Candy corn, spider webs, and pumpkins galore. As Halloween approaches, pumpkins pop up on almost every front porch during this time of the year. Use any left-over pumpkins to make quick and easy desserts, decorations, and face masks.

• Pumpkin Face Mask

While pumpkins are usually associated with lattes, pastries, or Halloween, they can also can exfoliate the skin with their nutrients and vitamins . Use any pumpkins from this fall season and honey to make a homemade pumpkin face mask. Pumpkin face masks can help fade sun spots, fight wrinkles, and dissolve dead skin cells. Follow these easy steps to make a mask in 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp cooked pumpkin,
• 1 tsp raw honey
• optional: 1 tsp Vitamin E

Note: If you are acne prone or excessively oily, use these ingredients

• 1 tbsp cooked pumpkin
• 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients together, thoroughly mash them, and apply the mixture onto your skin.
2. Keep the mask on for 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and a face cleanser.

Recipe from http://www.primallyinspired.com/homemade-pumpkin-mask/.

• Pumpkin Pie

People eat pumpkin pie year-round, but fall is the prime time when it appears on the dinner table. Use a pre-made pie crust to reduce cooking time, or make the crust from scratch.

Ingredients:

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp salt

1 can (15 oz) of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 ¼ cups evaporated milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 frozen deep-dish pie crust

Steps:

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Then mix sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, and two beaten eggs in a large bowl.
2. Pour the mix into the pie crust. Then bake the pie for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
4. Cool for two hours and serve or refrigerate until serving time.

Recipe from: http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/easiest-ever-pumpkin-pie/5793eb83-dca1-45e0-96e1-7f73af9e282f

• Pumpkin Spice Latte

A warm pumpkin spice latte brightens up a dreary morning and brings fall cheer everywhere. Embrace the fall spirit with this drink.

This recipe makes two servings

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

2 tbsp canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 to 2 tbsp sugar (to taste)

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tbsp vanilla

½ cup hot brewed coffee

How-To:

In a two-quart saucepan,mix and heat the milk, pumpkin and sugar over medium heat. Once hot, but not boiling, remove from heat. Stir in the pumpkin pie spice, the vanilla and coffee. Pour the latte into two large mugs. After, garnish each with whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice and a cinnamon stick.

Recipe from http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/pumpkin-spice-latte/a1ef6f8d-3c99-4b9d-86e4-25bdb1c4684

• Pumpkin Spice Mini Cheesecakes

While cheesecakes come in a variety of flavors throughout the year, this pumpkin spice cheesecake captures the flavors of the season. Along side, enjoy a slice of pumpkin spice cheesecake this fall.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup ginger snaps

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

Cheesecake:

18-ounce packaged cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

2  eggs

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2  tsp candied ginger

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

4 ounces semisweet chocolate,chopped

1 tbsp butter

Whipped cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Lightly grease pan. Combine the ginger snap crumbs and sugar in a  medium sized bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Then set it aside.
2. Add the cream cheese and sugar into a medium sized bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined. Add the canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, candied ginger, vanilla, and salt to the bowl and beat them until they are combined. Then remove 1 cup of the mixture.
3. In a heat-proof bowl, combine the 6 ounces chocolate and the 1 tablespoons butter, and place it  in an inch of simmering water. Cook and stir it over low heat. Once, it is melted whisk chocolate mixture into the one cup of the pumpkin mixture. Then pour it over the crust, making sure to spread the mixture evenly. Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes.
4. Gently pour the remaining pumpkin mixture over the baked chocolate layer, spreading it evenly. Bake it for 40 to 45 minutes more or until filling is puffed. Then cool it on a wire rack for 30 minutes before taking it out and enjoying your cheesecake.
5. Top with whipped cream, if desired.

Recipe from http://www.bakersroyale.com/cheesecake/spiced-pumpkin-cheesecake-with-bourb0n-whop-cream/

This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on October 17, 2014.