CFRA Ottawa At Work ~ Pumpkin Spice Recipes

‘Tis the Pumpkin Spice season! This tasty autumn flavour concoction is not just for fancy coffees anymore. Hope you enjoy these simple to prepare and delicious recipes as much as I do! Cheers to Pumpkin Spice season.🎃

Homemade Pumpkin Spice

You can purchase pre-made pumpkin spice, or make your own with fairly common pantry staple spices.

Tip: Take advantage of your local bulk food store for smaller amounts of spices.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp (45 mL) ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp (10 mL) ground ginger
• ½ tsp (2 mL) each of ground nutmeg, ground cloves and ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) allspice

Directions

1. Stir together all ingredients and store in a small glass mason jar.

Pumpkin Spice White Bean Dip

Enjoy the festive flavours of autumn all year long with this healthy and delicious dip.

Ingredients

• 1 (540 mL/19 oz) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) pure pumpkin puree (*not pumpkin pie filling)
• ¼ cup (60 mL) tahini
• 2 tsp (10 mL) cider vinegar
• 2 tsp (10 mL) minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ tsp (3 mL) salt
• ½ tsp (2 mL) pepper
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) pumpkin spice
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil
• Drizzle of olive oil

Garnish:

Small handful of dried cranberries and green pumpkin seeds

Directions

1. Place beans in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until finely chopped.
2. Add pumpkin puree, tahini, vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt, pepper and pumpkin spice.
3. Pulse until mixture is well combined, scraping down sides of bowl when needed. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil. Pulse until very smooth (if mixture is too thick for your liking, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or oil and pulse until well combined.
4. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days (be sure to stir well before serving).
5. Place dip in a serving dish and garnish with cranberries, pumpkin seeds and drizzle of olive oil. Serve with crackers, toasted pita wedges and veggie sticks.

Tip:

• For a festive fall flare: hollow out a very small pie pumpkin and use as a serving “dish”
• This dip makes a perfect leftover turkey sandwich spread. Gobble, gobble!!

Pumpkin Spice Coconut Muesli

This recipe makes for a quick, satisfying and budget friendly breakfast (or after school snack) the whole family will enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 mL) large flake oats
• ½ cup (125 mL) each of dried cranberries and toasted coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) green pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) each of ground flaxseed, chia seeds and hemp seeds
• ½ cup (250 mL) plain Greek style yogurt
• ½ cup (125 mL) pure pumpkin puree
• ½ cup (125 mL) orange juice
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) Canadian maple syrup *or to taste
• 2 tsp (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp (5 mL) pumpkin spice
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
• 2 Ontario apples; well washed, cored and finely diced *leave skin on for added fibre

Garnish:

Additional toasted coconut (optional)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
2. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
3. Makes 4 cups (1 L).

Delicious & Doable Tips:

• Use raisins, sliced dried apricots, or dried cherries instead of dried cranberries.
• Don’t have maple syrup? Use honey or brown sugar instead.

Ginger Studded Pumpkin Spice Blondies

I’m an absolute sucker for a sweet & chewy blondie. The addition of pumpkin puree and spice adds an autumn flare to these simple-to-prepare squares. Hope you love these pumpkin-spice-ginger-studded bars as much as I do!

Find candied ginger (sometimes referred to as crystallized ginger) at your local bulk food store (or in the baking section of the grocery store).

Ingredients

• ½ cup (125 mL) softened butter
• 1 cup (250 mL) lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup (125 mL) pure pumpkin puree
• 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp (10 mL) pumpkin spice
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) white chocolate chips
• ½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped candied ginger

Garnish:

• 1 oz (30 g) melted white chocolate
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) finely diced dried cranberries (or finely diced candied ginger)
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) green pumpkin seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Beat butter with sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat in pumpkin puree until just combined.
3. Add dry ingredients and beat until evenly combined (batter will be thick).
4. Spread batter into an 8 x 8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
5. Place in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is set, and blondies just start to come away from the sides.
6. Cool completely.
7. Drizzle with melted white chocolate and sprinkle evenly with dried fruit and pumpkin

Creamy Pumpkin Spice Pasta

~ click here for recipe.

Where to Find ‘Delicious & Doable’ Across Ontario

Find ‘Delicious & Doable ~ Recipes For Real and Everyday Life’ on Amazon (click here) or at one of the below retailers across Ontario:

Type Books ~ 883 Queen Street West, Toronto
Lemonberry ~ 2 Orchard Heights Blvd #10, Aurora
Fanfare Books ~ 92 Ontario St, Stratford
Casual Gourmet ~ 1027 King Street West, Hamilton
The Post Office – 18 Front St. N, Thorold
Chef’s Paradise ~ 1314 Bank Street, Ottawa
Gift It Grey ~ 19492 Opeongo Line, Barry’s Bay
Creative Cook ~ 35 Manitoba St, Bracebridge
Muskoka Brewery ~ 1964 Muskoka Beach Rd, Bracebridge
Stephen’s Butcher Shop ~ 8 Harris St, Port Carling
Hilltop Interiors ~ 1150 ON-141, Rosseau
Cedar Canoe Books ~ 72 Main St E, Huntsville
Clark’s On Main ~ 1090 Main Street, Dorset
Bigley’s Cottage Kitchen ~ 72 Main St E, Huntsville
Kitchen Bits ~ 1390 Kingsway, Greater Sudbury,

Heading to Muskoka this fall/winter? Click here for a list of my upcoming cooking classes at The Creative Cook!!

Hope to see and feed many of you soon!