Around the Kitchen Table: THE GREAT PUMPKIN SEASON + 7-Book #Giveaway!

CLEO COYLE:  Do you remember that classic Peanuts movie, aired yearly for decades: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown? Or maybe you have fond memories of carving a jack-o'-lantern for Halloween? For reasons like these, I always think of October as a time to celebrate the humble pumpkin...

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Enjoy this fun little trip down the Great Pumpkin memory lane,
courtesy of YouTube. If you don't see the video above,
click here to view it on YouTube.

🎃 October is also a great month for making pumpkin recipes. I recently shared my method for making PERFECT PUMPKIN PANCAKES with EASY BUTTER PECAN SYRUP... 

Click here or on the photo above for 
Cleo's Pumpkin Pancakes recipe

And this recipe for PUMPKIN SPICE SOUL CAKES is one of my favorites. It's my tasty twist on an old tradition...

Click here or on the photo above for Cleo's
PUMPKIN SPICE SOUL CAKES recipe

My husband and I will devour these Pumpkin Spice Soul Cakes warm for breakfast, like pumpkin muffin tops, smeared with butter or cream cheese. Or we'll sandwich them together for dessert to make "soul cake whoopie pies" using fillings like cream cheese frosting; marshmallow creme; and even vanilla buttercream flavored with pumpkin spice. 

What about you? Do you have a favorite pumpkin memory or recipe to share? If you’re not a pumpkin fan, do you have any other dishes that you enjoy cooking or baking at this time of year?

~ Cleo 

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LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Oh, I loved the Great Pumpkin, too, Cleo! Linus and his unfailing optimism is such a hopeful image for kids of all ages.  

I'm a big fan of pumpkin in just about anything, except my lattes! I love the Pumpkin Pie Spices in coffee (and so many other things). I created this recipe for Fresca in my Food Lovers' Village mysteries, and then when I created the Spice Shop mysteries, well, Pepper, the shop owner, claimed it for herself! But the pumpkin? I have better uses for it! These Pumpkin Drop Scones are easy-peasy and yummy-pummy! (I just made that up.) This Pumpkin Ginger Mousse is light and full of flavor, as if the pumpkin could float! 

Ginger and pumpkin are such a wonderful combo that we also love in this Ginger Pumpkin Apple Soup. I've apparently never shared the Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins we call Christmas Muffins but that are good all year round -- there's usually a stash in our freezer. I promise to take care of that soon! 

And watch for my Pumpkin Spice Cake with Warm Caramel sauce from Murder in the Graveyard coming this Tuesday! 

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LIBBY KLEIN: "I got a rock." My favorite line from the Great Pumpkin and a sentiment that comes up in my life from time to time but always makes me giggle. Occasional disappointment aside, I love pumpkin everything! Except maybe that pumpkin spice latte that everyone raves about. I want to like it, but it's just not my thing. These amazing coffee-house style pumpkin cheesecake muffins on the other hand, these are what my autumn dreams are made of.  You can find my gluten-free version here. I'm pretty sure the recipe is also in the back of my Halloween Mystery - Mischief Nights Are Murder. Tasty and Hilarious!

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KIM DAVIS: It's been years since I've watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and now I want to revisit the movie! I seem to have it on DVD somewhere in one of the closets, lol. Thanks for reminding me of a childhood classic, Cleo! 

I adore anything pumpkin and keep a dozen cans in my pantry year-round. Not only do I give some to my dog every day, but I add it to my occasional smoothie, mixing a combination of pumpkin, pear, and cinnamon as the base. During the holidays I make vegan pumpkin pies (no one can tell it's made with tofu, or at least they're too polite to say anything 😂) and make enough for breakfast the next morning if I haven't had time to make my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Another fall and holiday must is my Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake, made in a Bundt pan. Once I started making this cake, I never found the need to try any other recipe since it became a family favorite.

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MADDIE DAY: My answer might be better suited for next month - that is, Thanksgiving recipes - but I really only want pumpkin in pie - or pumpkin carrot muffins.

I grew up with my mother using canned Libby's pumpkin to make two pies for the holiday. After growing and baking my own pumpkins, I have reverted to the contents of cans for my pies. And in those pies is the only place pumpkin spice belongs. I'm an adamant purist about this, with no apologies! Following my grandmother Ruth, I almost double the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice in the recipe on the can.

(I also bake apple and pecan pie at Thanksgiving, but only one each.)

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LESLIE KARST: My favorite pumpkin that I ever carved was this one of my Jack Russell terror--I mean, terrier--Ziggy. I had a photo of her playing rough, which I transformed into a pumpkin-carving template on my computer. Came out pretty scary, no?

 

As for recipes, one of my favorites is this one for Pumpkin Soup with Brown Butter and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. It's scrumptious!

 

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VICKI DELANY: I searched the MLK database so see if I’d ever posted a recipe with pumpkin and I came up empty. Which wasn’t a surprise as I can’t think of anything I make with pumpkin.  Even pumpkin pie isn’t my favourite. But I am very fond of squash and sweet potatoes and as it happens today, I’m making a huge batch of my Harvest Squash Soup.  It’s sort of a non-recipe, something I’ve made so many times I know to just throw in what I have in the way of vegetables straight from the farm stand – always butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and potatoes.  I make it with a good amount of curry power and other spices to produce a flavourful soup that freezes very well to enjoy over the winter months.

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: Harvest Soup with

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes From Vicki Delany

VMBURNS: Time for a confession. I don't like pumpkin. The only pumpkin recipe I have is for dog treats. My dogs aren't exactly food connoisseurs. Although, they have their likes and dislikes. My concern with the pumpkin dog biscuits was that IF they didn't like it, clean up would NOT be fun. Fortunately, my poodles LOVE pumpkin dog biscuits. So, when I want to spoil the poodles, that's what they get.

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PEG COCHRAN/MARGARET LOUDON: I'm a late bloomer when it comes to pumpkin pie or anything pumpkin for that matter.  My parents never served pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving but I discovered it when my mother-in-law served a pumpkin chiffon pie.  Ever since, I've put pumpkin in lots of things including biscuits for my dog!  I particularly love pumpkin in muffins like these pumpkin streusel muffins.  These pumpkin snickerdoodle bars were also a hit.  I've never tried the ubiquitous pumpkin spice lattes but maybe this year!

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ANG POMPANO: When I was a kid, I lived by a truck farm. Every fall, the farmer would hitch a weathered wooden wagon to his noisy old Ford tractor, and all the neighborhood kids would pile in for the ride down the dirt road to the pumpkin patch. The wagon rattled and creaked with each bump, but we looked forward to that ride every year.

When we reached the field, we’d scatter through the scratchy vines, cutting the pumpkins loose with knives we were way too young to be using. We loaded the wagon until it was stacked high, then walked along behind the tractor as it pulled the heavy load back to the farmer’s roadside stand.

There, we sorted and stacked the pumpkins, and when the work was done, the farmer fed us and handed out cold sodas. There was nothing better.

Part of our harvest.

Today, I like pumpkin anything. Last year I tried making pumpkin butter, and it was easy and delicious—perfect on toast or really on anything you’d put a spread on. I plan to make it again soon and share the recipe, but for now, here’s my recipe for fried pumpkin flowers.

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MOLLY MACRAE: Leslie K, your pumpkin is great (and scary)! Ang, I love your pumpkin harvesting story, scratchy pumpkin vines, dangerous knives and all. My brothers and I looked forward to carving pumpkins every year—scooping out the guts, lighting the candles inside just before dark—so much fun! One of my favorite Halloween smells is candle-singed pumpkin. Here’s one of my favorite savory pumpkin recipes and a recipe that doesn’t use pumpkin but can look like a Jack-o’-lantern.

Coconut Curry Chickpeas
with Pumpkin and Lime

Red Lentil Soup with
North African Spices

 

GIVEAWAY!

To be entered in this week's drawing

for these terrific mysteries below,

join us in the comments.

    What about you? Do you have a favorite pumpkin memory or recipe to share? If you’re not a pumpkin fan, do you have any other dishes that you enjoy cooking or baking at this time of year? 

Join the

conversation!

Include your email address,

so we can contact the winner!

This contest is now over.
Congrats to our winner:

Karen Hester!

📚 🎃 📚 

BULLETPROOF BARISTA 
by Cleo Coyle  

ESSENTIALS OF DEATH 
by Kim Davis  

MURDER AT CAPE COSTUMERS 
by Maddie Day 

ASSAULT & PEPPER
by Leslie Budewitz 

MISCHIEF NIGHTS ARE MURDER 
by Libby Klein 

ICING ON THE MURDER
by Valerie Burns 

BLOOD TIES AND DEADLY LIES
by Ang Pompano

Comments Open
Through Thursday
Oct. 9

Be sure to leave
your email address.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Sauce

You can see a larger version of the video here.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, I have always been a traditionalist. Turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, and usually pie for dessert. I have varied a few things now and then, just to try them out. A pumpkin roll and pumpkin cheesecake come to mind.

In the days when my mom did the cooking, there was always an appetizer and soup as well. Those have fallen by the wayside, mostly because it was just too much food. So I thought I might try a cauliflower soup for my Thanksgiving week recipe. Ha! I'll be sharing that next week. I liked it a lot, but it's quite filling, so not at all appropriate for Thanksgiving. We need to leave room for the turkey!

When I was looking around for another idea, I started thinking about the filling I made for last week's post. Could I make that into a pie? So I threw caution to the wind and tried.

I used a 9.5-inch pie pan and the filling went right up to the top. This will work equally well in a 10-inch pie pan. You'll have leftover filling if you use a 9-inch pie pan. The pie will settle a little as it cools. That's okay.

The result is a surprisingly creamy pie. I do recommend baking this a day ahead of time. It takes a low, slow oven and you'll need your oven for other things, like the turkey. You can make the caramel sauce a day ahead of time, too. Pop it in the microwave for a few seconds if you need to loosen it up the next day. Whip the cream on the day you serve the pie. This will be prettiest if you cut the pie, add the cream and drizzle the sauce in the kitchen. But I've been know to do that at the table.

Optional shortcuts:

1. Buy a ready made graham cracker pie crust.
2. Buy cream in a can.
3. Buy caramel sauce.

If you do all three, you'll be down to making the filling and baking the pie. After that, it's just assembly!

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

 with Caramel Sauce

Use 9.5 or 10-inch pie pan.

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9-10 sheets)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor, pulse together the graham crackers, sugar, and cinnamon until fine. Add the butter and pulse. Pat into the pie pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie Filling

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature or softened
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2 cups pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 275. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well. Add the sugar. Mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl and stir with a fork to mix and eliminate any lumps. Mix into the filling. Add the pumpkin and the vanilla. Beat. Scrape down the sides and beat one more time. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake one and one-half hours until the middle doesn't wobble.

Caramel Sauce

1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

Place ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. (I use a Pyrex 2-cup measuring cup.) Microwave in short bursts from 20-50 seconds, stirring each time until it bubbles up and is hot. Set aside to cool.

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the cream. When it begins to take shape, add the sugar and the vanilla. Beat until it holds a soft peak.

Assembly

Slice the pie. Place a dollop of whipped cream on each piece. Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Make a graham cracker crust.

Mix the spices with a fork.

Fresh from the oven!

MURDER MOST HOWL is coming November 24th! But I have two copies to give away! Leave a comment here by midnight, Wednesday, the 18th. Don't forget to leave your email address so I can notify you. 

Good luck!

Not-so-scary treats from Murder in the Graveyard -- out today! #giveaway

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Books are often called "armchair travel," and that is certainly true of the Destination Murders anthologies, edited by our friends Cathy Wiley and Karen Cantwell. Each volume of short cozy mysteries by a rotating cast of authors takes readers to new places, near and far, introducing readers to authors, series, and characters we may not know. I was delighted to contribute to Murder in the Mountains with a Food Lovers' Village short story called "The Picture of Guilt," and Murder at Sea, where Pepper Reece from my Spice Shop mysteries makes her first short story appearance in "Seafood Rub."

And I'm thrilled to introduce you to the 5th installment, Murder in the Graveyard, out today -- just in time for the spooky season!

In my story, "The Devil's Chair," a group of old friends meets up at Seattle's historic Lake View Cemetery on Halloween  for a midnight ghost tour, only to confront ghosts of their own past.  

Since Pepper runs the Spice Shop in Pike Place Market, where her pal Kristen also works, it's only fitting that at the darkest moment of the story, Pepper finds herself fantasizing about the Spiced Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce that Kristen's teenage daughter just baked. Don't worry---after the ghosts have been banished and the police have come and gone, she does get to enjoy a bite, and so can you. 

 I finally figured out how to embed a PDF of the recipe for easy printing. Scroll down to the 💕 for the link. 

CATHY WILEY:  I'm delighted to be here today, talking about Murder in the Graveyard and sharing my German Pea Soup. In my story "Rest in Peas," former celebrity chef Jackie Norwood visits Pennsylvania to judge a pea festival. Only problem, she doesn't actually like peas. Especially ones with a side of murder.

 Since the title was perfect for Murder in the Graveyard, I knew I had to set the story at a pea festival. And since I wanted it near a historic, sprawling cemetery, Pennsylvania seemed like the perfect backdrop, especially with its long history of German immigrants. I’m half German myself—my mom married a U.S. soldier—so I called up my cousin for some recipe ideas. She sent me one that sounded amazing but included things you don’t exactly find at the local grocery store, like celery root and lovage. So I made it my own, and I hope it is ap-pea-ling.

Readers, Cathy is offering TWO lucky readers an ebook of Murder in the Graveyard! Scroll down for details.

Warm Spiced Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce

by Leslie Budewitz 

Pepper and Kristen know, from working in a spice shop, that nothing says “autumn” like pumpkin with just the right spices, here cinnamon and allspice. Egg whites, softly whipped, give the cake an unexpected lightness. And what isn’t better served with rich, fragrant caramel? Serve the cake warm. A dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream would not be out of place!

For the cake:  

2 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoons allspice

3 eggs, at room temperature, separated

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons bourbon or 1 tablespoon vanilla

3 tablespoons buttermilk

1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

For the caramel sauce:

½ cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

3 tablespoons dark corn syrup

1 cup heavy cream

pinch of salt

For serving:

2 teaspoons powdered (confectioner’s) sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Make the cake:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10" Bundt cake pan, shaking out any excess flour.

In a medium bowl, stir together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, along with the two teaspoons cinnamon and teaspoon allspice. 

In a stand mixer, cream the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the bourbon or vanilla, buttermilk, and pumpkin. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl with clean beaters, whip the egg whites into soft peaks, about 5 minutes. Add about one quarter of the whipped egg whites to the batter and stir; fold in the remaining egg whites. 

Pour batter into cake pan. Tap pan on the counter several times to remove any air bubbles. Bake until cake is lightly browned and a tester or toothpick comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Let cake cool in the pan about 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack. 

Make the caramel sauce: 

In a heavy 1-1/2 to 2 quart sauce pan, combine the sugar, butter, corn syrup, half the cream, and the salt. Bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat. Cook, uncovered, stirring continuously, until the sauce is thickened and turns a deep caramel color, 10-12 minutes. 

Stir in remaining ½ cup cream. Return to a boil, stirring until the sauce is smooth and fully melted, about 30 seconds. The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated, then warmed before serving.

To serve: 

Stir together the powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Sift or sprinkle the spiced powdered sugar over the cake. (A tea strainer works nicely.) Slice the cake and drizzle each slice with the warm caramel sauce.

Enjoy! 

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF of Leslie's recipe! 

German-style Pea Soup

By Cathy Wiley 

20 oz (about 2 cups) fresh or frozen peas

1 medium onion, chopped

1 leek, halved and sliced (into half moons)

2 medium carrots, diced

3 sticks celery, sliced

2 large potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon butter (substitute for 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil to make recipe vegan)

4 cups (1 quart) vegetable broth

4 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped (about 2 teaspoons leaves)

2 sprigs fresh marjoram, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon leaves)

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

Prepare all the ingredients.

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and leek. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften.

Stir in the herbs, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant. Add in the potatoes and the vegetable broth.  Cover the pot and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes and root vegetables are tender. 

Add the fresh (or frozen) peas. Cook just until the peas are heated through and bright green, about 3–5 minutes.

Use an immersion blender directly in the pot, or transfer the soup to a blender. Puree until creamy and return to the pot. (Be careful with the blender; allow the soup to cool a bit before pureeing and puree in batches, if needed.)

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

You could also add bacon or cubed ham at this step to make non-vegetarian. Or add in sausage to make very German. 

Guten Appetit! 

Readers, do you enjoy exploring historic cemeteries? Tell us what you most enjoy -- the history, the architecture and design, the names and stories, the ghosts, or something else! Name a favorite if you'd like. 

Cathy is offering TWO lucky readers an ebook of Murder in the Graveyard! (Leave your email address to enter. Winners will be chosen Friday, October 10.) 

Murder in the Graveyard: A Destination Murders Anthology -- Out today!

Murder in the Graveyard, the fifth entry in the fan-favorite Destination Murder series, invites you to take a walk among the tombstones—just watch your step. This collection of cozy mystery short stories delivers light chills, clever thrills, and a few restless spirits who may have unfinished business

Perfect for curling up with on a crisp fall evening or anytime you’re craving bite-sized mysteries with big personality, this anthology is also a great way to discover new favorite authors who know exactly how to balance the eerie with the endearing.

Dig into Murder in the Graveyard today...your next cozy mystery obsession is just six feet under.

Featuring stories by Cathy Wiley, Karen Cantwell, Meri Allen, Leslie Budewitz, Misha Crews, Eleanor Cawood Jones, Tina Kashian, Daphne Silver, Shawn Reilly Simmons, and Rosalie Spielman. 

Available in paperback and ebook. Buy links to your favorite retailers here.