Pumpkin Pie

adapted from Martha Stewart Living

The perfect pumpkin pie recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 ½ cups evaporated milk (1 can)
1 frozen 9-inch pie crust

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree and eggs. Beat well. Add evaporated milk and combine.

Fill pie shell with pumpkin mixture. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes more. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.

Butternut Squash Soup

from my Mom (via Sara Moulton Cooks at Home)

Ingredients

2 medium butternut squash or two packages of pre-cut squash (approx 6 cups)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed for thinning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

If using whole squash, halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds (or scoop out after baking) and arrange cut side down on a foil-lined and lightly oiled baking sheet. If using pre-packaged squash, just place evenly on foil-lined and lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake until very tender, 50-60 minutes. Cool to room temperature. If using whole squash, when they are cool enough to handle, scrape out the pulp. You should have about 6 cups.

Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and 4 cups of the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring often, until the leeks are tender, about 10 minutes. Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth. Thin with additional stock as needed (we like our soup thick!). Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4-6.

Baked Apples

adapted from Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients

8 large red apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into pieces
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup rolled oats
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup raisins
8 whole cinnamon sticks
½ cup apple cider

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice about ¼-inch off the top of each apple. Scoop out the seeds and core of the apple to make a pocket. Peel off about a ½-inch band of the apple's skin along the upper half of the apple with a vegetable peeler. Brush the peeled part of the apple with lemon juice.

In a small bowl combine the butter, lemon juice, brown sugar, oats, nutmeg, cinnamon and raisins. Stuff each of the apples with the mixture. Place the apples in a large baking dish just large enough to hold the apples upright. Pour the apple cider in the bottom of the dish (I sprinkled some extra cider into the apple pockets too). Bake until the apples are tender, about 30 minutes.

Serve with a cinnamon stick inserted in each apple and with whipped cream or ice cream.

Autumn Harvest Bread

adapted from Recipezaar

Ingredients

1 and ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
¼ cup apple cider
2 eggs
1 apple, peeled and chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine 4 ingredients. In another bowl combine sugar, pumpkin, apple sauce, cider and eggs. Add pumpkin mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined. Fold in chopped apple. Pour batter into loaf pan. I sprinkled some toasted pumpkin seeds on top!

Bake for one hour.