Pumpkin Butternut Squash Bisque

This soup cooks all day in a slow cooker and makes a great cold winter night's meal! I served this as a starter for our annual Christmas dinner, but it can definitely be a meal paired with a salad or bread. And although it's a bisque, it is not too heavy using evaporated milk instead of cream.

Pumpkin Butternut Squash Bisque

4 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 1/2 c chicken broth
drizzle olive oil
1/2 tsp each ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne, black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 can pumpkin
1/2 c brown sugar
1 can evaporated milk
Place all ingredients in slow cooker (except last 3). Cook on high for 4 hours. Blend well with an immersion blender. Add pumpkin and brown sugar, blend well. Heat another 15 minutes, stir in evaporated milk. Heat another 15 minutes. Serve with fresh parsley.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

I love finding new pumpkin recipes for fall!  This is a delicious take on coffee cake that would be great for breakfast or dessert.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

1 2/3 c flour
1 1/4 c brown sugar, divided
2 tsp baking powder
4 tsp cinnamon, divided
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 c canned pumpkin
1/3 c milk
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c butter, melted
powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 8 or 9 in square, glass baking dish with butter.  Combine flour, 1/2 c brown sugar, baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, and allspice in a bowl.  Beat pumpkin puree, milk, egg, and vanilla in another bowl until well blended.  Stir into flour mixture until batter is smooth.  Spread batter into dish.  Stir 3/4 c brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, and melted butter in a small bowl until combined.  Pour over cake batter.  Bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

This is another great pumpkin recipe for the fall.  Serve these warm or cold with coffee!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 can pumpkin
3/4 c cold butter
1 1/3 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c sugar
1 c oats
1/2 c pecans, chopped
3 eggs
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 13x9 pan with foil, grease foil lining with cooking spray.  Mix flour, brown sugar, 1/4 c sugar in bowl.  Cut in cold butter until coarse crumbs appear.  Stir in oats and pecans.  Reserving 1 c of oat mixture, press remaining in pan.  Bake 15 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, remaining 1/2 c sugar, pumpkin, and spice in bowl with hand mixer until smooth.  Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved oat mixture.  Bake 25 minutes.  Cool completely then remove foil from pan to cut into bars.  Refrigerate left-overs.

Pumpkin Waffles

I experimented on Saturday morning and came up with a delicious pumpkin waffle recipe.  It is great for the fall!

Pumpkin Waffles

2 c "just add water" pancake/waffle mix
1/2 c pumpkin
1/3 c oil
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
real maple syrup
Heat waffle iron.  Mix waffle mix according to package directions.  Add pumpkin, stir well.  Add in spices, stir until combined.  Allow mix to sit 5 minutes while waffle iron is preheating.  Spray waffle iron with cooking spray, cook waffles until steam stops coming out of iron and waffles are no longer sticking to the iron.  Top with butter and real maple syrup.  Makes 8 waffles.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This delicious pumpkin cake recipe is from my mother-in-law.  I always look forward to the fall so I can make this cake...it's so moist!

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 c oil
2 c sugar
2 c canned pumpkin
4 eggs
2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 stick butter, softened
3 tbsp milk
1 3/4 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9x13 cake pan.  Mix first 9 ingredients with hand mixer until smooth.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted into cake comes out almost clean.  Allow cake to cool completely before icing.  For icing, mix cream cheese, butter, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla with hand mixer until smooth.  Ice cake and immediately refrigerate.  In the Nelson family, we top with sprinkles.  Keep cake refrigerated.