Any Home Bakers Here?

[sunflour]

Holidays is when I miss my family the most. All but one sis have passed. But invite our friends to join us for my mom's traditional T day dinner:

Turkey, southern cornbread & biscuit dressing, gravy, butter beans, a casserole and my famous K.A. wheat rolls - warm from the oven.
Jellied cranberry sauce, pickled peaches, spiced apple rings. Pear or pineapple + miracle whip + shredded cheese + a cherry on top.

And PUMPKIN PIE + something else.


Guess it may bore some folks, but we always had almost had an exact holiday menu - and I love it!

 

[Alice28]

We don't really have any family or at least none that really care to be involved. I think this year it's just me, my husband and our son. Which is fine. I get a pie pumpkin at the pumpkin patch every October and make pumpkin pie even though I don't like it. We will make homemade whipped cream to because that's fun. I don't like turkey so we usually do chicken. It will be a fun family day. We will probably sign up and do the local turkey trot in the morning too.

 

[sunflour]

We don't really have any family or at least none that really care to be involved. I think this year it's just me, my husband and our son. Which is fine. I get a pie pumpkin at the pumpkin patch every October and make pumpkin pie even though I don't like it. We will make homemade whipped cream to because that's fun. I don't like turkey so we usually do chicken. It will be a fun family day. We will probably sign up and do the local turkey trot in the morning too.

Can you really cook those big pumpkins??? Years ago, they were fresh and tender, but last one I thought I could scoop and cook was too dry. I did find small sugar baking pumpkins at Fresh Market last year…too hard to get ready for pie, and was not the best I have done. Kinda needed a chain saw to cut the pumpkins.

So I cheat - like my mom did - and just buy canned pumpkin mix.

Duh, what's a turkey trot?

 

[Alice28]

Can you really cook those big pumpkins??? Years ago, they were fresh and tender, but last one I thought I could scoop and cook was too dry.  I did find small sugar baking pumpkins at Fresh Market last year…too hard to get ready for pie, and was not the best I have done.  Kinda needed a chain saw to cut the pumpkins.

So I cheat - like my mom did - and just buy canned pumpkin mix.

Duh, what's a turkey trot?

Yes, you can cook with the large and small pumpkins. The small ones are great for pie. Honestly, it pretty much tastes exactly like the canned stuff, but I just would rather make it. It's surprisingly easy. There is a recipe in The Joy of Cooking that we use. The big pumpkins are good for soup. We've made a soup where you bake the large pumpkin for a bit, then put the soup back inside the pumpkin and it was amazing! And the turkey trot is a fun that they out on every thanksgiving morning. We might do it, or we might just go to the beach or something in the morning.

You are supposed to cook the pumpkin first, then the skin comes off and you just throw the flesh in a blender and add the spices.

 

[islandgirl82]

Mmmm...pumpkin.

I found a very simple Pumpkin Spice Cake "recipe" with Apple Cider Glaze and any time I've made it, it never lasts long.

The shortcut version is:

1 can of Pumpkin Pie puree
1 cake mix

*the pumpkin puree takes the place of all the wet ingredients the mix calls for.

Bake in a bundt pan as the cake box directs

The glaze is just a basic recipe but uses Apple Cider in place of milk


*I've been lurking this thread for a while...thought it was time to make an actual contribution

 

[sunflour]

Yes, you can cook with the large and small pumpkins. The small ones are great for pie. Honestly, it pretty much tastes exactly like the canned stuff, but I just would rather make it. It's surprisingly easy. There is a recipe in The Joy of Cooking that we use. The big pumpkins are good for soup. We've made a soup where you bake the large pumpkin for a bit, then put the soup back inside the pumpkin and it was amazing! And the turkey trot is a fun that they out on every thanksgiving morning. We might do it, or we might just go to the beach or something in the morning.

You are supposed to cook the pumpkin first, then the skin comes off and you just throw the flesh in a blender and add the spices.

Maybe the pumpkins in your area are different, but those sold in my area are commercially grown for halloween decor. I did bake/roast the sugar pumpkin last year…but had to get DH to cut it up…It took more sawing then cutting. Once it cooked, the skin did come off easily. But I was thankful we didn't cut ourselves.

Maybe next year I'll grow some meant for eating and try it again.

 

[Alice28]

Maybe the pumpkins in your area are different, but those sold in my area are commercially grown for halloween decor.  I did bake/roast the sugar pumpkin last year…but had to get DH to cut it up…It took more sawing then cutting.  Once it cooked, the skin did come off easily.  But I was thankful we didn't cut ourselves.

Maybe next year I'll grow some meant for eating and try it again.

It's definitely important to use pie pumpkins. I thought maybe if I used real pumpkin Id like the pie more, but still taste the same. I just still make it with a pumpkin because it's fun! But don't eat it. Lol

 

[Xiao Casa]

Mmmm...pumpkin.

I found a very simple Pumpkin Spice Cake "recipe" with Apple Cider Glaze and any time I've made it, it never lasts long.

The shortcut version is:

1 can of Pumpkin Pie puree
1 cake mix

*the pumpkin puree takes the place of all the wet ingredients the mix calls for.

Bake in a bundt pan as the cake box directs

The glaze is just a basic recipe but uses Apple Cider in place of milk


*I've been lurking this thread for a while...thought it was time to make an actual contribution

Well, we're glad to have you!

 

[sunflour]

Mmmm...pumpkin.

I found a very simple Pumpkin Spice Cake "recipe" with Apple Cider Glaze and any time I've made it, it never lasts long.

The shortcut version is:

1 can of Pumpkin Pie puree
1 cake mix

*the pumpkin puree takes the place of all the wet ingredients the mix calls for.

Bake in a bundt pan as the cake box directs

The glaze is just a basic recipe but uses Apple Cider in place of milk


*I've been lurking this thread for a while...thought it was time to make an actual contribution

Sounds so easy and good. Thanks for recipe.

 

[Xiao Casa]

@Alice28 , Are you near San Antonio? Just asking because we have a big Turkey Trot 5K run/walk here.

I don't particularly like turkey either, but we often have a ham too so I eat that. Our family is large and we need both! There's my parents, me, my four siblings, and at least four aunts and uncles who do Thanksgiving together. The rest of the clan lives up in New York, so they don't get to come.