Pumpkin Hummus

The bounty of pumpkins appearing all over the markets right now made me really want to try something new in the form of a pumpkin dip.  After combing a few different websites for inspiration, I came up with this pumpkin hummus dip that incorporates the warming spices of fall. The recipe uses cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, but you can also use pre-blended pumpkin pie spice that already contains those spices. 

Pumpkin bowl ready for filling. 

If you want to get a little fancier, you can even serve the dip in a pumpkin bowl, like I did. To make the pumpkin bowl, I rubbed olive oil on the outside of a sugar pie pumpkin and roasted it in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. When it's done, cut a large enough piece of the top off to be able to fill the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Discard the seeds or, better yet, set aside to roast :) You would use this same method to roast the pumpkins to make your puree.  The skin from my pumpkin bowl separated and I'm not sure why so next time I'm going to try poking a few holes using a fork to let the heat escape and see if that makes a difference.

Pumpkin hummus served with fresh cut veggies.

Pumpkin Hummus
Ingredients
2 C pumpkin puree (canned, or freshly roasted)
3 C chickpeas
1/4 C sesame paste (tahini)
3 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 T maple syrup
salt to taste 

Directions
Puree chickpeas with pumpkin until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined. Adjust seasoning. 

Makes about 3 1/2 cups.