It's Fall!

I love how the last week or so has felt so cool.  I'm not sure I've ever had a favorite season, but I do enjoy when it gets cooler, especially after the HOT summer we had.  Last week, I was running down our street and there were little reddish-pink flakes covering the street.  Since we live next to the elevators, I knew it was from the cobs of corn.  This is harvest season.  I said to myself "NOW it feels like fall."  I love to make pumpkin recipes in the fall.

Today, my group took food for MOPS.  I decided to take a yummy recipe I've had for a while for Pumpkin Crunch.  Dave and I had this several years ago in our small group.  Lori Larsen made it and we LOVED it!  I got up early to make it since it has to bake so long and I messed it up!  I told Dave and he said 'I bet it will still be good'. Of course I couldn't redo it so off we went!

I chuckled when several people told me how good it was and asked for the recipe.  Boy, won't they be surprised when they actually follow the recipe?

1 c. melted butter
1 yellow cake mix
15 oz. can pumpkin
12 oz. can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar (I actually only used 1 cup and it was sweet enough)
1 tsp. cinnamon (we love cinnamon so I poured in more like 2-3 tablespoons)
pinch of salt
1 c. chopped pecans
cool whip
Mix pumpkin, evap. milk, eggs, cinnamon, sugar and salt and pour into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix on top and then pecans. Drizzle with melted butter.
Bake at 350 for 50-55 min. Top with cool whip.

So to my MOPS friends: if you want a yummy, gooey, pumpkin-pie-like base with a crunchy top (hence the 'crunch' part that was sorely missing this morning), follow the recipe.  Don't be like me!

Or, add the cake mix to the bowl with all the pumpkin, milk etc. because you are in a hurry and can't read the recipe right.  Then realize your mistake, add the pecans on top, and just about half of the melted butter since the cake mix isn't there to soak it up.  And you will have pumpkin cake instead.  lol

Or make both and compare!

I'm actually quite pleased with how the 'cake' turned out this morning. I thought it was good and I really don't know which way I prefer, now that I've done it two ways. As I am writing, my pumpkin-loving husband is eating a huge piece and I asked his opinion since it's so different than I have made in the past. "It tastes great, but I think I like the other one better."