Pumpkin and squash recipes

PG tested

Beekeeper and United Airlines pilot Deron Johnson of Polish Hill has been tweaking this recipe for ages. The filling is light-textured, fresh-tasting and delicately spiced. He thinks it's perfect. It may be -- judging by raves from samplers at a honey-themed Slow Food tasting at the Farmers@Firehouse market earlier this month. People who said they were no fans of pumpkin pie went on record as converts. Mr. Johnson roasted a farmers market pumpkin for the puree. He set out honey whipped cream with a big serving spoon to go on top. Tasters found the honey-sweetened cream a super-seductive thing to roll around on the tongue, even on something as innocent as a wedge of raw apple. Note: the recipe makes two 8 1/2- or 9-inch pies. Mr. Johnson suggests using your own favorite crust.

Pie shells may be baked a day or two in advance and pumpkin custard may be assembled and stored a few days in the refrigerator. Allow custard to come to room temperature before baking.

-- Virginia Phillips

• Pastry dough for crust (for two 8 1/2- to 9-inch single-crust pies)
• 3 whole eggs, plus 2 yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream (the whipped cream topping below requires another cup)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 7- to 8-pound fresh pumpkin, roasted and pureed (directions below) OR 4 cups pumpkin puree (32-ounce can or two 15-ounce cans)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

To roast pumpkin for puree

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Halve the pumpkin crosswise and scoop out seeds and strings. Place halves cut side down in a foil-lined baking pan. Add 1/4 cup water. Bake, uncovered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until very tender. When cool, scrape pulp from shells. Place 4 cups pulp in blender or food processor with 1/2 teaspoon salt and puree two minutes until very smooth. Stir once to check for lumps and whirl again if necessary. Extra may be frozen.

To blind bake pie crust (bake without filling)

(If you use a packaged pie crust, do not blind bake.)

Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Prepare your favorite pie-crust dough. Roll and fit pastry dough into pan(s). Chill if dough is too soft. Lay aluminum foil over the dough and weight crust with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove foil and weights and bake 5 to 10 minutes more, until crust is light golden brown. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, heavy cream, milk and vanilla together.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, maple syrup, honey, ginger root, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Add the egg mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk together.

If you have a large food processor add the egg mixture to the processor containing the pumpkin mixture. Whirl to combine well.

Pumpkin filling will fill two 8 1/2- to 9 inch (not deep dish) pie shells.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue to bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until the outer edges of the custard have set but the center still jiggles a bit. Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack for 2 to 3 hours.

-- Deron Johnson

PG TESTED

Besides its use here as a pie topping, try this cream with stewed plums now or fresh berries or peaches in season.

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 or 3 tablespoons honey to taste

Whisk or use electric beater to beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add honey. Whip cream until it is as stiff as you like it.

PG TESTED

For many people, including me, butternut squash is king -- for flavor, color, silky texture and versatility. If you'd like to try a butternut squash pie this year, use the puree recipe below. You can use the same directions as for the Honey Pumpkin Pie or for any favorite pumpkin pie. You will need about 2 cups for a 9-inch pie. If you'd like to garnish your pie with the sparkling Candied Squash and Ginger Relish below, set aside a 5-inch chunk of the squash neck before you prepare the squash puree. Baking the pie shell blind (without the filling) makes for a flakier texture but it is not necessary.

-- Virginia Phillips

PG TESTED

• 2 1/2-pound butternut squash, to yield 2 cups puree (extra can be frozen)
• Cooking oil
• 3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Using a heavy chef's knife, carefully cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. (If you are making the relish below, cut off and set aside a 5-inch piece of the squash neck.)

Lay the unpeeled halves cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet, lined with a sheet of foil that has been rubbed with oil. Pour a quarter cup of water around squash.

Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the skin is blistered and browned and the flesh is very tender. Lift squash with tongs and poke with a paring knife to check. When tender, the pulp is easy to scoop out of the butternut halves. Freeze any extra.

-- Virginia Phillips

PG TESTED

Butternut dices beautifully, unlike most squash, and it stews gently here with candied ginger and lemon for a bright-flavored and literally sparkling garnish to offer -- along with whipped cream; they are great together -- for a festive slice of pie.

-- Virginia Phillips

• 1/2 cup minced butternut squash
• 4 teaspoons minced candied ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced lemon peel (cut from thin lemon slices)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients in small bowl, and stir well. Macerate 30 minutes. Turn into small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until tender and relatively dry, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Use as garnish for pies.

Yields 1/2 cup.

-- Kay Rentschler, The New York Times

PG TESTED

This tart is absolutely wonderful. The crust is light and tender and easy to make -- you can roll it out or just pat it into the pan. The creamy filling and topping are scrumptious.

The recipe calls for a 10- or 11-inch tart pan. We used an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. If you use a 10-inch pan use only 3/4 of the dough for the bottom crust or else you might not have enough space for the filling.

-- Arlene Burnett

For the sweet tart pastry

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into a dry-measure cup and level off)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons ( 3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse several times to mix.

Add butter and pulse until the butter is finely mixed into dry ingredients (you do not want any visible pieces of butter).

Add egg, yolk and water. Pulse until dough forms a ball.

Remove dough and place on a floured work surface. Form dough into a disk about 1/2-inch thick, wrap in plastic and refrigerate (about 1 hour).

For the filling

• 1 1/2 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces, coarsely chopped

Set oven rack on the lowest level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into a disk (about 11 to 12 inches); place in tart pan and press dough over the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Place pumpkin in a bowl, whisk in eggs. Whisk in sugar, salt, spices and buttermilk. Pour filling into crust; sprinkle top with pecans and sugar. Bake until set and dough is baked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Serve with Cinnamon Whipped Cream.

PG TESTED

Combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Whip until soft peaks form.

-- "The Modern Baker: Time-Saving Techniques for Breads, Tarts, Pies, Cakes and Cookies" by Nick Malgeiri (DK, 2008, $35)

PG TESTED

One of my favorite dishes on a recent trip to Italy's Amalfi Coast was the succulent pumpkin ravioli served at Il Grottino Azzurro, a tiny family-run trattoria in Positano. This recipe from Wolfgang Puck is darn close. Buon appetito!

-- Gretchen McKay

• >10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1 pound fresh pumpkin, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage, plus 6 leaves for garnish
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Salt and white pepper
• 1/2 recipe pasta dough (recipe follows)
• 1 egg, beaten lightly, for wash
• Semolina
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 shallots, chopped

Heat a saute pan over low heat and add 4 tablespoons butter. When foamy, add the cubed pumpkin and cook, stirring often, until it softens into a puree.

Turn pumpkin into a saucepan, add 1/2 of the cream, the 1/2 bay leaf and half the herbs and cook over a low heat for 1 hour, or until puree is thick and liquid has evaporated. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and beat in 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the beaten eggs; season, to taste, with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

On a floured surface, roll out the pasta as thin as possible. Cut into 2 sheets and brush 1 of them with egg wash. Using a teaspoon, place 24 equal mounds of the pumpkin puree on the egg-washed dough, about 2 inches apart. Cover the mounded dough with the second sheet of pasta and press around the mounds of pumpkin to seal the dough.

Using a ravioli cutter or a sharp knife, cut ravioli. Dust a tray with semolina and place ravioli on it. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, while you make the sauce.

Prepare the sauce: In a saucepan, reduce the stock with the shallots to 1/2 cup. Add the remaining cream and reduce by half. Over a low heat, whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, a little at a time, over low heat. Strain the sauce into a clean saucepan and add the remaining sage and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the ravioli to the rapidly boiling water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Add the ravioli to the sauce and bring just to a boil. Correct the seasonings.

Divide the ravioli among preheated soup dishes and spoon the sauce over them. Garnish each serving with a fresh sage leaf. Serve immediately.

For the pasta dough

• 1 1/2 cups semolina flour, finest grind
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Combine flours in food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add salt, eggs and olive oil. Process until dough begins to mass on blade (about 1 to 2 minutes). Remove dough from the processor and press it into a ball. Wrap in plastic and let rest at least 2 hours in refrigerator before rolling and cutting.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll and cut 1 at a time as desired. Keep the unrolled dough covered to prevent it from drying. Place any cut pasta on baking sheets that have been liberally dusted with semolina.

Yields 1 1/2 pounds.

-- "The Wolfgang Puck Cookbook" (Random House, 1996)

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ROSEMARY AND GARLIC LASAGNA

PG TESTED

This is a variation of a recipe I found in Gourmet Magazine years ago. It's always a hit with my family and guests. Even with the shortcut of buying already peeled and cut up butternut squash, it takes about 45 minutes to throw together, plus cooking time. The heavy cream topping never appealed to me so instead I've topped the lasagna with grated parmesan cheese to cut calories. I also use skim milk, which has worked just fine. To save time, buy 2 18-ounce containers of peeled and cut butternut squash from Trader Joe's ($2.99 a pack).

-- Virginia Linn

• 3 pounds butternut squash, quartered, seeded, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 91/2 cups)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (jarred garlic is fine)
• 1/2 stick ( 1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Nine 7-by-31/2-inch sheets dry no-boil lasagna
• 1 1/3 cups freshly grated parmesan (about 5 ounces)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and oil 2 large shallow baking pans.

In a large bowl, toss squash with oil until coated well and spread in one layer in pans. Roast squash in oven 10 minutes and season with salt. Stir squash and roast 10 to 15 minutes more or until tender and beginning to turn golden.

While squash is roasting, in a saucepan bring milk to a simmer with rosemary. Heat milk mixture over low heat 10 minutes and pour through a sieve into a large pitcher or measuring cup.

In a large heavy saucepan cook garlic in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Stir in flour and cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in milk mixture in a stream until smooth. Return pan to heat and simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes, or until thick.

Stir in squash and salt and pepper to taste. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.

Reduce temperature to 375 degrees and butter (I use Pam spray) a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Pour 1 cup sauce into baking dish (sauce will not cover bottom completely) and cover with 3 lasagna sheets, making sure they do not touch each other. Spread half of remaining sauce over pasta and sprinkle with  1/2 cup parmesan. Make 1 more layer in same manner, topping sauce with cheese.

This is where I stop and cook it, covered with foil and tented slightly to prevent foil from touching top of lasagna. Cook for 30 minutes in center of oven and remove foil for 10 minutes or until lasagna is bubbling.

To follow the original Gourmet recipe, top the layer with 3 more sheets of lasagna. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream with salt until it holds soft peaks and spread evenly over top pasta layer, making sure pasta is completely covered. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup parmesan over cream. Cover dish tightly with foil, tented slightly to prevent foil from touching top of lasagna, and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake lasagna 10 minutes more, or until top is bubbling and golden. Let lasagna stand 5 minutes.

Garnish each serving with rosemary.

Serves 6 as a main dish or 12 as a side dish.

-- Adapted from Gourmet magazine

West Deer native Michelle M. Vitalbo, recently moved to Akron, Ohio, is owner of browneyedbaker.com. She cooked up and shared with us this tested recipe for a "childhood classic."

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 cups chilled pumpkin puree (29-ounce can, minus 1/2 cup)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Maple Cream Filling (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk sugars and oil together. Add pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.

Gradually sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.

Use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to drop a rounded, heaping tablesppon onto baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, making sure that the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into center of a cookie comes out clean. The cookies should be firm when touched. Remove from oven and let cookies cool completely on a rack.

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Using an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined. Add the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat filling, or it will lose structure.

To assemble

Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe or spoon about a tablespoon of filling on to the half. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used.

Put the gobs in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm before serving.

-- Michelle Vitalbo, browneyedbaker.com

PG TESTED

These moist cupcakes have just enough of a spicy taste to give them a gentle zing.

-- Margi Shrum

• 1 3/4 cups sifted flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup All Bran cereal (we used store brand)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Blend shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat well.

Combine milk, pumpkin and cereal. Add to shortening mixture alternately with dry ingredients, stirring only until combined. Fill cupcake pans half full. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from pans and cool. Frost if desired.

Makesabout 20 cupcakes.

-- cooks.com

PG TESTED

This was one of the tastiest-sounding recipes in the new cookbook, "A Harvest of Pumpkins and Squash" by Lou Seibert Pappas, and it didn't disappoint. The author says you can substitute butternut squash or sugar pumpkin, but I loved the chance to try kabocha, which is green on the outside with an intense orange flesh. I found one at Giant Eagle.

-- Bob Batz Jr.

For the meatballs

• 1 pound lean ground lamb or ground chuck
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 clove garlic, minced

For the soup

• 1 bunch red Swiss chard (about 12 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
• 1 stalk fennel or celery, chopped
• 2 teaspoons peeled grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 quarts beef broth
• 2 cups diced kabocha squash ( 3/8-inch dice)
• 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 6 red or yellow plum (Roma) tomatoes, sliced
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

To make meatballs, in a bowl, combine the meat, cornstarch, egg, cilantro, allspice, and garlic and mix lightly. Shape into 3/4-inch balls.

Remove the ribs from the Swiss chard and slice thinly crosswise. Chop leaves separately; set aside. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add chard ribs, onion, carrot, and fennel and saute until limp. Add ginger, allspice, cumin, pepper, broth, squash, and tomato paste; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully drop the meatballs into the hot broth. Add chard leaves and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 or 6 minutes longer, or until vegetables are tender and meatballs are cooked through. Season with salt.

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the cilantro, and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8.

-- "A Harvest of Pumpkins and Squash" by Lou Seibert Pappas (Chronicle, 2008, $15.95)

PG tested

This easy, delicious cake was a fall favorite of my mother, Anna Mae Heinrich.

-- Jim Heinrich

For bottom of cake

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
• 1 egg
• 18.25-ounce package yellow cake mix (set aside 1 cup for topping; we used Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix)

For filling

• 29-ounce can pure pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk (evaporated may be used; I used whole milk)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sugar

For streusel-like topping

• 1 cup reserved yellow cake mix
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray 9-by-13-by-2-inch glass dish with cooking spray, if desired. Mix butter, egg and cake mix, and pat in bottom of glass dish.

In a large bowl, mix together ingredients for filling, and pour evenly on top. Mix together ingredients for topping and sprinkle on top of batter.

Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees, then 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool thoroughly.

Makes 12 generous servings.

-- Jim Heinrich

Karen Novak, who last week led The Great Pumpkin Class at McGinnis Sisters Special Food store in Monroeville, says this recipe is the favorite of several pumpkin dishes she taught there. Her mother, who found this in The Pittsburgh Press, won McGinnis Sisters' Great Pumpkin Bake-off with it in 1997.

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat eggs with a mixer on high speed for 5 minutes.

Gradually beat in sugar.

Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.

Fold in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, ginger and salt and spread in prepared jelly roll pan. Sprinkle nuts on top and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

When done, invert pan onto a clean dish towel that has been generously dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Gently roll cake and towel together and set aside to cool.

When cool, gently unroll and spread with filling (below), reroll (without towel) and chill.

For the filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Mix all ingredients until creamy.

-- Karen Novak

Don't throw out your pumpkin or squash seeds. Roast them for a tasty snack, or for crunch on soups and salads.

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or nonstick cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon salt

Remove seeds and strings from pulp. Place in strainer and rinse. Pat dry with a paper towel.

Toss dried seeds in olive oil or spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. If seeds are coated in oil, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you are using spray, spray directly onto baking sheet. Spread seeds out in single layer and place in 325-degree oven, stirring often to ensure even browning until a pleasant aroma is apparent, about 25 minutes. Remove and transfer to a fresh pan or plate to cool.

-- Culinary Institute of America

PG tested

Soft-topped, cheerfully orange and with just a hint of sweetness, these dinner rolls are worthy of a pro but easy enough for beginning bakers. Use canned pumpkin or any pureed squash, except spaghetti squash. The rolls are delicious anytime with almost any autumn dinner and would be a swell addition to Thanksgiving dinner.

-- Marlene Parrish

• 1 1/2 cups warm milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 large egg, at room temperature, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup pureed squash or canned pumpkin
• 5 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 4 to 5 cups flour
• Cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• 2 teaspoons poppy or sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine warm milk with yeast, sugar and salt. Let stand 5 minutes, then add the egg and beat well to combine.

Add squash and shortening; mash with a fork until shortening is in small pieces.

Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. Gradually mix in more flour by the cupful until dough collects around spoon and pulls away from sides of bowl (you may not need all the flour).

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead 2 minutes. If dough is really sticky, sprinkle the top with more flour and use a floured bench scraper to lift and turn it. Put dough in a warm, greased bowl; cover with a tea towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Butter 3 8-inch deep cake pans or 9-inch pie plates and dust with cornmeal. Punch dough down, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead until dough is smooth and supple, about 7 minutes. Cut dough into 3 balls. Roll balls into ropes and cut each rope into 9 pieces.

Roll each piece into a round and arrange rounds 9 to a pan, with 2 rolls in the middle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds; cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes.

Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Slide out of the pans onto a rack and let cool a bit. Pass them while warm, pulling apart to serve. These can be made ahead and frozen.

Makes 27 rolls.

-- Adapted from Sunset Magazine

Use this on baked, grilled or fried fish or use it as a dip.

• 12 cup low-fat yogurt
• 12 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup ground toasted and hulled pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
• 12 teaspoon lemon juice.

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Remove sauce 20 minutes before serving.

Makes 112 cups.

-- "The New Food Lover's Tiptionary" by Sharon Tyler Herbst (Morrow, 2002).

Ambridge Farmers Market, Park Road and Route 65, 4 to 7 p.m. Thurs.

This was one of the recipes Karen Novak taught at the recent Great Pumpkin Class at McGinnis Sisters Special Food Store in Monroeville. You start by preparing a pie crust or buying a Pillsbury roll and baking it. Her "fool-proof" crust recipe is below.

For the bottom layer:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg

Whip cream cheese with sugar and vanilla. Add egg, mix well and pour into bottom of pie crust.

For the top layer

• 1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not ready-made pie filling)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Dash salt

Mix all ingredients well and pour over bottom layer.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and check for doneness by inserting a knife into center -- if it comes out clean, it's done.

For the frosting

1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Just before serving pie, whip cream until stiff and fold in maple syrup.

Frost and serve.

• 4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups shortening
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Combine flour and salt and cut in shortening with pastry blender or use 2 knives.

Beat egg with fork.

Add sugar, water and vinegar and mix well.

Add liquid to dry and mix well.

Form 4 equal-size balls and chill overnight (the pastry freezes well, too).

Makes 4 crusts.

-- Karen Novak, McGinnis Sisters