Suzie Wilbourn's spicy pumpkin soup

Wilbourn said she first tasted this soup four years ago at the Fourth Street Grille in Sacramento.

After a lot of searching, she found a recipe and modified it to her taste. She said she first made it for a group of ladies she plays Pictionary with and they loved it.

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 ripe banana
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves
5 cups chicken broth (low salt)
2 cups canned pumpkin (pure)
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, banana, onion, garlic, bay leaf and clove and saute until soft, about 12-15 minutes. Remove bay leaf and discard. Transfer mixture to food processor and blend until smooth. Return to pot and add remaining ingredients. Boil for 15 minutes to blend flavors. Allow mixture to cool a bit then puree in batches in blender. Return to pot, reduce heat to low and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with cilantro.

May be made one day ahead of time.

Debra Ladwig's pumpkin soup

10 cups raw fresh pumpkin, cubed (flesh only, no seeds or skin)
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup carrots, pared and chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 Bouillon cubes, chicken or beef
2 cups heavy cream

In heavy bottom saucepan, place pumpkin cubes. Add six cups water just to cover and cook over medium heat until pumpkin is tender, about 45 minutes. Add additional water throughout the cooking process only to keep from boiling dry.

In small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil. Sauté onion, garlic, carrots and celery until tender. Add sautéed vegetables to cooked pumpkin. Blend with stick blender until pureed or transfer to regular blender and puree.

Return puree to saucepan. Dissolve the Bouillon cubes in three cups boiling water and add to puree salt and pepper. Return to low heat and simmer to blend flavors, about 30 minutes. Stir in nutmeg and heavy cream and simmer about 10 additional minutes.

Dorothy Thompson's pumpkin cheesecake loaves

Thompson said she found this recipe years ago for pumpkin loaves. She made the recipe her own by adding the cheesecake, and said either way tastes good. She said the smaller loaves can make good gifts.

Bread
6 eggs
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 large (29 oz.) can of solid pack pumpkin
5 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground allspice
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (adding more makes a spicier flavor)
1 1/2 cups of walnuts or pecans, chopped (if desired)
3/4 cup of raisins (if desired)
Cheesecake mixture
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

In a very large bowl, gently beat the eggs. Then add the sugar, oil and pumpkin and mix well with a hand mixer. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, allspice and cinnamon. Stir dry ingredients to blend spices and flour. Add this mixture, a little at a time, to the pumpkin mix and stir only until blended with a wooden spoon. Add nuts and raisins.

Spoon the batter almost halfway up greased, floured bread pans. Then spoon the cheesecake batter on top of that layer and continue to cover that with another small layer of pumpkin mix. If desired, sprinkle finely chopped nuts on top and bake in a 350 degree oven. For the larger pan, check the loaf after 50 minutes or so and continue to bake until done. Larger loaves take anywhere from 50 minutes or so to 65 minutes (check frequently). Smaller loaves usually take about 40 minutes (check after 35 minutes). Let cool in pan for about five minutes. Turn out, and if a soft crust is desired, you can butter the top gently. When it is cool, wrap airtight and store in the refrigerator.

To make the cheesecake mixture, soften the cream cheese. Place in a medium-size bowl and add sugar and eggs. Beat with a hand mixer until well blended. Spoon thin layer over pumpkin dough.

Carol Rosin's sour cream pumpkin coffeecake

Rosen said she entered this recipe in a contest she had at work and won.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups (16 ounces) pumpkin pulp
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream butter, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla in a mixer bowl. Add three eggs, beating well. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with sour cream.

Combine pumpkin, beaten egg, 1/3 cup sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Spray 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon half of batter into baking dish; spread to corners.

Streusel

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Mix brown sugar, butter and cinnamon together until well blended. Stir in chopped walnuts.

Sprinkle half of streusel over batter. Spread pumpkin mixture over streusel. Carefully spread remaining batter over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle remaining streusel over top. Bake in a slow oven (325 degrees) for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 12 servings.

Tina Whittock's spiced pumpkin dip

Whittock said she served this at Thanksgiving one year with apples for an extra dessert and didn't have any left over.

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Gingersnap cookies

Blend cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth in a food processor. Remove cover and add pumpkin and remaining ingredients. Blend thoroughly. Chill 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Serve with gingersnap cookies.

For another twist, Red Delicious apples or pears may be substituted, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices, leaving skin on for color. Toss fruit with a little lemon juice mixed with water to prevent browning.

Source: Adapted by Tina Whittock from allrecipes.com.

Pat Clark's pumpkin cake

Clark said this was a recipe she received at a church potluck. Her family and club members really like it.

Crust

1 yellow cake mix, with one cup reserved
1 cube margerine, melted
1 egg

Mix all ingredients with hand mixer and press into a 9-by-13 pan and set aside.

Filling

1 large can pumpkin pie mix
2 eggs, beaten slightly
1 5-ounce can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat eggs and add pie mix, evaporated milk and vanilla. Mix and pour over crust.

Topping

1 cup cake mix
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup margerine
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Mix cake mix, cinnamon and margarine with pastry blender until crumbly. Sprinkle pecans on top of cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.