Hills Butternut Soup

I always grow butternut squash in my garden each year. My favorite way to eat is is roasted in the oven with red onion but this is a close second. I took bits and pieces of two recipes and I think the addition of apple, ginger, and curry powder give this soup that "je ne sais quoi".

1 medium butter nut squash peeled and cubed into 1 inch cubes
1 Fuji apple peeled and chopped
1 can chicken broth

Put chopped squash,apple and chicken broth in a large saucepan and boil until very tender. Approx 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a medium skillet saute

2 T butter
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 t grated fresh ginger

Pour sauteed onion mixture into pot with squash. Puree all veggies with an immersion blender or food processor until smooth.

Then add
1 c whole milk
1 c half and half
1/4-1/2 t curry powder
1-2 T brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
dash of nutmeg

Stir and heat for a few minutes but do not bring to a boil. Serve with crusty bread. YUMMY!

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

*Stole this pic from myrecipies.com b/c my camera is broken but the recipe is mine all mine.
I am LOVING this smoothie right now. I like my sister have an obsession with all things pumpkin flavored and this smoothie really helps me keep the craving to whip up a batch of pumpkin cookies or bread every day at bay.

1 small banana (or 1/2 a lg)
1/2 c vanilla yogurt
1 t pumpkin pie spice (seems like a lot I know, but trust me)
1/3 c pumpkin puree
1/2-1 c ice
1 T honey
4 small store bought gingersnap cookies

*if you only have plain yogurt just add more honey
*don't over do the banana flavor, you want to add thickness without taking away from the pumpkin
*I use Greek yogurt for added protein

Farmer John's Favorite Pumpkin Cookies

I don't know who Farmer John is, but I love him!  I found this recipe in the San Jose Mercury news several years ago, and just now looked it up online and discovered that there actually IS a Farmer John in Half Moon Bay (CA), with his own website, even.  www.farmerjohnspumpkins.com.

These cookies have "Jonathan Stewart" written all over them due to their bounteous use of BUTTERSCOTCH chips and frosting. Maybe they should be called "Farmer Jonathan's Favorite Pumpkin Cookies" instead?

Yield: 8-10 dozen.

Cream:

2 Cups Shortening

3 Cups Sugar (1.5 Cups Dark Brown, 1.5 Cups Granulated)

Add:

3 Cups Pureed Pumpkin

2 Eggs

Combine:

4 Cups Unbleached Flour

2 tsp. Baking Soda

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Salt

.5 tsp. Ground Nutmeg

.5tsp. Ground Cloves

.5 tsp. Ground Allspice

 

Stir in:

2 Cups Butterscotch Chips

2 Cups Nuts (I use half walnuts, half pecans)

1 cup Raisins

Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake: 10-12 minutes at 375º

Penuche Frosting:

Combine 3/4 stick Butter, 8 tsp Milk, and 1 Cup Brown Sugar in a pan. Cook until sugar is dissolved. 

Let cool, then stir in 2 Cups powdered sugar and 1.5 tsp. Vanilla.  

Mixture will stiffen when it cools, so I like to keep the pan on the stove on VERY low, to keep the frosting creamy as I frost the cookies.

Lightly glaze the tops of each cookie.  Top with chopped pecans if you like nuts.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are fluffy and moist!  One of the best recipes I've tasted.  I got this recipe from a former college roommate, (the late) Laura Mackay.  When she first told me about these cookies, I gagged.  Who eats pumpkin AND chocolate together?  And the batter wasn't very sweet!  Well, I've since learned my lesson.  These cookies are addictive!

Cream together:

• 1/2 C shortening (the zero trans fat kind)
• 1-1/2 C granulated sugar
• 1 C pure pumpkin (canned)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla

Mix in:

• 2-1/2 C flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*.  Mix the ingredients above.  Dough will be moist and fluffy, goopy.  Drop by generous teaspoon-full onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake for about 14 minutes (that seems to be the magic number.) Test them at 12 minutes.  You do not want to overbake these or they will be too dry.  The cookie shape will be imperfect with little swirls of batter -- like meringue -- which should be just slightly browned on the tips.

The cookies will be really moist the next day if you keep them in an air-tight container.  ENJOY!