HONEY PUMPKIN DESSERT BARS and PUMPKIN FUDGE and PUMPKIN, RAISIN AND BRANDY PIE

I love pumpkin, and am always drawn to a recipe, whether sweet or savory, that features this wonderful fruit (I was shocked to discover pumpkin is not a vegetable).
Here are three recipes, sweet and luscious and delicious.
I made the Pumpkin, Raisin and Brandy Pie on one of those days that there were a hundred things going on! I had it planned perfectly - I would whisk it out of the oven a moment before leaving home, but as I promptly arrived for my meeting, I realized I had left the pie in the oven! Apparently an extra 20 to 25 minutes was just what the pie needed, it was a little brown, but it tasted wonderful.

HONEY PUMPKIN DESSERT BARS

CRUST
1 cup flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
FILLING
30 ounces canned pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 cup honey
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, mix crust ingredients with fork until crumbly. Press in bottom of 13 by 9 inch pan. Bake 10 minutes.
In large bowl, beat filling ingredients until blended.
Pour over partially baked crust.
Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until set. Cool completely. Serve with whipped cream if desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from General Mills, 2009
www.bettycrocker.com/.../honey-pumpkin-dessert-s...

PUMPKIN FUDGE

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (11 ounce) package butterscotch morsels
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans

Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with foil. Butter foil, set aside.
In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Cook, stirring, over medium high heat until mixture boils.
Reduce heat to medium low, continue to boil at a steady rate, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234 degrees or mixture reaches soft ball stage, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
Mix in butterscotch pieces and stir until melted. Stir in marshmallow creme and vanilla until well combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with pecans.
When fudge is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan. Cut fudge into pieces.
Enjoy!

PUMPKIN, RAISIN AND BRANDY PIE

1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons brandy
3 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 cups cooked, pureed pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
300 ml cream
1 cup crushed ginger snaps

Heat the oven to 375F.
Place raisins in a bowl with brandy and microwave on high for 1 minute. Beat eggs with sugar and golden syrup until smooth. Mix in the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and cream. Stir in raisins. Pour into a greased pie dish and sprinkle crushed cookies on top. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until just set. Cool, and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from NZ House and Garden
www.nzhouseandgarden.co.nz/