What could be more delicious than a fresh muffin? Or homemade apple pie? Or how about a yummy scoop of pumpkin ice cream? Below are these fun recipes to serve at your next holiday party.

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
2. Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Walnut Crumb Apple Pie:

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
• 4 tablespoons ice water

Topping

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Filling

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• pinch fine sea salt
• 2 1/2 pound (about 6) Granny Smith, Gala and/or Pink Lady apples, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Prepare the pie crust. Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Or, whisk together in a medium bowl. Add butter and shortening and pulse in the food processor or cut in using a pastry blender just until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough just comes together. Gather up dough, pat into a disc, cover and chill at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the topping. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, walnuts, brown sugar and salt. Mix in butter with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll pie dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Place dough in 9 1/2-inch pie plate and press into place. Trim and fold under the edges and crimp for a decorative crust. Chill in refrigerator while making the filling.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt until combined. Add apple slices and lemon juice and toss until evenly coated. Spoon apple filling into pie shell and sprinkle evenly with crumb topping. Bake pie on lower rack of oven 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake 45 to 50 minutes longer or until apples are tender and topping is golden and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Ice Cream:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• big pinch of salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup fresh or canned 100% pure pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger
• a few turns of ground black pepper

Directions:

(Note: You will need an ice cream maker for this one!)

1. Make an ice bath by putting some ice and a little water in a large bowl and nest a medium-sized metal bowl (one that will hold at least 2 quarts, 2l) inside it. Set a mesh strainer over the top. Pour the cream into the smaller bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, granulated sugar, and salt. Whisk together the egg yolks in a separate bowl.
3. Whisk about half of the warm milk into the yolks, stirring constantly.
4. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read between 160º-170ºF (71º-76ºC).
5. Immediately pour the mixture through the strainer into the heavy cream, in the bowl nested in the ice bath. Stir for a few minutes until it’s cool, then puree the custard in a blender with the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, and whiskey or brandy, if using. (Wipe the bottom of the bowl dry before pouring as you don’t want to get any water into the custard mixture.) Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.
6. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.