pumpkin

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Generously apply nonstick spray to a 10-cup bundt pan.
• Combine the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, butter, apple butter, and eggs until no eggy streaks remain. Add pumpkin puree and half & half. Fold in the dry ingredients, scraping bottom of bowl to incorporate everything.
• Pour batter into pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; the middle of the cake should pass the toothpick test.
• Let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully invert cake onto cooling rack to cool completely.
• Add sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar over the top. Slice and serve. Cake can also be sliced, wrapped, and frozen for later enjoyment.

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Make the crust

• Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Use a food processor to process the graham crackers to fine crumbs; there should be about 1 1/3 cups. Pulse in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse to combine. (Wipe out the food processor–no need for a deep clean yet.)
• Transfer everything to a 9-inch pie plate. Press crumbs evenly up the sides and along the bottom of the pan.
• Bake until the crust is set and the edges have just started to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Make the filling

• Transfer the dulce de leche to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring, until softened just enough to stir easily. This will take about 1 minute. Set aside 3 tablespoons dulce de leche for topping.
• Into the food processor, add the majority of the dulce de leche, pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Process just until smooth–don’t overdo.
• Pour into the crust. Place the crust on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is just set with a slight wobble in the very center, 35 to 45 minutes.
• As the pie finishes up baking, warm the reserved dulce de leche in the microwave until you can drizzle it. As soon as the pie comes out of the oven, drizzle with the dulce de leche.
• Let cool completely. Serve with Cool Whip or canned cream. Store pie covered in fridge; it keeps for at least 4 days.

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• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Generously coat the interior of a large bundt pan with nonstick spray with flour.
• In a big bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the pumpkin. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate everything.
• In another bowl, combine the flour, cardamom, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
• Add the dry ingredients to the big bowl alternatively with the buttermilk/soured milk. Scape the bottom of the bowl again to make certain everything is combined.
• In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese, ginger, brown sugar, and flour.
• Scoop about 2/3 of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Spoon in the filling, being careful to make sure it doesn’t touch the sides of the pan (it could possibly stick and cause the cake to pull apart). Spoon the remaining pumpkin batter on top, evening out.
• Bake for 65 to 75 minutes; the middle of the cake should pass the toothpick test. Let it cool about 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely.
• Make glaze, adjusting the amounts as needed to create a thick texture. Drizzle atop cake. Let set at least an hour before cutting. Store covered or as wrapped individual slices.

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• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 15×10-inch pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
• In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cloves. Add the pumpkin puree. Beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the oil. Spread batter in prepared pan.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips in the microwave.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining sugar. Add the egg and milk. Fold in the melted chocolate until the entire mix is consistently brown.
• Spoon the filling over the pumpkin batter. Use something like a butter knife to create swirls throughout the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips over the top.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Let cool for a while at room temperature, then put in fridge to fully chill.
• Slice in pan to serve, or use the foil to lift contents onto a cutting board to slice. If keeping in pan, store covered in fridge; if removing from pan, be sure to use waxed paper between the stacked layers and store in fridge. Best eaten within 2 days.

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• Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
• Melt butter in microwave in microwave-safe bowl. Set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and vanilla. Mix in the melted butter. Gradually work in the dry ingredients until no white streaks remain. Spread about half to cover the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Begin making the filling/topping by mixing the white sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Place about half of that mixture in another bowl; stir in flour.
• Sprinkle the sugar-cinnamon-flour mixture on top of the batter in the pan. Add the remaining batter on top and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the sugar-cinnamon mixture on top to coat.
• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes; the middle should pass the toothpick test. Let cool in pan on wire rack, speeding process in fridge if desired. Use foil to lift contents onto cutting board to slice into bars.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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• Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Generously grease mini muffin pan(s).
• In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, molasses, eggs, and pumpkin. Add the starter and vanilla, scraping bottom of bowl to incorporate everything.
• In another bowl, mix flour, salt, spices, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until evenly combined. Fold in pepitas and cranberries to distribute.
• Use a small cookie scoop to dole out the batter. Each well in the pan should be about 2/3 full. Add a pinch of turbinado sugar on top of each.
• Bake for 10 to 11 muffins; they should look set, and a middle muffin should pass the toothpick test (don’t discard that toothpick). Let muffins set for 5 minutes, then use the toothpick to gently lift each out of pan and onto a cooling rack.
• Store in a sealed container, with waxed paper between layers if stacking. The muffins will be moister after a day, and hold up well for a couple days.

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