Spicy Scent of Pumpkin Indulgences Compliment Autumn Air - Chickspeak.com

October 9, 2009 by Kristin Larmore

That crisp, cool wind hits, along with the gradual floating of crunchy leaves in the air: yep, the smell of fall is in the air. Once I embrace this all-too-infrequent coming of fall, my nose is simply searching for those spicy inside scents, from candles to air fresheners to food, to compliment it.

The aromatic drifting of nutmeg, cinnamon, baked apple, allspice and ginger brings back memories of warm kitchen mornings and evenings, Halloween preparation and Oktoberfest. And pumpkin incorporates and compliments all of these flavors so well that it has become a staple for the average household. The anomaly is the richness and enduring strength of tradition; we never seem to tire of that plump, off-the-vine taste. Year after year, we still return to it.

Pumpkins actually date back to somewhere around 5500 B.C. in Mexico, where seeds resembling pumpkins were found. The name “pumpkin” comes from the Greek word “pepon,” which means “large melon.” After translations by the French and English, American colonists eventually adopted the term we use today.

Before the coming of the Pilgrims, however, pumpkins were part of the common diet and mat making practices of Native Americans. Our Thanksgiving pie favorite is believed to have started when the American settlers cut off the pumpkin top and scooped out the insides to fill it with milk, spices and honey. This culminated in a bake on the dying coals of a fire, according to pumpkin-patch.com.

Try these three delicious recipes to cure your pumpkin fix. Of course, you can get more complicated, but the beauty of using pumpkin is the effectiveness of simplicity. I share the first two recipes because they’re ones I’ve made over and over, ones that are a big hit. The first one originated from a small but fancy winery in the NC mountains that offered hors d’oeuvres. The second one has been in my family for years, submitted to community and church cookbooks. The third, however, is more of an indulgent, sweet sensation taken from pumpkin-patch.com.

Pumpkin Dip

1 16-ounce can pumpkin

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

1 box confectioner’s/powdered sugar

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

1 bag fresh gingersnaps

Directions

Mix the pumpkin and cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Then, add spices and follow with the powdered sugar, stirring in gradually. Dip in ginger snaps and enjoy! It’s best if chilled.

Pumpkin Bread

1 16-ounce can pumpkin (about 2 cups)

1 cup oil

4 eggs

3 ½ cups flour

3 cups sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice

1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees or 350 degrees, depending on your oven heat. Combine the pumpkin, oil and eggs. Sift together the dry ingredients. Combine the two mixtures, blending thoroughly. Pour the batter into two greased 9×5x3-inch loaf pans and bake for one hour. Add cup of chopped nuts to the batter before pouring it out of the bowl, if desired. Men apparently love this, so try something new for that special guy in your life, whether it be your brother, dad, boyfriend, husband or even just best friend.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Cheesecake:
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
15 ounces pure pumpkin
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping:
2 cups sour cream, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla


For crust:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar in medium bowl. Press into bottom of 9-inch spring form pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes. (Do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

For cheesecake:
Beat cream cheese, sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat well. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.

For topping:
Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Chill for several hours or overnight.

Kristin Larmore, a recent Journalism graduate, loves making pumpkin bread during the fall. Her favorite scents to smell while working at Pier One Imports are the apple cobbler, ember and autumn spice cake. However, she has never been a fan of pumpkin pie.

Photo from http://nowmorethanever.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/pumpkin_cheesecake_7034.jpg