Get Pumped Up

From pumpkin salad to pumpkin whoopie pies, here are three recipes for autumn's favorite vegetable.

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Black bean and roasted pumpkin salad.

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Pumpkin mousse, shown with ginger shortbread and caramel sauce.

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Pumpkin whoopie pies.

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Pumpkin spice lattes. Pumpkin chai. Pumpkin chocolate chip muffin. Pumpkin insert-your-favorite-drink-or-dish-here. Fall has arrived and with it, all the flavors of the season and one flavor in particular. And we're not just jumping on the bandwagon—we love it too. So here are three of our favorite pumpkin recipes to get you started.

Black Bean and Roasted Pumpkin Salad

2 cups cubed pumpkin
¼ cup olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup sliced red onion
¼ cup sliced cucumber
¼ cup sliced celery
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss pumpkin in 2 tablespoons olive oil with garlic and place in a glass baking dish. Drizzle 3 tablespoons water in dish and bake until softened, 20 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Combine black beans, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, celery, and parsley in a large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Add cooled pumpkin, toss gently, and serve.

Pumpkin Mousse

2 cups pumpkin purée
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup light corn syrup
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 package unflavored gelatin
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon mace
3⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons white sugar
4 eggs, separated
3⁄4 cup heavy cream

Warm 1 cup heavy cream, corn syrup and both sugars over low heat until dissolved. Remove from heat. In a separate bowl mix the pumpkin purée with the egg yolks, spices and vanilla and warm gently.

Combine with the warmed cream mixture. In separate bowl, dissolve gelatin in warmed milk and add to pumpkin mixture. Whip the egg whites with 3 tablespoons white sugar until stiff then fold into the pumpkin mixture. Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form and lightly fold into the mousse. Chill overnight.

Allow sauce to reduce for about 5 minutes, then add heavy cream and heat to desired consistency. Serve over turkey breast.

Editors' note: Want something sweeter? Try this pumpkin mousse with ginger shortbread and caramel sauce for the perfect autumn dessert. Click here for the recipes.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon ginger
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger; set aside. In another bowl, whisk brown sugar and oil until combined. Combine flour and pumpkin mixtures and fold gently but thoroughly until completely combined. Refrigerate batter for 20 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and use an ice cream scoop to drop batter on baking sheets, making sure whoopies are about two inches apart. Bake immediately for 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven, and make sure whoopies are baked through with a toothpick; toothpick should come out clean. Let cool completely.  

For cream cheese icing:
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 8oz container Philadelphia Cream Cheese
3 cups confectioners sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer. Slowly add confectioners sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Turn off mixer, turn icing with a spatula and mix thoroughly. Add vanilla and mix for 1-2 more minutes. Refrigerate.

After both cream cheese and fig mixture have chilled, gently fold the two together, leaving ribbons of the fig reduction exposed. Pipe or spread on cooled pumpkin whoopies and refrigerate. For a simpler preparation, omit the fig reduction and just use cream cheese icing. Toasted pecans can be added for crunch.