Tiffany Rettig is originally from Circleville, Ohio, so she knows pumpkins.
The annual four-day Circleville Pumpkin Show is always held the third Wednesday through Saturday in October. Organizers call it “The Greatest Free Show on Earth.”
There is a Miss Pumpkin Show, a Little Miss Pumpkin Show — and the largest pumpkin at this year’s show weighed 1,837½ pounds.
This year, the 100th anniversary record-setting pumpkin pie was 14 feet in diameter, included 360 pounds of sugar, 795 pounds of pumpkin, 60 pounds of powdered milk, 60 dozen eggs, 75 gallons of water, 400 pounds of floor, and it took 15 people to mix and 10 hours to bake.
“There are over 300,000 people that go to Circleville, so it’s a lot of pumpkins,” Rettig said.
This agricultural exhibit and street fair had its humble origin in October 1903, when George R. Haswell, then mayor of Circleville and superintendent of the water works, conceived the idea of holding a small exhibit in front of his place on West Main Street.
Corn fodder and pumpkins, many of them cut into jack-o-lanterns, formed the principal decorations, and were responsible for it being dubbed “the pumpkin show.”
The following year, Haswell was joined by some enterprising neighborhood merchants and the exhibition grew steadily in its scope, interest and attendance. The first merry-go-round was set up at the corner of Main and Scioto streets for the 1905 show.
So, when Rettig, who is currently a human resources specialist at the Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities, married her husband Matt, who is from Henry County, Matt got introduced to pumpkins big time, and so did his late mother, Ann.
Ann’s recipe for pumpkin cookies has become a hit with both families.
“This is my husband’s favorite recipe of hers, so that’s why we make it. It’s something we cherish now, especially since she’s gone,” Tiffany said. “I love pumpkin anything, and we make them every fall.”
Tiffany, Matt and their son Nathan now live in Hamler. Since Ann has passed away, the responsibility of making the pumpkin cookies falls on Matt and Tiffany.
“They are fairly easy to cook. These cookies are mom-friendly — they don’t take a long time,” Tiffany said. “I’m not a baker, and I can make them. You just need a mixer and some standard things. My husband makes them a lot more than I do, but they are easy to make.
“Everyone likes them. They are very sweet, but they are very good. We’ve made three or four batches this year, so it depends how many cookies you make in each batch.”
She said you can use canned pumpkins or fresh pumpkins and mash them to 2 cups. The cinnamon and the vanilla frosting are just the right touch.
You can easily surmise that the pumpkins are popular when she brings a batch to Wood Lane School for faculty and students to share.
“I love my job, I love the individuals that we serve, and our mission truly means to support and inspire our individuals for sure,” Rettig said.
Rettig has been at Wood Lane for over a year and a half.
“I used to be a DSP (direct support professional) in college. We provided direct support to individuals in assisted living, and we’d go to events and do a little bit of everything — Walmart shopping, trips and events and stuff like that.
“That was a fun time. I graduated college and went to a nursing home working in HR, and then this position opened, and I came over here and loved it ever since.”
Ann Rettig’s Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
½ cup butter
½ cup Crisco butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
4½ cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon together in a bowl and stir. Mix butter and Crisco in mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar and mix. Add eggs and mix. Add pumpkin and vanilla, mix. If adding chips, do so now. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Ball dough and cool in refrigerator for 20 minutes or so. Flat down dough a little with fingers before baking.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-14 minutes, depending on size of cookie and oven.
Frosting
1 stick of oleo soft
1 pound powdered sugar = 3½ cups
Enough milk to make a glaze (a little at a time)
Maple flavoring to desired taste
Ann Rettig’s Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
½ cup butter
½ cup Crisco butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
4½ cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon together in a bowl and stir. Mix butter and Crisco in mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar and mix. Add eggs and mix. Add pumpkin and vanilla, mix. If adding chips, do so now. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Ball dough and cool in refrigerator for 20 minutes or so. Flat down dough a little with fingers before baking.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-14 minutes, depending on size of cookie and oven.
Frosting
1 stick of oleo soft
1 pound powdered sugar = 3½ cups
Enough milk to make a glaze (a little at a time)
Maple flavoring to desired taste
