Pumpkin contains many different nutrients and vitamins

With the first cold weather days pumpkins migrate from the beds to homes, and besides that this is the most popular decoration for fall holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving, pumpkin dessert recipes (and not only) can bring a lot of joy to our daily and festive menu. Pumpkin was brought to Europe from America, and quickly took an important place in cooking and even medicine. It is a delicious and beautiful vegetable and in addition, it has many benefits for health. Pumpkin is a very healthy product that contains many different macro- and micro-elements and vitamins. Plus, it is a product with a low calorie content - about 22-23 kilocalories per 100 grams. It is a storehouse of vitamins, and a considerable part of them are found not only in the pulp, but also in the seeds and flowers. Pumpkin has 4-5 times more carotenes than carrots. Carotenes in the body turn into vitamin A, which is especially beneficial for vision, and is also a powerful antioxidant. Pumpkin has vitamins C, E, K and almost all of the vitamins of group B. Pumpkin, as a cooking ingredients, is universal and multi-functional. It can be baked, steamed, grilled, deep-fried, it can be stewed, boiled, smoked. Salads, appetizers, soups are prepared with it, it is used as a side dish, main course and even added to desserts, for example, ice cream and creams. It can be served with meat and fish. Almost all spices are suitable for it. Pumpkin dessert recipes ideas – Pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling Ingredients: For pumpkin cake: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup pumpkin puree powdered sugar for sprinkling For cream cheese filling: 1 (8 ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted 6 tablespoons butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions: Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a 15х10 pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and granulated sugar for 1 minute until thick. Add in the vanilla and pumpkin, and whisk until combined. Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, and stir together. Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper and cake out onto a flat surface and roll from the short end. Transfer the cake roll to a wire rack and cool. In the meantime prepare the cream cheese filling. Whisk together cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until smooth. When the cake roll is cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a flat surface, and carefully unroll it. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly, leaving a 3/4-inch border on all sides. Carefully re-roll the cake, gently peeling away the parchment paper as you roll. Wrap the pumpkin roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour Unwrap the pumpkin roll and transfer it to a serving dish. Dust with powdered sugar on all sides. Pumpkin dessert recipes - cheesecake brownies Ingredients: For pumpkin cheesecake: 4 oz cream cheese, softened ½ cup canned pumpkin 1 egg 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg Brownies: ⅔ cup flour ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped ½ cup butter 1¼ cups sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla Instructions: For the cheesecake layer - Beat together cream cheese , pumpkin, egg, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until smooth and creamy. Set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat or water bath. In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add melted chocolate and continue to stir until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and fold until combined. Pour half of the batter into the 8x8 inch pan. Spread the pumpkin cream cheese evenly on top of the brownie batter. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter on top of the cheesecake layer. Use a knife to create a marble pattern. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for at least an hour before cutting. Pumpkin Flan Recipe Ingredients: For the flan: 3 large eggs 7 tablespoons of sugar 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla 1 ¾ cups milk 1/3 cup pumpkin puree ¾ teaspoon pumpkin spice mix For the caramel: ¼ cup brown sugar for the caramel 2 tablespoons water Instructions: For the caramel: Add the sugar in a saucepan. Heat and when it starts to melt swirl the pan occasionally. When the caramel is dark golden, add the water and whisk. Pour the caramel into the ramekins and swirl them to spread the caramel evenly. Set aside to cool. To make the flan: Preheat the oven, 370F/190C. Whisk the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla and spice mix. Heat the milk until it warm. Remove from heat and add one ladle of milk to the egg and pumpkin mixture. Whisk immediately to avoid cooking the eggs. Pour the rest of the milk to the egg and pumpkin mixture whisking constantly. Strain the flan mixture through sieve strainer and pour it in the ramekins. Place ramekins in a large baking pan and fill the pan with boiling water until it covers half the ramekins. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the custard has set. Remove the ramekins from the baking pan and place on a cooling rack. When cool, refrigerate the pumpkin flan for at least four hours or overnight. Before serving, run the tip of a knife along the edges of the flan. Place a serving dish on top of the ramekin and flip upside down. Soft pumpkin cookies Ingredients: For the cookies: 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon allspice ½ teaspoon salt ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar, packed ½ cup granulated sugar 1 cup canned pumpkin 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For cream cheese frosting: ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of salt Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt and whisk. In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed until light, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla and mix again until combined. Add the flour and spices to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined. With the help of a medium cookie scoop place the cookie dough onto the baking sheet leaving about 3 inches between the cookies. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely. Make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined. When the cookies are cooled, decorate with cream cheese frosting. Pumpkin pie butter cake Ingredients: For the cake: 18 ounces yellow cake mix 1 egg 8 tablespoons butter melted For the filling: 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 15 ounces canned pumpkin 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 8 tablespoons butter melted 16 ounces powdered sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Spread the mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Do not overbake. The center should be slightly gooey. Before serving top with whipped cream, pecans, caramel, or powdered sugar.