Pumpkin Hummus

I think the birds are jealous of my dip.

They call the first line of a story in journalism school the hook. I was hoping that the title of this post might be your hook.  And I know- it sounds strange. But don’t stop reading now; this dip is delicious.

Once I brought up the idea of a pumpkin appetizer (see previous post) I got so excited at the prospect that I couldn’t relent until I found one that would work. And for the five of you that read this blog, I hear you- you are tired of pumpkin posts. I sense it. But this recipe is amazing- and I promise you it works.

This is my last pumpkin photo for a while. Maybe.

Combining two of my favorite foods (pumpkin+hummus) makes me a bit giddy about what you are about scoop into. This hummus is creamy, rich, and briney with a hint of lemon and garlic. And it would make a perfect appetizer for your Thanksgiving meal. Start with pumpkin hummus, end with pumpkin pie. Which, to my family-you will be relieved to know-will not be my dessert of choice this year.

So bust out your Pilgrim hats (or Indian headdresses), whip out a can of pumpkin, and get food processing.

This recipe is taken from Cooking Light with a few of my own tweaks.

What You Need:

  • 4 (6-inch) pitas, onion flavor (or any of your choosing), each cut into 8 wedges
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • a half of a lemon, squeezed and de-seeded (if you like your hummus more lemon-y, reserve the other half just in case)
  • 1 generous teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil plus more if your food processor is like mine, which means tiny and the blades get stuck
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
  • 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped, which may be uneccessary because we are putting it into a food processor for goodness sake
  • cilantro for garnish

You Will

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Cut your pitas in half, then cut each half into thirds with a pizza cutter. Toss the pieces lightly with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt.  Bake them on a cookie sheet at 350° for 10 minutes or until toasted. (Side note: make sure and space the pieces with room to breathe on each side for the best, crispiest edges.)
  3. Put tahini and the next seven ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor, and process until smooth and a uniform color and consistency. Spoon hummus into a serving bowl; sprinkle with cilantro (or parsley or basil), if desired. Serve with toasted pita wedges.

Happy Pumpkin Week!

Layers of sponge cake, pumpkin butterscotch, and whipped cream nestled together.

This is a special week because 1.)We can eat as much Halloween candy as possible in one sitting without feeling guilty (which for me involves copious amounts of candy corn) and 2.) We celebrate pumpkins.

There is something nostalgic and happy about pumpkins. They remind me of everything great about fall- hay rides, adorable kids in costumes, cooler air and the smell of sun-burnt leaves. They also remind me of the time as a kid when I tried to scoop out the inside of a pumpkin and eat it.

I was also known to eat dirt from our garden believing in my small brain it was Oreo crumbs. But, I digress.

I learned my lesson the hard way and that pumpkin seeds are meant to be roasted before swallowed. And since then, it has also stirred a fascination in me to cook with pumpkin- it’s slightly sweet, spicy-creamy taste is so reminiscent to me of fall and bonfires and starry nights.

This was the most epic shot of a pumpkin trifle ever.  

So, in celebration of fall, candy, and fun here is a great pumpkin trifle recipe I made this week for my small group of wonderful ladies who deserve brilliant fall desserts. If there was ever a time to be happy about pumpkins, raw or otherwise, it would be now.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Trifle  (This recipe was adapted from A Taste Of Home’s version)

What You Will Need

  • 2 to 3 cups cut-into-cubes spice cake (I made Duncan Hines spice cake from the mix)
  • 2-1/2 cups cold milk (I used low-fat, because in my mind it makes this healthy)
  • 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
  • 4 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant butterscotch pudding mix (I used Jello Cook and Serve)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used a scant 1/4 teaspoon here and added a bit of freshly grated nutmeg to mine)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • A splash of vanilla extract
  • A trifle dish (or huge salad bowl; or one of those plastic pumpkin things you put candy in. Be creative as you celebrate your dessert!)

What You Will Do

  • Cut your cooled spice cake into four sections. From each section, cut the cake into one or two inch squares. You should have four piles of cake squares.
  • Put the bowl you are going to make whipped cream in, along with the beater, in the freezer.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin, pudding mixes and spices; beat until smooth. Once the ingredients are combined, pour your pudding liquid into a medium-sized saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil (this should take a about two minutes on medium high; watch it though because it bubbles quickly).
  • Once the mixture starts bubbling, stir it frequently, making sure that the bottom of the pudding doesn’t burn, until it becomes pudding consistency. I stopped cooking mine once it felt about like the texture I would serve it if it was cold. And it’s even better if you get a little bit of darker edges around the sides and bottom of your pan. This will give your mixture a nice roasty flavor.
  • Take the pan off of the heat to let your pudding cool. If you like, you can put it in the fridge to quicken the cooling process.
  • In the meantime, take your mixing bowl and beaters out of the freezer. Whip the cream and a splash of vanilla until stiff peaks form.
  • Commence eating candy.

Once your pumpkin pudding is cooled:

  • Make one layer of your spice cake cubes in the bottom of your serving bowl.
  • Spoon half of your pudding over your cake layer. Then sprinkle that with a second layer of cake cubes (ok, cake cubes is just fun to say).
  • Top your second layer of cake cubes with half of your whipped cream.
  • Sprinkle with a third portion of cubes. Top with the remaining pumpkin mixture, then the rest of the whipped cream.
  • My whipped cream got a bit out of control and was overflowing my dish, but in the original recipe I found I think you are supposed to sprinkle another layer of cake cubes on top. I thought it was prettier with cinnamon, so you can either top it with cinnamon or the rest of the cake cubes. But then that would be a lot of cake cubes.
  • Double-cover your trifle with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.  Yield: 12-15 servings