Pumpkin Lust Cake

I make the Pumpkin Dump Cake every year for our Thanksgiving dinner; it is heavily requested by my family. Last year, I wanted to try something new.  I caught sight of an amazing looking layer dessert on Facebook or Pinterest in October.  I couldn't find it again on my boards or my wall, but the name stuck with me; I turned to Google.

I found a few pictures and captions explaining the dessert. A few days before Thanksgiving I set out to find the ingredients...I could not find the pumpkin spice instant jello.  I know it exists because I've bought it before...so I improvised.  I added canned pumpkin to vanilla pudding in small amounts until I hit a good flavor.

Everyone who tasted the dessert loved it!  It was quite refreshing compared to the richer pumpkin dump cake.




INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 8 oz whipped topping, divided
• 2 small Jello instant vanilla pudding 
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin (this gave a light pumpkin taste, you may want to add more)
• 1 T pumpkin pie spice
• 3 cups cold milk
• pinch of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix butter, pecans, sugar, and flour.  Press into 9 x 13 baking dish.  Bake 10-15 minutes.  Cool completely.
2. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 1/2 cup cool whip until smooth.  Spread over cooled crust.
3. Mix pudding with milk.  Add pumpkin and spice and continue to whisk.  Set in fridge 5-10 minutes to set.  Spread over cream cheese layer.
4. Top with remaining whipped topping.  Sprinkle with nutmeg to garnish. Refrigerate.

Difficulty: Medium; there are steps and cooling time to deal with
Time: 60 minutes
Source: adapted from a few recipes I found on pinterst

Abby's Magical Pumpkin Cookies

My son is obsessed with a board book called YUMMY COOKIES: Baking with Kids.  Any guess which children's character decorates the cover?  Andrew pages through until he finds his favorite Sesame Street cast members-Cookie Monster and Big Bird are the ones that get the loudest yells. Now, that he's figured out I can make the pictures in it...I've been busy.

We picked this recipe because I had an open can of packed pumpkin from some experimenting in the kitchen trying to make my own pumpkin pudding.  It's a keeper!  My kids loved helping measure the dry ingredients.  They also helped add the oats and cranberries; each taking turns stirring.  These cookies got high praise from my kids and husband.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t ground nutmeg
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup), softened
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/2 cup solid-pack pumpkin
• 2 cup old fashioned oats, uncooked
• 1 cup Craisins

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda into medium bowl. 
3. Beat brown sugar and butter in mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (5 minutes)
4. Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Add pumpkin; beat at low speed until well blended.  Add dry mixture; mix until just blended.  Add oats; mix well.
5. Stir in cranberries.  Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.  
6. Bake for 12 minutes.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute; transfer to rack to cool completely. 

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes prep; 12 minutes baking time
Source:YUMMY COOKIES: Baking with Kids, copyright 2008

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

One of our favorite desserts has always been pumpkin rolls.  I would always find some organization fundraising and buy one.  There was no way I was tackling making my own; it seemed complicated.  I also don't own a jelly roll pan or sifter (I know you are gasping).

A few years ago, my friend Jennifer suggested we make our pumpkin rolls together.  She bakes a lot and has a fully stocked kitchen; Jenn can even produce a 2/3 measuring cup. We didn't even bother looking for recipes; we cut the label off the can of Libby's Pure Pumpkin and followed the instructions.  It is much less difficult when you have someone to measure while you mix or prep the pans.  The whole rolling the cake was new to both of us, but it gets much easier with practice.  Jenn and I love getting together to bake, plus, we plan our Black Friday shopping extravaganza. We make the rolls in early November and freeze them; they hold up wonderfully.   

INGREDIENTS:

Cake

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t ground cloves
• 1/4 t salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup Libby's Pure Pumpkin

Filling

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 6 T butter, softened
• 1 t vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan; line with wax paper (I suggest allowing about 1/2 inch paper extra to help lift the cake and tear the paper off).  Grease and flour the paper liberally.  Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl.
3. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick.  Beat in pumpkin.  Stir in flour mixture.  Spread evenly into prepared pan.  
4. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched.  Immediatly loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel.  Carefully peel off paper.  Roll up cake and towel together starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
5. For filling, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in a small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully, unroll cake; remove towel.  Spread cream cheese mixture over cake.  Reroll cake.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerated at least 1 hour.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

Sorry for not having a picture...my pumpkin rolls are tightly covered in plastic wrap and aluminum foil in the freezer.

Difficulty: Medium

Time: 20 minutes prep time, 15 minutes baking time, cooling time varies

Source: Libby's Pure Pumpkin recipe found inside

Pumpkin Dump Cake

This amazing fall dessert is one of the easiest things I have ever made. I had to beg for the recipe after having it at few parties. My family loves when I bring it to dinner; it is a staple at Thanksgiving dinner. Many of the ingredients will be on sale soon, plus there's usually a coupon for Carnation Evaporated Milk this time of year. Happy baking!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can pure pumpkin (29 oz)
• 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) a mini-chopper works great to speed this up
• 3/4 stick of melted butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. Mix pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and cinnamon until well blended.
3. Sprinkle cake mix on top.
4. Cover with chopped nuts.
5. Pour melted butter over top.
6. Bake 50 minutes.
7. Serve with whipped topping or ice cream.

This time, I split my recipe into 2 pans for 2 different events; worked great!

Difficulty: Easy

Time: Prep is 15 minutes, baking time is 50 minutes

Source: a coworker

Pumpkin Dip

This recipe is quick and very kid-friendly. It is great to set out at parties as an appetizer or dessert.




INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tub of whipped topping (8 oz)
• 1 large package vanilla instant pudding
• 3 cups cold milk
• 1 T pumpkin pie spice
• 1 can pure pumpkin (15 oz)
• Cinnamon graham cracker sticks

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix pudding and milk with wire whisk for 1 minute.
2. Add pumpkin, whipped topping, and pumpkin pie spice.
3. Stir until smooth.
4. Chill and serve with cinnamon graham cracker sticks.

Difficulty: Super Easy
Time: less than 5 minutes to prepare, 20 minutes to chill
Source: Erika S.