Jacked Up Pumpkin Butter

It's time again for  Secret Recipe Club (Secret Recipe Club) reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was Searching for Dessert. Shannon believes baking should be fun and even the most simple recipes can come out beautiful and amazing.  I have to tell you, her recipes really do look beautiful and amazing.  All of them.  As always, I had a hard time choosing.

Here are some that caught my eye:

• Black Bean Breakfast Burritos - with or without enchilada sauce, these look amazing.
• Warm and Crusty Garlic Boule - you had me at crusty! and garlic.
• Apple Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches - Snickerdoodles and apple pie ice cream?  Oh, wow!

I finally decided to try this Pumpkin Pecan Bourbon Butter because it's the season for all things pumpkin, right?  Only, instead of bourbon I added some Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey.  We're kind of a Jack Daniel's house around here.  And I used orange juice instead of apple.

Jacked Up Pumpkin Butter
adapted from Searching for Dessert

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons Jack Daniel's (or apple juice)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons orange juice

Directions:

1. Lightly toast the pecans in an oven or skillet until fragrant, 2-3 minutes, cool slightly. Scoop the pumpkin into a food processor and add the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth.
2. Place the pumpkin mixture into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it starts to bubble, stirring frequently.  Cook until mixture thickens.
3. Serve pumpkin butter warm, or refrigerate for later use.

Makes 2 cups

I'd never made pumpkin butter before, so this was a new experience for me.  It was really good on some fresh-baked whole grain sourdough bread, and on that same bread toasted.  I gave my grandson some, and he pretty much licked the pumpkin butter off the toast and wanted more - so I'd say that's a pretty good endorsement.

I am thinking that the only thing I'll change next time I make it, is to add some ginger and nutmeg too, just to give it more of that pumpkin pie flavor.  I need to make some biscuits, too.  I bet this would be great on biscuits.  I keep thinking of new things I can spread it on!

Jack Black Bean Dip

This sounds really good!  I'll just have to see if we have any Jack Daniel's® around here...

Jack Black Bean Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (about 15 ounces each) black beans, drained
• ¼ cup Jack Daniel's® Tennessee Whiskey
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Hot pepper sauce, to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook over medium heat until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in beans, Jack Daniel's®, and cumin. Cook until bubbly and heated through. Mash beans lightly with a wooden spoon or a fork. Stir in lemon juice and hot pepper sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature in a serving dish topped with your choice of the suggested toppings. Makes about 2 ½ cups.

Suggested Toppings: sour cream, chopped avocado, chopped tomato, sliced green onions, jalapeño peppers, chopped cilantro.

from Cooking with Jack