I’ve already sung autumn’s praises in a previous Five for Friday post, but today I’m getting up close and personal with my favorite harbinger of the season: the pumpkin. Whether you use them for decoration, visit them in the pumpkin patch, drink them in your lattes, or bake with them in your kitchen, pumpkins are indisputably the mark of fall’s arrival. Before agriculture went global and it became possible for us to have anything we wanted, no matter the time of year, pumpkins were the prized fruit of a long growing season and a patient farmer. I still think of buying a pumpkin as my reward for surviving another hot summer.
I’m not the only one in my family that loves pumpkin, either. My daughter typically asks for pumpkin pie to celebrate her September birthday. I’m always happy to oblige.
This week, I’m offering up these five links to pumpkin recipes for you to try out. I hope you’ll explore everything that pumpkins have to offer.
You may not have thought about pumpkin and chocolate as a match made in heaven, but trust me–the combination is hard to beat. These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are worth your time on a weekend morning. (Muffins generally freeze well, too, so you can make a batch and eat them throughout the week.)
Don’t forget the coffee–here’s a super simple recipe for pumpkin spice coffee syrup that let you make your own delicious lattes. And since you can adjust the level of pumpkin flavor to your own taste, you might just like them better that what you’ve had at the coffee shop.
Hummus and veggies is one of my favorite gluten-free lunch options, and this pumpkin hummus is the perfect autumn option. Hummus also pairs well with crackers or bagel chips, and it’s great for a healthy mid-afternoon snack.
Have you ever tried pumpkin pasta sauce? It’s one of my favorite things, although jarred sauces tend to be too heavy on the sage, for my taste. Try making your own from scratch and season it however you like. (I’ll just add that a little bit of crushed red pepper is divine in pumpkin sauce.)
Everybody knows that pumpkins are famous for making great pies, but pumpkin dessert options really know no limits. Here’s a recipe for pumpkin pecan cobbler that will knock your socks off.
If you have a favorite pumpkin recipes, be sure to share it in the comments!
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