pumpkin Spice cappuccino at Kwik Trip. Also, KT's pumpkin bars (available year round). I've tried a few recipes for pumpkin bars and haven't hit on a 'just right' one. Just as well that I'm happy with an occasional one from there vs. having a whole pan full of them at home! (The rest of famdamily isn't enamored with pumpkin anything.)

I make pumpkin custards and pumpkin pie. The custards are simple a pie filling recipe baked in custard dishes. Quick & easy.

I've done the 'roast the pumpkin & strain in cheesecloth' thing a few times. What I like better than pumpkin is roasted & pureed Kabocha squash substituted for pumpkin. The Kabocha isn't watery like pumpkin so there is no need to strain. Freezes beautifully. Much, much better than canned pumpkin, too.

I don't venture into the Pumpkin Spice World beyond those few items. Agree that there is Pumpkin Spice overkill...pumpkin spice beer, no thank you. I just inhale deeply, love the aroma, & pass them up. So that cappuccino or occasional pumpkin bar stays 'special' to me.

**KT's cappuccino is too, too sweet so I dilute it with regular coffee, about 1/3 coffee to 2/3 cappuccino.

Only in pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread! Don’t want it in my coffee, tea, beer, latte, ice cream, air freshener, candles or toothpaste,

Pumpkin spice toothpaste? Blech!