Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 eggs

1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup oil

6 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Baker's)

Directions:
1. Preheat to 350°F. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices until well blended; set aside. Beat eggs, pumpkin, sugars, milk and oil in large bowl until well blended. Add dry ingredients; stir just until moistened. Stir in chopped chocolate.

2. Pour into greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.

3. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Cut into 18 (1/2-inch thick) slices to serve.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Ingredients:

25 Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

Directions:
1.Heat oven to 325°F. A silver 9-inch springform pan is best to use. Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan for the crust

2. Beat softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1-1/2 cups of the batter; place in small bowl.

3. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the pumpkin and spices into remaining cream cheese batter. Spoon half of this pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers.

4.Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

5. Bake for 5 min. to 1 hour 5 min. or until center is almost set. (Test by gently shaking the pan. If the cheesecake is done, it will be set except for an approximately 2-1/2-inch area in the center that will be soft and jiggly.)

6. Cool for a least an hour. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator

Pumpkin Chocolate-chip Squares

by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

4. Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.

Review:
I didn't have a 9X13 pan, instead I used a 9X10 pan so my squares came out thicker...and I definitely advise against making these thicker since they became more prone to crumbling and it was too much chocolate in one bite. they are definitely yummy but make sure they are cooled all the way before serving-there is a distinct difference in taste between the non-cool and the cool squares. enjoy!

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple

Topping:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Review:
Very moist, sweet, and the flavors combined are perfect. Also, if you do not have the 1 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice, substitute: 1 1/2 t. cinnamon, 3/4 t. ginger, scant 1/2 t. allspice, scant 1/2 t. nutmeg. The streusel topping didn't work perfectly for me, it became too warm by the time I needed to put it on the top. So instead I just crumbled the sugar mixture on the top and when the muffins came out the crumble melted on top and came out with this yummy cinnamon crunch top.

Egg Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.Cream the sugar, butter, and vanilla together. Mix until light and well combined, then add pumpkin.
3.Mix the flour, baking soda and ground cinnamon in seperate bowl. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips
4.Drop by teaspoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Let cookies cool

Rating:
A cake-like cookie that is simple and not overwelming. The dough does not spread when cooked so make sure to lightly press down on each round when placing it onto the cookie sheet. For those that would like a more fall/spice flavor add a dash of 'all spice' or 'pumpkin pie spice' into the mix. (7/10)

Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:
3 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking sod
3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 c. oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
2 c. pumpkin

Icing:
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1.Prepare muffin tins with muffin cups
2.Stir in all dry ingredients first then add wet ingredients
3.Fill muffin tins three-quarters full and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4.Prepare icing in a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. I toped each cupcake with a pumpkin shaped candy corn.

Rating:made the house smell so yummy! A great treat for fall or even a Halloween party. (9/10)