Pumpkins Are Here!

I bought our family a pumpkin this grocery shop and decided to cook it yesterday. I have cooked pumpkin once before where I gutted it and then quartered it and baked it on a pan.

This time I thought to try and roast it WHOLE. I just put it into the oven at about 375 degrees, smothered some olive oil on it, and roasted it until a butter knife slipped through the skin and into the flesh as easy as.... butter. :) I would guess my pumpkin was about 6 pounds, and it roasted for about 1.5 hours.

Whole pumpkin smothered in olive oil ready to be placed into the oven.

Pumpkin after it has been roasting for 1.5 hours.

Pureed pumpkin. After which I placed the puree into a colander and allowed the excess water to drain off.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

3/4 C White Sugar

1/4 C Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

3/4 C Pumpkin Puree

1/4 C Water

1 1/4 Whole Wheat Flour

3/4 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

1 tsp Cinna

mon

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 C Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or line with paper liners. Mix sugar, oil, eggs in a large bowl (you can use a stand mixer here, if you have one). Add pumpkin and water. In a different bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add to wet mixture in batches to incorporate fully. Mix in chocolate chips. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.