Pumpkin Sweets Recipes

On special occasions, a little treat is good. What better treat for Fall than a chocolate chip pumpkin cake and pumpkin brownie! I am feeling a bit nostalgic today and given the fact that canned pumpkin filling is on sale this week at my local CVS, I felt I had to make something pumpkin.

When I was in undergrad Intro to Foods lab, one of the lab assignments we had involved shortened and foam style cakes. That’s when I came across this SUPER easy pumpkin cake. Clean up is a breeze because all of the ingredients go in 1 bowl for the chocolate chip pumpkin cake. The pumpkin brownie is a new recipe I found on Allrecipes.com and was a little tedious. But, they are both equally delicious! 

Enjoy...

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

Photo courtesy of Food Explorer RD

1 cup sugar

½ cup oil

2 eggs

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon salt

½ can pumpkin pie filling

3 ounces mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix everything in order given. Batter will be thick. Bake in greased, floured cake pan for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.

I had extra pumpkin filling so I decided to use it to make another recipe. I found this online.

Pumpkin Brownie

Recipe by: CroqueMadame

"A twist on a classic brownie recipe--perfect for fall! Rich chocolate flavors are nicely complemented by pumpkin and spices."

Ingredients

Photo courtesy of Food Explorer RD

·       3/4 cup all-purpose flour       

·       1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·       1/2 teaspoon salt

·       3/4 cup butter, melted

·       1 1/2 cups white sugar

·       2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·       3 eggs

·       1/4 cup cocoa powder

·       1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

·       1/2 cup pumpkin puree

·       1/2 cup chopped walnuts

·       3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·       1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

·       1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan. Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
2. In another bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract; beat in the eggs one at a time with a spoon. Gradually add the flour mixture, and stir the batter until it's evenly moistened. Divide the batter in half in two separate bowls.
3. Into one bowl of batter, blend the cocoa powder and chocolate chips. In the second bowl of batter, stir in the pumpkin puree, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
4. Spread 1/2 of the chocolate batter into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, and follow with 1/2 of the pumpkin batter. Repeat the layers, ending with a pumpkin layer, and drag a kitchen knife or small spatula gently through the layers in a swirling motion, to create a marbled appearance.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan, cut into squares, and serve.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2015 Allrecipes.com

Source: Pumpkin Brownies. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/211165/pumpkin-brownies/print/. Accessed November 7, 2015.

Pumpkin mania!

Photo courtesy of Food Explorer RD

I have been craving the chocolate chip pumpkin cake I made back in my undergrad, Intro to Foods lab. Even though the weather is not your typical autumn weather, pumpkin anything is everywhere! Today, I’ve made 2 different pumpkin treats. But, before I post the recipe, let’s talk about the health benefits.

What’s so good about pumpkin, besides tasting delicious and its vibrant orange color? Pumpkin is full of important nutrients for maintaining health. Below is a list of healthy nutrients in pumpkin and its health benefits.

Remember, if you don’t have the time or energy to puree your own pumpkin from scratch, consider buying canned 100% pure pumpkin to take advantage of this healthy ingredient. You can use it in seed form or to make desserts, bread, soups, etc.

Nutrients	Health Benefits
Vitamin A	Essential for good vision and cell growth
Carotenoids/Beta carotene	May inhibit cancer cell growth, work as antioxidants, and improve immune response
Fiber	See blog, Dietary Fiber 101 (October 23, 2015)
Vitamin E	Antioxidant, boost immune system, helps widen blood vessels and keep blood from clotting within them, important for metabolic processes
Vitamin C	Antioxidant, good for your skin, bones, and connective tissue, promotes healing and helps the body absorb iron
Magnesium	regulates muscles and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA
Potassium	Helps nerves and muscles communicate, plays role in moving nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells, helps with regulating blood pressure
Iron	Growth and development, important for making hemoglobin and myoglobin (helps provide oxygen to the body), makes some hormones, and connective tissue
Copper	Works with iron to help body form red blood cells; essential for keeping blood vessels, nerves, immune system, and bones healthy; aids in iron absorption
Manganese	Used for prevention and treatment of manganese deficiency; essential for maintaining bone and blood health

Sources:

Pumpkin. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2602/2#ixzz3qqpSIDQm. Accessed November 7, 2015.

Medline Plus. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus. Accessed November 7, 2015.

National Institute of Health’s Dietary Supplements Fact Sheet. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/. Accessed November 7, 2015.

The blog content and information provided by Food Explorer RD is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your own physician or other qualified health care professional regarding any medical questions or conditions.