As a kid, I wouldn't touch pumpkin pie, but I have found that almost all kids like pumpkin cake and toated pumpkin seeds. And lots of kids have eaten my cake, because I used to have a Halloween party every year at the little library I worked at which was combined with a school library. There would come around 50 children and adults each year who would carve pumpkins so the seeds and filling flew around the room and dress up in costumes and play pumpkin bowling, and pin the frog in the witch's cauldron. When I started no one in Denmark knew about Halloween, but today it has quickly caught on and they sell Halloween pumpkins and Halloween do dads everywhere. But trick or treating hasn't really started here. There is another holiday in January where the kids dress up and go from door to door. They prefer to get money, but I give them candy.
PUMPKIN CAKE
1 cup cooked and mashed pumpkin
I use a Hokkaido squash that I cut in pieces, scrape out the seeds and loose center, peel and chop and boil in water for 10 minutes until soft and easy to mash. I put in less water than squash and just mash the squash with the remaining water. Of course I have also used regular pumpkins but Hokkaido squash are smaller and look and taste like pumpkins.
2 eggs
½ cup oil
1 t. almond extract
1 T cinnamon
½ cup raw sugar (Once I forgot the sugar and although my son wouldn't eat it, my friends thought it was fine- pumpkin has a natural sweetness)
1½ cup flour (whole wheat)
1 t baking soda
1 t. baking powder
If the batter is too thick add some buttermilk
bake about 30 min in greased 9" pan at 350
ICING
confectioners sugar, 1 t cinnamon, 2T boiling water
PUMPKIN MUFFINS
this is almost the same recipe with less oil, less sugar, less egg and I leave out the cinnamon but you can use it.
1 cup cooked and mashed pumpkin
1 egg
3 T oil
1/3 cup raw sugar
1 t almond extract
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
some buttermilk
bake in greased muffin tin about 25 min. before baking make pumpkin faces with raisins on top.
1½ cups whole wheat flour
TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS
rinse and drain pumpkin seeds. Mix olive oil and 1 t. salt. Mix seeds with this. spread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven. I toast and eat the whole seeds with the husk.
