In the Kitchen With Ethel Gould

 in Favorite Recipes / Now Magazines by

These recipes were contributed by Ethel Gould, a Weatherford resident, and originally appeared in the Weatherford October 2016 issue.

Stuffed Pumpkin Dinner

Original recipe from Andi Heath, West Lafayette, IN.

  • 1 5- to 6-lb. pumpkin
  • 1 1/2 lbs. cooked lean ground beef (I use a mix of ground turkey and beef.)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 1/2 tsp. white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. basil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 cup cooked rice (I use brown rice.)
  • 1 tsp. vinegar (optional)
  1. Remove top shelf in oven, so the pumpkin will fit; preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Wash pumpkin. Cut off top with your knife slanted in so the lid will not slide into the pumpkin. Scrape out pumpkin guts and rinse.
  3. Cook hamburger with chopped onion; drain grease and add garlic.
  4. Add seasonings, rice and vinegar (if desired); mix well.
  5. Place pumpkin on a cookie sheet; spoon hamburger and rice mixture into the pumpkin. Place pumpkin lid on top.
  6. Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Check tenderness of the pumpkin meat with a fork. (Remove from oven and check from inside. It should have a similar texture to a cooked baked potato.) Note: Serve pumpkin family style. Transfer pumpkin from cookie sheet to a serving platter, with two large spatulas and, sometimes, a willing helper.

 

Pumpkin Cookies

Recipe from Sandy Grimm, Hamilton, OH.

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin, cooked or canned
  • 1 12-oz. bag chocolate chips
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream butter and then add sugars; beat well.
  2. Add egg and vanilla; mix well.
  3. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Alternate adding dry ingredients and pumpkin to butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

Pumpkin Dip

Pretty fall appetizer.

  • 1 small baking pumpkin
  • 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 15-oz. can solid pumpkin
  • 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 apples
  • 2 pears
  • Ginger snaps or hard cookies from Trader Joes (optional)
  1. Cut a lid out of the top of pumpkin and clean the insides.
  2. In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
  3. Gradually mix the canned pumpkin into the cream cheese and sugar.
  4. Stir in the spices until smooth; chill until time to serve.
  5. Add the pumpkin mix to the pumpkin just before serving. Place pumpkin in the middle of a plate with apple and pear slices and cookies around the bottom. 

 

Cranberry Bread 

Recipe originally from Jo Gould, Brookfield, WI; easily doubled and frozen.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped (may substitute walnuts, if preferred)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease an 8×4-inch loaf pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. In a small bowl, beat egg, orange juice and orange zest. Blend into dry mixture. Stir in cranberries and pecans; transfer to the loaf pan.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven 65 to 70 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, remove to wire rack and cool completely before serving.