Pumpkins & Cats

It's October so it must be pumpkin baking time!

These are our favourite pumpkin recipes:-

Pumpkin Cake

4oz margarine

4oz caster sugar

2 beaten eggs

2 rounded dsp golden syrup

8oz SR flour

1 rounded tsp mixed spice

5oz dried mixed fruit

3/4 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin

Preheat oven to 170'C and grease and line 8" round tin.
Cream margarine, sugar and syrup until soft.
Gradually beat in eggs.
Fold in flour, spice and fruit.
Gradually mix in pumpkin to a soft consistency.

Bake for 45-50 mins or until cooked.

Spicy Pumpkin Cookies

aka Splats! Charmingly renamed by my children!

115g butter or soft margarine
175g dark muscovado sugar
200g cooked and pureed pumpkin
150g raisins
1 tsp vanilla extract
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 190'C.

Cream together butter and sugar.
Mix in pumpkin, raisins and vanilla.
Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.
Place spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet, spacing well apart.
Bake for 12-15 mins until golden and spongy.

Pumpkin Muffins

(picture to be added later)

115g butter or margarine

175g dark muscovado sugar

115g black treacle or molasses

1 medium beaten egg

225g cooked and pureed pumpkin

200g plain flour

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

1.5 tsp ground ginger

50g raisins

Preheat oven to 190'C and line approx 15 muffin tins with paper cases.

Beat together butter, sugar and molasses until light.

Add egg and pumpkin and mix well.

Fold in dry ingredients until just blended, do not over mix.

Fold in raisins.

Spoon into case and bake for 12-15 mins until spongy.

My first attempt at crochet in 16 years ... a star blanket for Ella.

It's not perfect but Ella seems to approve.

Ella playing with the catnip mouse that I made during the summer.

And finally, this weekend I made a wreath for Halloween.