Pumpkin Week: Homemade Pumpkin Butter

I'd like to welcome you to Pumpkin Week! Pumpkin is my favorite Fall flavor so I decided to devote a whole week to it on the blog. That's right. 5 days full of pumpkin flavors with some extra pumpkin fun tossed in. I've got appetizers, drinks, dinners, and desserts packed with pumpkin flavor so make sure you check back every day this week for a new one!

The first recipe this week isn't one that I've made, but I can vouch for its deliciousness. Last Friday, we had some friends over for our traditional (can it be called traditional if it was our first but we plan on making a tradition out of it?) pumpkin dinner. Don't worry- that delicious recipe is coming at you tomorrow. Being the sweet person that she is, Karisa brought us a jar of homemade pumpkin butter. Being the pumpkin lover that I am, I couldn't wait too long to try it out.

The hubs and our roomie with the delicious breakfast they cooked. And yes, this is the best picture out of the four I took. I decided the hubster looked better with his eyes closed rather than open with a vacant creepy stare. He hates pictures. It's kind of his only fault.

This past weekend was the perfect lazy weekend. Temperatures actually dropped below 65º and it was rainy! I can't even remember the last time we had rain in San Diego, probably last March. Karisa recommended trying the pumpkin butter with pancakes, toast, or straight from a spoon. I decided to start with pancakes and the boys were all for that. They whipped us up a delicious brunch of pancakes (my hubby's "secret" recipe-he adds cinnamon and vanilla but they taste different each time and they're always delicious), bacon, sausage, and eggs (our roomies recipe added just a hint of cinnamon, and it was good). The pumpkin butter earned a spot amidst all the food on the table.

It was good. So good. As in screw the pancakes and hand me the spoon good. You need to make some of this. Now. You can make the pancakes too but I guarantee you won't be able to resist slipping a spoonful of this butter inside your mouth.

Homemade Pumpkin Butter

Source: Recommended by Karisa, made from Oh She Glows

1 (29 oz) can pumpkin puree

3/4 cup apple juice

1.5 tsp ground giner

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

juice of half a lemon

Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Cover and stir frequently.

Remove from heat. Adjust spices to taste. Stir in lemon juice and add more to taste. Once cool, pumpkin butter can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

Canning is not recommended. This recipe makes enough to fill one large mason jar.