Friday Five Favs: Pumpkin Recipes

Fall is absolutely, positively my favorite time of year for baking and pumpkin is by far my favorite main ingredient. I have been lazy so far and been using canned pumpkin puree, but I promised the bug we would try our hand at roasting our own pumpkin very soon. Here are some of my favorite pumpkin recipes that I've discovered this year - be warned I like my baked goods heavy on the spices and usually double what is called for in most recipes.

1. Almost Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake from the Food Network: I made this last week for our cousin's husband's birthday and it was a huge hit. The only changes I made were: to add some cinnamon and nutmeg to the graham cracker crumbs when I was making the crust, I didn't add pecans to the top, and I make my whipped cream with a dash of vanilla extract and a tablespoon or so of confectioner's sugar.

2. Pumpkin Pie Bars from Annie's Eats: I also made these for our cousin's husband's birthday because I wanted a different option because I didn't know what everyone would have a taste for. These really do come out with a creamy pie texture and are wonderful - my father-in-law liked these even better than the cheesecake (which was a big success). The only thing I changed was to omit the nuts because I didn't know if there were any allergy issues.

3. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies from Made in Melissa's Kitchen: I made these as a dessert the time before her husband's birthday when we went to our cousin's house for dinner - have you noticed a trend? Her husband loves baked goods so much that I find it very gratifying to bake for him:-) These were absolutely amazing! The cookie/cake batter is perfectly spiced and keeps the fall flavor prominent even with the sweet frosting. The only downside is the cream cheese in the frosting means you have to chill them and that makes the cake part get a little sticky and moist. I would like to try them again with a straight buttercream.

4. Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream from Made in Melissa's Kitchen: Bug and I made these for fun one weekend and everyone who tried them was blown away by how good they were. I was impressed with how spicy and moist the cake came out (I did double all the spices except the ginger) and how totally indulgent the salted caramel buttercream was. I had multiple coworkers in my office rave that this frosting was their favorite they have ever tasted.

5. Pumpkin Pancakes from The Curvy Carrot: We made these for breakfast last weekend and I thought they were quite yummy. Beating the egg whites gives the pancakes a really light and fluffy texture that is worth trying if you have never made a pancake like this. Definitely at least double the spice called for to get the fall flavor you'd expect from a pumpkin pancake.