Pumpkins!!

Early afternoon was spent baking pumpkins. I grow them in my garden, store them in a cool place, then bake them and use them when I feel like it. Today was one of those days. Four small pumpkins yeild a lot of pumpkin puree'!! By the time I'm done I should have 8 pumpkin pies for the freezer, one pumpkin bundt cake, 2 pumpkin chocolate chip loaves, and hopefully another 18-24 jumbo pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. Will be using tried and true recipes that are favorites. When baking with pumpkin many recipes call for ground cloves and nutmeg along with the cinnamon. I only do cinnamon, we don't like the strong flavor from the cloves and nutmeg.

Here are 3 of the recipes I have baked/will bake today. Enjoy!!

PUMPKIN CHIP MUFFINS

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking soda
2 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in Chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin caups 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Yield: about 24 standard-size muffins. (or 12 jumbo muffins)

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BREAD

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into two greased 8 in. x 4 in. loaf pans. Bake at 35o degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

PUMPKIN POUND CAKE

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps. baking soda

1 tsp. gound cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin

Confectioners sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; add to egg mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition. Transfer to a greased 10 inch fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Remove pan and cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar.