Pumpkin recipes offer taste of fall

World Series Champions! Who would have ever thought a month or so ago the St. Louis Cardinals would pull off such a magnificent thing?

We were out of town and we were able to watch the big game with cousins and family in Indiana. Everyone was rooting for the Cards and it was so much fun to be with a big group of family cheering them on to victory.

Now we wonder what we will listen to in the evenings on the radio, as that is all we have listened to since April. I guess now I can hop right into my second favorite season -- Christmas!

Brenda Bowman of Cape Girardeau shared her favorite pumpkin cookie recipe. She has made them so often for her nephew, and now his wife has to keep up the tradition of these cookies.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups pumpkin

1 cup oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine sugars and oil and beat until well combined. Add other ingredients and beat well. Then add:

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

Mix these ingredients in well into the first wet mixture. Drop by teaspoonful's onto baking sheet. Bake 7 to 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely then frost with icing recipe that follows.

Icing:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

3/4 of a 1-pound box powdered sugar

1 cup pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla

A dash of salt

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix well. Add pecans. Spread onto cooled cookies.

The remainder of today's recipes are from a Jackson reader. She enjoys cooking and sharing recipes with friends. I think you will want to add these to your collection as they all sound great.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

6 to 8 servings

1 (8-inch) Italian-style pizza crust

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 (16-ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 350¼ degrees. Place the pizza crust in a 9-inch pie plate. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and egg; beat on medium speed until smooth.

Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, and ginger and continue beating until well blended. Spoon mixture over the crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until set. Let cool then cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

NOTE: Serve wedges topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Honey Chicken

4 to 6 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup sesame seeds

Vegetable oil for frying

1 and 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

In a large bowl, make a batter by combining the flour, baking powder, salt and water; mix well.

In a large deep skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium-high heat, until golden. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium, add 1/4 inch oil to the skillet, and heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Dip the chicken pieces in the batter, coating completely, then cook in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden. Drain on a paper towel-lined platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, warm the honey, garlic and soy sauce over low heat for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour the warm honey sauce over it. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and toss until the chicken is well coated. Serve immediately.

Shrimp and Grits With Coconut Curry Sauce

1 cups quick grits

2 and 3/4 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

Coconut Curry Sauce:

1 small can (8.5 ounces) cream of coconut (sweetened, such as Coco Lopez), about 2/3 cup

1/4 cup fresh lime juice, about 1 medium lime

2 teaspoons curry powder

A dash of cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Shrimp and remaining ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 and 1/2 pounds extra large shrimp, tail on

1 package (10 ounces) frozen spinach

2 tablespoons heavy cream or whipping cream

Paprika, optional

Cook grits with water and salt, following package directions. Add a little more water if necessary. Stir butter into the hot grits. Keep warm while preparing sauce and shrimp.

Put all sauce ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth and well mixed. Put about 1 tablespoon of the sauce into another bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil; take shrimp by tails and dip to coat with a little sauce.

Place shrimp on broiler pan; broil about 6 inches from heat until cooked through, turning after a few minutes. Meanwhile, cook spinach on stovetop or in microwave following package directions; drain. Stir 2 tablespoons cream into remaining coconut sauce; heat through.

On each serving plate, arrange about 1/4 of the spinach. Top with a large scoop of the warm grits, then arrange shrimp on and around the grits. Spoon a small amount of coconut sauce over each portion. Sprinkle lightly with paprika, if desired. Serves 4.

I am all out of room for today. Have a great week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.