This time of year we’re being bombarded with all sorts of advertisements for foods and drinks which are pumpkin-flavored. Pumpkin donuts, pan cakes, coffee, lattes and custards are being offered as seasonal specialties.

Some of these pumpkin specialties are quite delicious and I think they would be well received all year.

Others … leave a lot to your imagination when it comes to the flavor of pumpkin. But what the heck – I always give them the benefit of the doubt and try almost every one of them.

Now I feel the calling to share a recipe for making pumpkin butter that can be enjoyed several ways.

I’ve already written about lemon butter and apple butter, so here is my contribution to flavored butters of special appeal in every home.

You can slather pumpkin butter on toast or biscuits and have a nice treat. Good, warm homemade bread straight from the oven with some pumpkin butter smeared on top of each slice is something special.

You can also make fried biscuits like they do in Nashville, Ind., and top them with pumpkin butter.

This recipe is easy, since you make it using a15-ounce can of pumpkin and other items you’re likely to already have in your home. The cooking part is easy too, since you do it in your Crock-Pot.

All-Purpose Pumpkin Butter

15-ounce can pumpkin

1/2 cup apple juice

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Set your Crock-Pot on low heat and plan to cook the pumpkin butter about 5 hours.

Put all the ingredients into the pot and stir them together well.

Cover and cook. Once in a while you should give it a stir, cover again and cook until it is thick enough to suit you.

Refrigerate the pumpkin butter before serving. You can mix it in any of the items mentioned above to make pumpkin-flavored treats.

Would you enjoy a pumpkin milkshake?

Put a couple of dips of vanilla ice cream and 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin butter into your food processor.

Add some milk and whiz it until you have a nice milkshake. You can make a smoothie using 1 cup of plain yogurt, 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin butter, 8-10 ice cubes and some milk.

You can also use this to make pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins. Enjoy it often!

Readers with questions or comments for Dave Kessler may write to him in care of this publication.