It may come as no surprise that the New Hampshire state fruit can be quite controversial from a culinary perspective. Sure, pumpkin can be delicious, but it can also be senselessly over-used.

I don’t need pumpkin in my coffee, thank you.

Yet pooh-poohing pumpkin can be problematic since it’s such a time-honored flavor around the holidays. Besides, what could be better or more iconic? Well, maybe maple.

Such a concept sparked vigorous debate in the Concord Monitor newsroom. Pumpkin loyalists extolled its versatility in both savory and sweet dishes. Maple purists lauded the syrup for its simplicity and refinement. Feelings were flambéed, tempers broiled.

Clearly, only one thing would settle the dispute – an old-fashioned maple versus pumpkin throwdown.

Reporters and editors broke into Team Maple or Team Pumpkin and agreed to bring in one dish that was either savory or sweet. Everyone would sample each dish and then vote on the winner. However, a breakout third party began to emerge with a solid platform – that both maple and pumpkin were better when combined in the same dish. An interesting concept, and Team Fusion was born.

The big decision day was Nov. 5, Election Day, of course. As the rest of the country decided on the next president of the United States, we had our own matters to settle.

Team Maple delivered brussels sprouts with bacon drizzled with maple syrup, a maple apple cake with maple cream frosting, and maple granola. The brussels sprouts were surprisingly delicious with sweet maple syrup hitting the palette first, followed by the crunch of the sprout, and finished with the saltiness from the bacon. The gluten free apple cake was loose, but tasty and buttery. The granola provided the expected crunch and good flavor, but it was less exciting than other entries.

Team Pumpkin arrived armed with vegetarian pumpkin chili, pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin poriyal, a South Indian-style spicy pumpkin dish. The chili was unexpected and exciting as it delivered pumpkin notes with a southwest spin. The ice cream was like eating liquid pumpkin pie and whipped cream all at the same time. The poriyal packed in flavors that brought pumpkin to new heights.

Team Fusion unleashed pumpkin coffee cake with a maple crumble, spiced maple and pumpkin soup and pumpkin cake with maple frosting. The coffee cake was dense and robust just as it was supposed to be and proved popular with those who revisited the tasting table. The pumpkin cake lived up to its promise – it was not dry in the least and the frosting was subtle and creamy and not overpoweringly sweet. The soup (made by me) was a little spicy, which made it one of the more polarizing dishes. It hit the spot with David Brooks, who said, “I think your soup turned out just right. I think it’s just on the edge.”

After all the votes were tallied, we had a winner, which turned out to be … the pumpkin ice cream, hand-made by Jeremy Margolis. Sorry if I buried the lead.

As a side note, the ice cream won with just three votes. Next time, we’ll either hold a primary to winnow down the candidates or to Dave’s delight, give ranked-choice voting a whirl.

Here are all the recipes, we hope you try one out this holiday season:

Team Pumpkin

Pumpkin ice cream, by Jeremy Margolis

It was a tremendous privilege to Make Pumpkin Great Again. Our multi-ingredient coalition brings together the richness of brown sugar with the hominess of pumpkin puree, topping it all off with the beautiful diversity of pumpkin spice mix. When we throw a bunch of ingredients into an ice cream maker and let it churn, we win! Recipe is credited to the Daring Gourmet.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

5 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 tsp pumpkin spice mix (mixture of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger)

1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree

Directions: Whisk together the egg yolks, pumpkin spice mix, and half of the sugar until the sugar is smooth and dissolved. In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream and rest of the sugar and cook over low heat until bubbles begin to form. Ensure the milk doesn’t curdle. Very slowly, add 1/2 cup of the cream/sugar mixture to the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Add vanilla extract. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the rest of the cream/sugar mixture over low heat, stirring constantly to ensure the eggs don’t scramble. Cook about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Take the mixture off heat and stir in the pumpkin puree. Let cool for several hours. Pour into an ice cream maker and let churn for about 20 minutes.

Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili, by Charlotte Matherly

Ingredients

1/2 large red onion, diced

2 bell peppers, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 15-oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz can fire-roasted tomatoes (liquid mostly drained)

1 can pumpkin puree

1 cup corn

1 1/2 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Directions: Saute onions and peppers over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and spices, then saute another minute while stirring constantly. Add all remaining ingredients (except corn), bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in corn.

Pumpkin poriyal, by Sruthi Gopalahrishnan

This South Indian-style spicy pumpkin dish— which was called “pumpkin chunks” by some in the newsroom — is a sweet and spicy favorite from my childhood in India.

Finished with a sprinkling of grated coconut, this vegetable dish was a must-have part of my lunch, and going even a week without it seemed wrong.

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin, peeled and cubed (if the skin is thick)

1 onion, sliced

1-2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

A few curry leaves

2 dried red chilis

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

A handful of grated coconut

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Let them splutter.

2. Add the dried red chilis and sauté for a few seconds.

3. Add the sliced onions and sauté until they soften.

4. Add the cubed pumpkin pieces, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Stir well to coat the pumpkin with the spices.

5. Cover the pan and let the pumpkin cook, adding water if necessary to prevent burning. Cook until the pumpkin becomes tender.

6. Once the pumpkin is soft, turn off the heat and sprinkle with grated coconut.

Team Maple

Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts, by David Brooks

Roasted Brussels sprouts are excellent; drizzling them with maple syrup makes them more excellent. To overcome any vegetable phobias, this adds bacon.

Ingredients

1 pound whole Brussels sprouts

4 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop the Brussel sprouts in half, or thirds if they’re big. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, spread the result on a baking sheet, cook for 20-30 minutes depending on how toasty you like your veggies.

Maple-ified Fresh Apple Cake, by Catherine McLaughlin

The perfect maple recipe to me really only involves a container of real NH syrup and a shot glass.

But that seemed to be missing the point of the assignment here, so I dug a little deeper. The original recipe I used comes from the cookbook for the Bakery Lane Soup Bowl, a now-closed but iconic restaurant in the town of Middlebury, Vermont. I went to school there and so did my mom, and she still has her original copy of the book in our cabinet at home. Most of the recipes my mom goes back to again and again and again are Alton Brown recipes that she’s printed off the Food Network and folded in half. But she keeps this cookbook close at hand, so I trusted her when she said this apple cake was famously good and figured it’d be a perfect candidate for a celebration of New Hampshire’s two most iconic flavors.

I swapped out some of the sugar in the original recipe for maple syrup — which makes the cook time a little off. Make sure it’s fully baked. I also swapped out the caramel frosting the original recipe calls for and went with a maple buttercream instead.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that my maple syrup-centered lifestyle is sponsored by the syruping operation of my very good friends the Crosby family in Center Harbor. For some things in life, you’ve gotta have “a guy.” Maple syrup is one of them.

Ingredients for cake

2 1/3 cups flour

1 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

4 cups chopped, peeled MacIntosh apples

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 chopped walnuts (optional)

2 eggs

For maple frosting:

2 sticks salted butter

2 tbsp whole milk or cream

3 cups confectioners sugar

Dash of vanilla extract

Maple syrup to desired sweetness

Directions: Combine dry ingredients, then add in wet. Beat on medium for no more than a few mins. Bake at 325 for at least 45 min, but really just until its done — the middle should spring back when you poke it. The amount of apples in this means it may not be done for a while. Works in a 9x9 or 9x13 pan, depending on thickness you want.

Pumpkin Maple Munch (aka So-So Granola), by Steve Leone

Like a 6th grader at their first middle school dance, my humble granola never made it out of the corner. I admittedly failed miserably in my mission to clump the oats and nuts with just the right amount of oil, maple and honey, leaving me with a fine-tasting but breakfast-cereal-like mix. Embarrassed, I knew in the world of maple buttercream glaze and pumpkin ice cream that I just couldn’t compete, so I hid my granola behind the pumpkin soup. But I picked up some valuable lessons along the way.

First, I did some things right. I used Ben’s Sugar Shack maple syrup and local honey I picked up at the Warner Fall Foliage Festival. This recipe uses the same ingredients but it modifies the baking and cooling process to allow for a nice crunchy and clumpy granola.

Ingredients

4 cups old fashioned oats

1/4 cup cup flax seeds

1/2 cup almonds (walnuts or pecans work too)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup dried cranberries

Directions: Preheat oven to 300. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine oats, nuts, flax seeds, sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice and set aside. In microwave-safe dish, combine the oil, syrup, honey and extract and heat for 30 seconds to warm it up. Pour it over the oats and mix until evenly coated. Spread the mixture evenly into the pan. Baked for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the granola in for another 30 minutes. Take it out of the oven and sprinkle with dried cranberries. Cool completely before breaking it apart. Store in an air-tight container.

Team Fusion

Pumpkin Cake with Maple Frosting, by Rachel Wachman

Ingredients for cake

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup pumpkin purée

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

1 cup golden raisins/ginger mini chips (optional)

For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese

4 tablespoons softened butter

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a large rimmed half-sheet pan, about 18” x 13”; or line the pan with greased parchment. Beat the oil and the sugars together until well blended. Beat in the eggs, then the pumpkin purée. Stir the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spice into the wet ingredients, then stir in the flour, beating gently to combine. Stir in the nuts and raisins/ginger. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Recipe is from Sur La Table.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake, by Michaela Towfighi

Ingredients the pumpkin cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons pumpkin spice

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup canola (or vegetable) oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the crumb topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (can also substitute for oil)

For the maple glaze

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9 x 9-inch pan with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda & powder, salt, and pumpkin spice until combined. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients. Pour in eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, oil, and vanilla, Whisk together the wet ingredients for about 30 seconds, then fold them into the dry ingredients until just combined. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and set aside to make the topping. In a large bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add in the butter until the mixture starts to clump together. Pour the crumble on top of the pumpkin batter, spreading out evenly to the edges. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean. Once the cake cools, drizzle with icing.

Recipe from Broma Bakery.

Spiced Maple Pumpkin Soup, by Jonathan Van Fleet

Think liquid pumpkin pie served in a bowl with a savory and spicy twist.

Ingredients

1 whole butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 large sweet onion

1/2 cup of maple syrup

1 can of pumpkin puree (pumpkin pie filling)

1 can of coconut milk

1 quart of water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Spices to taste: Salt, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, curry, red pepper flakes, parsley

Directions: Boil squash and onion in a large pot with water until soft and then mash. On low heat, add the rest of the liquid ingredients and spices. Add a little more of this or that depending on taste. When the flavor is how you want it, blend until smooth using an immersion blender or regular blender. If too thick, add a little more water. Serve hot or cold.