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Pumpkin chestnut soup.

This involves about a tin (the smaller size) of pumpkin, at least a cup of dried chestnuts, chicken broth (home-made if you have it, two tins of the best you can get your hands on, otherwise; if you're vegetarian, a good vegetable broth would probably work out fine), and the seasonings that strike you as most fitting at the time of preparation (I've done everything from just salt and pepper, to a wide array of spices, e.g. saffron+cardamom+nutmeg+cloves, etc.).

The recipe is loosely described here, as the ingredients themselves are accommodating (and there are no tricky chemical reactions to keep track of) and can easily be adapted to produce a very wide array of different end-products.

Overnight, soak the dried chestnuts in two cups (or one tin) of broth (in the refrigerator). I usually soak the chestnuts in the pot, ready to go the next day
The next day, add another cup of broth, bring the chestnuts to a boil, then lower the heat so the chestnuts simmer. Once they are tender, you have two options:
A. remove the chestnuts from the broth, and fork-mash, puree, or rice them, according to whether you want a smooth soup or one with a less even texture, then return them to the broth, add the remaining broth, the pumpkin, and the spices, and simmer until it reaches the desired consistency.
OR
B. Absentmindedly forget can that you have something cooking on the stove while you immerse yourself in a book, and only return to consciousness some time later, when a gorgeous caramel scent is wafting from the kitchen, and you discover that the broth has reduced to the point that, in combination with the natural sugars in the chestnuts, it is now a thick brown glaze over tender chestnuts (these taste delicious, by the way, and I've actually used these on their own as an accompaniment to various savoury dishes.
Or, to put this in a nutshell, simmer the chestnuts in the broth until it is reduced to a thick glaze. Then mash the chestnuts to the desired texture, add the rest of the broth, the pumpkin, and the seasonings, and simmer until you're happy with the texture.

Harvest Pumpkin Apple Bread!

I make pumpkin pie exactly according to the instructions on the canned pumpkin label (using the individual spices and NOT pumpkin pie spice), BUT I substitute a good thick yummy eggnog for the evaporated milk. Even a light eggnog works well, if it's thick enough. People can't get over the difference in taste. I made tiny pies in a mini-muffin/tart pan for two Halloween parties we went to and people raved. Luckily we have a little over a dozen left. Yum.

We have a favorite local restaurant that does pumpkin pecan pancakes and pumpkin pecan waffles only from October 1st through the end of the year. We try to go every single weekend while they've got them.

Pumpkin Cream Chees Rolls - I've never had one, but boy, does it sound great! Josdean, I'd love it if you'd post the recipe.

My favorite is "Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake," which I discovered in "Bon Appetit" a few years back. If you like pumpkin, and who doesn't like chocolate(?!), it's a win-win!

I posted the recipe on my blog: www.odetoeverythingfood.blogspot.com and you can also find it on: www.epicurious.com

Oh man, there are so many, but I'll go with this one:

Pumpkin Muffins with Candied Ginger

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1/4 C. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 C. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
1/2 C. canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger root
1 C. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/3 C. low-fat buttermilk
1/2 C. minced crystallized ginger

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray 12 muffin tins with nonstick spray. Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is very fluffy. Add the egg and mix on low speed to combine. Add the pumpkin puree and grated ginger root and mix again. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice together. Fold in half of the flour mixture. Stir in the buttermilk. Fold in the remaining flour mixture and the crystallized ginger. The batter should be smooth, but be careful to not overmix. Fill the prepared tins halfway with the batter. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffin tins to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before removing the muffins.

Hillary
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