Usually when you think of buying a pumpkin, thoughts of Halloween and jack-o-lanterns come to mind. But pumpkins can be used for many more things than these.

Pumpkins can be cooked and made into soups, pies, cakes, cookies, breads, and even served as a vegetable. And with the convenience of canned pumpkin, you can enjoy this food all year long, not just during the holidays.

Other than the traditional jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins are usually associated with the holiday pumpkin pie served across the table during Thanksgiving or Christmas. But why not try this delicious food in other recipes as well. I have chosen some of my favorite pumpkin recipes to share with you. So get out the pots and pans, turn on the stove and start cooking up some pumpkin to enjoy.

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

1½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup milk
½ cup canned pumpkin
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
½ cup raisins

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and grease the bottoms of 12 muffin cups. Mix all of the ingredients together just until the flour is moist. The batter will still be lumpy.

Fill the cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of sugar over the batter in each cup. Bake these muffins for 20 minutes and immediately remove from the pan.

Pumpkin Bread

4 eggs
1 can pumpkin
2 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup shortening
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons soda
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup chopped nuts

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9×5x3 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, cream the shortening and the sugar together until fluffy. Stir in the eggs, the pumpkin and the water. Blend in the flour, the soda, the salt, the baking powder, the cinnamon and the cloves. Stir in the nuts and the raisins.

Pour this batter into the pans. Bake for about 60 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and cool.

If you enjoyed these pumpkin recipes, then you might also enjoy:

Peanut Butter Pumpkins    

Pistachio Pumpkin Bread   

Pumpkin Pot Pies