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1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FROSTING

½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9- by 13-inch baking pan.

2 Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

3 Shred the carrots in a food processor. Remove and measure 3 cups lightly packed shredded carrots. (If you have more, set aside for a salad. If you have just less than 3 cups, don’t worry about it.)

4 Combine the oil and sugar in the food processor (don’t bother washing it first) and process until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs and egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla, and process until well combined and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and pulse until the batter is smooth and blended. Add the carrots and pulse until blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

5 Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

6 To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese until creamy and well blended. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth. Frost the cake in the pan when it is completely cooled.

Coconut-Pumpkin Pie

Serves 6–8

You can look at pumpkin pie as an unalterable Thanksgiving tradition or you can look at it as a well-loved dessert that can be varied at will. This variation is wonderful, and it can be made with either winter squash or pumpkin.

Pastry for a 9-inch single-crust pie (page 265)

2 cups cooked and puréed pumpkin or winter squash

2 eggs

1 cup coconut milk

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1¼ cups unsweetened flaked coconut

1 Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2 Roll out and fit the pastry into a 9-inch pie pan. Fold the overhang under and flute the edges of the dough.

3 To make the filling, combine the pumpkin, eggs, coconut milk, brown sugar, vanilla, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and allspice in a food processor and process until smooth. Add 1 cup of the coconut and pulse just long enough to mix in. Pour the filling into the crust.

4 Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350°F and continue to bake for about 40 minutes longer, until the filling is partially set. Sprinkle on the remaining ¼ cup coconut and continue baking about 10 minutes longer, until the filling is mostly set (the center will still be wobbly) and the coconut is toasted.

5 Chill well before serving.

Chocolate Chip–Pumpkin Loaf

Serves 8–12

As my nanny used to say, “Just a spoonful of chocolate helps the winter squash go down …” Actually, I didn’t have a nanny. And this cake is made with more than a spoonful of chocolate, but you get the idea. This dessert is equally delicious made with a purée of winter squash or pumpkin; use whichever you have on had. The recipe is easily doubled to make two loaves if you are serving a crowd or wish to put one in the freezer.

12/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/3 cup sunflower or canola oil

11/3 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup cooked and puréed pumpkin or winter squash

¼ cup milk

1 cup mini chocolate morsels

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

2 Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

3 In a large bowl, combine the oil and sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin and milk. Add the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Fold in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

4 Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

5 Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for