October Blog Challenge: Days 15 & 16 (A Taste of Fall)

Day 15 prompt:  Round up your favorite pumpkin recipes.

PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES:

•  1/2 Cup Butter (Sweet Cream Salted)
•  1 Cup Sugar
•  2 Eggs
•  1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
•  2 Cups Flour
•  4 tsp. Baking Powder
•  1 tsp. Salt
•  2 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
•  1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
•  1/4 tsp. Ginger
•  1 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)
•  Cookie Sheets
•  Parchment Paper

CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

•  1/2 Cup Butter (Sweet Cream Salted)
•  8 oz. block of Cream Cheese
•  3 tsp. Vanilla
•  4 cups Powdered Sugar
•  1 tsp. Cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES:

1. In a mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs and pumpkin and mix well.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and fold into cookie batter.
4. Mix until well blended.
5. Drop a spoonful of the cookie batter onto a cookie sheet.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes.
7. Allow to cool.
8. Frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

PUMPKIN CHILI:

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 oz garlic (4-6 cloves)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 12 oz diced pumpkin (half of a small (2.5 lbs) cooking pumpkin)
• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 cup beef stock
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 3 oz tomato paste
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 15 oz can kidney beans
• 15 oz can white beans
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tbsp white granulated sugar
• salt
• fresh cracked black pepper

• Start by cutting pumpkin and other veggies. 

  To cut pumpkin: pop the stem off with a large knife (knife always facing away from you) and cut pumpkin in half. Scoop out seeds and membrane. I like to use an ice cream scoop because it easily scoops up the membrane. Cut pumpkin halves in two and peel the tough skin off with a vegetable peeler.
• Dice pumpkin, onions, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Try to get the cuts as even as possible.
• Preheat the pot over medium heat and add oil. 
• Add onions and saute until transparent. 
• Add tomatoes, pumpkin, and bell peppers. Cook for a few minutes. 
• Smash garlic, mince it and add it to the veggies. Stir and cook until veggies are softened. 
• Take veggies out of the pot and set aside. 
• In the same pot, cook ground beef until browned, breaking up all the clumps. Season with some salt and pepper as it cooks. 
• Add veggies back to the pot and stir.
• Increase heat to medium-high and stir in stock, pumpkin puree, tomato sauce and tomato paste. 
• Strain most of the liquid from the beans and add them to the pot. Gently stir everything well. Bring to boil.
• Lower heat to low and stir in sugar, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Taste to check if more salt and spice is desired.
• Cover, leaving a small crack for steam to escape, and cook for about an hour. Remember to stir once in a while to ensure even cooking.

Day 16 prompt:  Make a post of only pictures that shows fall in your area.