November somehow crept up on me yesterday, which means my family will be in town for Thanksgiving in a few weeks. I have no idea what I’m making for the meal, but I know this much: they’ll expect pumpkin squares for dessert. These squares are yummy and gooey, and they have the added advantage of being the ONLY recipe I inherited from my mother. She’s one of the most fantastic people I know and great at many things, but in our house, baking was left for the bakeries.

For a healthier, and just as yummy pumpkin dessert, try the cookies below as well.

NANA’S PUMPKIN SQUARES
Yellow cake mix (buy this ready made or try this recipe)
1/4 cup sugar
t cinnamon
1/4 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
2t pumpkin spice
one large can pumpkin spice
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup soy milk

For the crust: combine all but one cup of the cake mix, 1/2 cup oil and 1 egg. Spread it into a 9×13 pan.

For the filling: combine pumpkin, pumpkin spice, brown sugar, 1 egg and soy milk. Mix and pour over crust.

For the topping: Combine the one cup of cake mix, 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and Earth Balance until crumbles. Sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Best served warm.

PUMPKIN COOKIES
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
t baking soda
t baking powder
t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Earth Balance, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Beat honey, Earth Balance, pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Let mixture cool in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Cool completely.

Drizzle Glaze over cookies: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2t soy milk, 1t melted Earth Balance and 1/2t vanilla.