Aunt Judys Pumpkin Dessert Recipes

JUDY'S PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 36 muffin cups.
• Whisk self-rising flour, 2 1/2 cups sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl; stir pumpkin, eggs, and vegetable oil into dry ingredients until batter is smooth. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. Stir 2 tablespoons sugar with cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the muffins.
• Bake in the preheated oven until muffins are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

JUDY'S PUMPKIN SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and leek in melted butter until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, pumpkin puree, curry powder, salt, white pepper, ground ginger, and bay leaf to onion mixture; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat to cool. Pour broth mixture into a blender no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pot and bring to a boil.
• Gradually stir half-and-half into pumpkin mixture; cook until soup is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.

JULIA CHILD'S AUNT HELEN'S FLUFFY PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Separate eggs and set aside.
• Using a mixer, blender or large bowl, blend pumpkin, the 2 cups of the sugars, 1 teaspoon salt, molasses, bourbon or rum (if using), cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, egg yolks, cream and milk until smooth. Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, if the mixture is stiff: it should be a soft purée.
• In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until foaming. Whip in a pinch of salt, then gradually whip in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until shiny white peaks form. Beat 1/4 of the whites thoroughly into pumpkin mixture; gently fold in the rest.
• Immediately ladle filling into the shells, filling to just below the rim of the pan. Place in oven and bake just until rim of crust begins to turn gold, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the filling 2 inches from the rim comes out clean. (The center should still be a bit wet; it will cook more as it cools.) If the rim of the crust starts to get too brown, cover it with aluminum foil.
• Immediately turn oven off, leave door ajar (stick in a wooden spoon to hold it open if necessary) and let sit 20 to 30 minutes more as the oven cools; this will prevent the filling from turning watery. Serve warm, or let cool, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let pie come to room temperature before serving.

GRANDMA HELEN'S PUMPKIN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 325 degrees if using a Pyrex Glass pan
• Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.
• In medium bowl with electric mixer, beat eggs until frothy.
• Add sugar, pumpkin, oil, spice and vanilla.
• Beat on low speed until combined, then increase to medium speed.
• Beat 1 minute.
• Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; beat on low speed for 2 minutes.
• Add nuts and stir to combine.
• Pour into baking pan.
• Bake on center rack for about 40 minutes (30 to 35 minutes for layers) until cake is golden brown and top springs back when lightly pressed.
• Let cool in pan on rack for at least 1 hour before frosting.
• (For a layer cake, let cool 15 minutes, remove cake from pans and let cool completely before frosting.) For frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy.
• Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat on low speed until fluffy.
• Add more powdered sugar if necessary to make a stiffer frosting.
• Store cake in the refrigerator.

AUNT JUDY'S PUMPKIN DESSERT

Steps:

• Mix first 3 ingredients and spread into 9x13 inch casserole dish then bake for 30 minutes.
• Cool.
• Mix next 3 ingredients well and spread over cooled crust.
• Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Mix next 5 ingredients well and bring to a boil.
• Dissolve gelatin in 1/4 cup of water and add to boiling mixture.
• Turn heat down to warm.
• Beat the three egg whites, gradually adding 1/4 cup of sugar until stiff.
• Fold egg white mixture into slightly cooled pumpkin mixture and spread over the other 2 layers of the dessert.
• Top with a generous layer of Cool Whip to finish off this yummy dessert.