Pumpkin Cranberry Dip...

Going to a holiday party and looking for a dip to take? If you have a leftover can of pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving, here's a simple recipe worth opening the can for.

A 15 oz. can contains almost 1-3/4 cups of pumpkin, so you'll have about 1-1/4 cups of pumpkin left over. Most quick bread recipes call for 1 cup of pumpkin, so plan on making a bread, too.

Serve this barely sweet dip with toast points or crackers, or use it as a spread on turkey sandwiches.



Cranberry Pumpkin Walnut Spread


Makes 2 cups

8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup dried cranberries, plus a tablespoon for garnish
3/4 cup toasted walnut or pecan pieces
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch salt

Break the cream cheese up into chunks and drop into a food processor. Sprinkle with the cranberries and nuts. Spoon in the pumpkin puree and sprinkle with the spices and salt. Pulse until almost smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl down once. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with extra cranberries.

NOTE: You can make this 1 or 2 days in advance. Just cover and refrigerate. Let the dip sit at room temperature about 30 minutes before you plan to serve to soften just a bit.