I spent all day yesterday making Carrot Herb Rolls for SCL.  I think they’re fantastic.  Totally worth all the time it took!  I’ll post that recipe (and the other recipes from tonight’s SCL dinner) soon, but in the meantime here’s one of my favorite snacks!

I’m a big fan of pumpkin.  I’ve also totally taken for granted that I can get cans of pumpkin year round at my local grocery store, so I’ve never really thought about pumpkin as being fall specific.  But if you think pumpkin should only be eaten in the fall, or that’s the only time you can get it, make sure you bookmark these recipes!

Pumpkin Granola Bars

Makes 10 granola bars

Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

• 3  1/4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Cover an 8″x8″ pan with aluminum foil with enough hanging over that you can use to lift it out of the pan when they’ve finished cooling.

In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices and salt together.  In a medium bowl, stir brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla until smooth.  Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.

Press mixture evenly into prepared pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, cut into bars, remove from pan and allow to cool completely.

I like storing these in the freezer and then just putting one into the toaster oven when I want to eat one.  I especially like them crumbled over fruit and yogurt…makes a delicious parfait!

My new favorite pumpkin recipe, that my friend, Elan discovered is from the Pioneer Woman.  I normally would stay away from a recipe like this because you have to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.  However, I recently read about a trick to freeze the butter and then grate it in.  I find this much easier (since the pieces of butter are nice and small like you want them)!

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Makes about 24 muffins

Adapted from the Pioneer Woman

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1  1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1  1/2 tsp salt
• 12 Tbsp (1  1/2 sticks) butter, frozen and grated
• 1 large can (29oz or about 4 cups) pumpkin puree
• 1 (regular size, I think 14oz) can evaporated milk
• 3 eggs
• 1  1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Grease two muffin tins and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.  Cut in (or grate frozen) butter into dry ingredients until fully incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, and vanilla.  Pour pumpkin mixture into flour mixture and fold gently until just incorporated.

Scoop into muffin tins, filling almost to the top (they don’t rise very much).  Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Seriously amazing.  So moist!