Pumpkin butter is one of those wonderful seasonal treats.  When it starts popping up on autumnal displays next to adorable mini gourds and pie-baking accessories at Whole Foods, Williams-Sonoma and your local farmer’s market, you just know fall has officially begun.  It’s incredibly easy to make, although you’ll have no trouble finding it at the store.  Here are five fun, creative ways to indulge yourself, impress your guests and enjoy the delicious merits of pumpkin butter.

• Forgo the jam and spread pumpkin butter on your toast or biscuits.
• Spread a little pumpkin butter over some oatmeal chocolate chip, ginger, sugar or double chocolate cookies for a special treat.
• Pumpkin and chocolate pair surprisingly well – make your favorite brownie recipe and take a knife to swirl in some pumpkin butter on the top of the brownies before you put them in the oven.
• Instead of your usual oatmeal toppings, mix a little pumpkin butter in your oatmeal and drizzle with cream.
• Pumpkin butter also makes a great topping on pancakes.  You don’t have to make pumpkin pancakes to achieve that yummy, fall pumpkin flavor.  Simply make some fluffy buttermilk pancakes (or your favorite recipe) and spread some pumpkin butter on top of them.  Drizzled with some maple syrup, a sprinkle of toasted pecans and a light dusting of powdered sugar, they will taste divine and will encompass all of the wonderful flavors of fall in one bite.

*If you feel like going for homemade pumpkin butter, check this recipe out: http://eggsonsunday.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/pumpkin-butter/.  If you’re not feeling so ambitious, these are some delicious store-bought pumpkin butters that will do the trick:  http://www.williams-sonoma.com/search/results.html?activeTab=products&words=pumpkin+butter&cm_sp=OnsiteSearch-_-GlobalNav-_-Button

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