Gloria of Cookbook Cuisine gave me a sweet chocolate award! I would like to spread chocolate footprints all over the blogs of all my sweet readers and loyal commenters! This one goes to all of you!! Gloria asked me if I thought pumpkin and chocolate would pair well. Of course they do! Check out these links:Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Today was a rough day and nothing seemed to go right. When I finally got home, I was in search of some major comfort food. Of course I turned to my old tried and true friend...PUMPKIN! I found this recipe on the allrecipes.com website. I made a couple of my own substitutions. I used agave nectar instead of brown sugar, and I substituted one tsp. pumpkin pie spice and one tsp. cinnamon in place of the listed spices. I also used lowfat vanilla yogurt instead of plain yogurt. WOW! This definitely ranks up there as one of my favorite pumpkin recipes. I guess it tasted more like a sweet pumpkin cornbread, but it definitely can be a dessert or an addition to dinner. It is the perfect blend of sweet corn, pumpkin, and spices. I topped it off with vanilla yogurt and a touch of cinnamon. This recipe serves 16, but I only made half of the recipe.Pumpkin Polenta Cake
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Polenta-Cake/Detail.aspx
INGREDIENTS
2 cups canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 cups dry polenta
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
In a blender or food processor, blend pumpkin, butter, eggs, and egg whites. Mix in the brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Blend until smooth, and transfer to a medium bowl.
Mix yogurt and polenta into the pumpkin mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before slicing.
Yes...it is pumpkin again!! Tonight's dinner was a faux pumpkin risotto. I had no risotto in the house, so I decided to use brown rice. I was surprised at what a wonderful savory taste this dish had. A nutmeg laced pumpkin taste with creaminess added by ricotta cheese. The peas were thrown in for color and to add more veggies! This is definitely my new comfort meal! If only I had one of rubybean77's gingerbread cupcakes for dessert. 
Based on all your comments, you are OK with my pumpkin obsession...so more pumpkin delights to come! This morning I delighted in a delicious cup of pumpkin spice coffee. My favorite part was the froth that graced the top! I created the fluffiness with one of the best kitchen gadgets ever...the mini frother! In all it's battery powered glory, it allows me to create coffee house drinks in my own kitchen. I highly recommend getting one if you are a coffee lover. Mine came from IKEA!
I promise that after this post, I will take a break from my pumpkin craze...at least in terms of posting. Nothing will stop me from eating more pumpkin creations. These doughy delights would be perfect on the Thanksgiving table! They also would be tasty on a Fall morning with maple syrup and butter. I made these gluten free, but you can use any all purpose baking mix.2 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose baking mix
2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tblsp water
Directions:
Mix baking mix, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice.
Stir in pumpkin, milk, and water until all is moist.
Drop into 12 heaps onto baking sheet prepared with non-stick spray.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. If tops start to brown too fast, reduce heat to 375 degrees for the last 5 minutes.
It is hard to get up and go to work on Saturday mornings, but this morning a little treat made it easier. Every Fall, Einstein's Bagels has Pumpkin Bagels and Autumn Harvest coffee. Today was my first pumpkin bagel and coffee this year, and I was in heaven! I love the Autumn Harvest coffee. It has a smooth buttery caramel taste. Happy Fall everyone!
I didn't get a chance to go to the grocery store today, and my ingredients to pick from were slim tonight. I decided to create something that might please my palate. It turned out better than I ever expected. It was almost like a mini pizza with a polenta crust. I am going to make this again when I have more veggie toppings and mozzarella cheese. 
