How about a pumpkin soup? Sometimes, I find they are a little too sweet, too, but I think it could be done without making it feel like you’re having liquid pumpkin pie

Also, I don’t know if this is too carby for you, but last year I mixed canned pumpkin with ricotta cheese, sauteed onions and some thyme and used it as a filling in some wonton wrappers. I baked some and pan fried some and they were really good. I think the wonton wrappers are less carby than a usual ravioli pasta, which is why I tried them in the first place.

Very Tasty “Mud” Recipes – Luby’S Mississippi Mud Cake And Mud Hens

Remember the fun of making mud pies when you were a child?  I remember my daughter making them for my grandfather and how he dutifully sat under a shade tree for hours telling her how good they were.  But, now that we are all grown-up, it is time to get into the chocolate and make some very tasty adult “Mud” desserts.  Our first recipe is from a popular cafeteria chain here in Texas called Luby’s Cafeterias.  They serve a popular Mississippi Mud Cake and shared this recipe with us.  The second recipe is for Mud Hens; they may not sound very good but you can rest assured they are.

LUBY’S MISSISSIPPI MUD CAKE

Cake:

2 sticks butter or margarine, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

4 extra-large eggs

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp vanilla

Icing:

1 stick butter or margarine

1 3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 cups miniature marshmallows

2 tbsp + 2 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

For cake:  In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and cocoa until smooth and creamy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the flour, pecans, and vanilla to the mixture.  Mix just until blended and pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Set pan on a wire rack to cool.

For icing:  Combine butter, powdered sugar, marshmallows, cocoa powder, and milk in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat just until the marshmallows are melted, stirring almost constantly. Drizzle over cake, sprinkle with pecans and cool completely.  Garnish each piece with a dollop of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, if desired.

MUD HENS

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 egg white, reserving 2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix butter, sugar, egg yolks, 1 egg white, flour, baking powder, vanilla, and salt together.  Spread very thinly in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Beat the two remaining egg whites until stiff and beat in the brown sugar.  Spread over the nuts.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cut into 24 squares while still hot.

Enjoy!

About the Author

You will find more delicious dessert recipes at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com