pumpkin

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

It’s that time of year guys! Everything is pumpkin! And these cookies are perfect for sugar lovers everywhere 🙂 To me, they are the perfect fall cookie with a pumpkin spice flavor and powdered sugar glaze on top. Bonus, they are easy to make! So go get a pumpkin spice latte, turn on your oven and let’s bake!

What you will need:

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar (plus more for flattening)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

For the glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and spice. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together the butter, oil, pumpkin, sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs until combined. Slowly pour in the flour mixture until dough forms.

Scoop onto prepared baking sheet and flatten using the bottom of a glass. See picture below.

Press the bottom of the glass in sugar before pressing down the cookies so it doesn’t stick. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Allow to cool a minute on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

While cookies are cooling, stir together all ingredients to make the glaze. Drizzle over the cooling cookies. The glaze will harden after about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp or in the fridge.

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

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Yum! Pumpkin is so fun and great to bake with! And these muffins do not disappoint. The perfect afternoon snack with tea, or even breakfast, or dessert after dinner. White chocolate has definitely been a staple at my house lately. It just makes things so much tastier! The combination of the white chocolate sweetness and crunch with the smooth taste of pumpkin really make these muffins special. So if you are having guests over for Thanksgiving, (which by the way, is 2 weeks away!!) go ahead and whip up these guys. Super delicious for the season.

So, go put on your aprons, start your ovens and let’s bake!

What you will need:

Muffin tin lined with cupcake liners

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin puree
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together oil, both sugars, vanilla, eggs and pumpkin until combined. Slowly beat in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in white chocolate chips.

Spoon into prepared muffin tin about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for about 20-22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before taking out and serving. Enjoy!

Store covered at room temp.

Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Cake

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Yep, another pumpkin recipe! I just love baking with it! So delicious and comforting this time of year 🙂 I originally wanted to make a coffee cake-like cake, however, I’ve made so many coffee cakes and posted those recipes on here, this one just spoke to me! Let me say, this cake is very VERY sweet. Cinnamon roll times 2, sweet. So if you want it for breakfast, go for it,  but it is definitely more of a dessert in my opinion, and that’s saying something 😉

So get those ovens on, and here we go…

What you will need:

13 x 9 inch bake dish, greased

For the batter:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves (or nutmeg)
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted

For the filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves (or nutmeg). Stir in milk, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla until combined. Stir in melted butter. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.

In another bowl, stir together all filling ingredients until combined. Drop by spoonfulls over the cake batter and swirl with a knife. Bake for about 30 minutes.

When the cake comes out of the oven, mix together the glaze ingredients. Drizzle over the hot cake. Allow to cool a bit before serving.

Store covered at room temperature. Warm up to serve (optional).

Pumpkin Muffins

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Who doesn’t love the perfect fall snack in the middle of the day?! I made these while Liam was at school because 1. I wanted them and 2. I never know when he’s going to invite a friend over after school and I want to be able to offer food! He is SO hungry after school because the kindergarteners eat lunch at 10:45! Super early. They do get a snack at 2:00 but it’s just not enough. These muffins are the perfect energy treat before dinner or even breakfast!

So, if you’re feeling the pumpkin vibe this October and want THE perfect snack, look no further! Let’s get to baking…

What you will need:

Muffin tin either sprayed or lined

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see note)
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin purée

Note: instead of using pumpkin pie spice, you can also use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon cloves. Add whatever spices you like!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together both sugars and oil. Add in eggs, vanilla and pumpkin and whisk until combined. Slowly fold in flour mixture until just combined. Batter is thick.

Fill the muffin tin about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before taking the muffins out and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Maple Scones

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Happy summer! I mean… fall! Seriously, this 90 degree September weather in Chicago is really weird. I want the cool nights and brisk mornings! Not hot and muggy, need the air conditioning on! But, I’ll take it. Leaves have started to change and fall off trees and Halloween stuff is out in all the stores, and of course, pumpkin everything!

I love baking with pumpkin. The result is always delicious and it’s just so warm and inviting. I found a similar recipe on Pinterest for pumpkin scones but I changed it up a little. Also, pouring out 10 teaspoons of milk seems like a lot. I tried to convert to tablespoons but it was getting too complicated. So, here we go! Our first recipe of the fall season…

What you will need:

Baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with a non-stick spray

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons (+1 teaspoon) maple syrup
10 teaspoons (+ 1 teaspoon) milk

For the glaze:

1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1-2 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter in until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in pumpkin, 3 tablespoons maple syrup and 10 teaspoons milk until just incorporated.

Divide the dough into 8 equal balls and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 teaspoon of maple syrup and milk and brush over the tops. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, combine all ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl. Stir until you get desired consistency. Drizzle over the cooled scones. Enjoy!

Store in an airtight container at room temp. Serve warm.


Pumpkin Coffee Cake

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Hooray for fall! All things pumpkin, get in my belly! This coffee cake does not disappoint. I will definitely be having a slice with my morning coffee 😉 It seems like I haven’t posted in a while so I’m hoping this recipe helps with any baking beauty withdrawals. Let’s go start those ovens, put on our aprons and bake this delicious cake!

What you will need:

8 x 8 inch square bake pan sprayed with non-stick spray

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin

For the crumb topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Set aside. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and beat until incorporated. Add the pumpkin and beat until incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until combined. Pour into prepared pan and even out the top. Set aside.

To make the crumb topping, put all ingredients in a bowl and mix with your fingers until it looks crumbly. Evenly spread of top the crumb cake batter. Bake for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool completely before enjoying!

I’m not sure why these pictures are coming in smaller and of less quality but I still wanted to share 🙂

Dense, pumpkiny, crumbly goodness!

Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds

Yesterday was the day of pumpkin carving in my household! It is so fun and brings back many good memories of my childhood. However, Liam was grossed out by the pumpkin! I mean, yes, it is pretty nasty, feels weird and smells but I enjoyed myself. And of course I saved the seeds! Last year I made drunken pumpkin seeds, but this year I wanted something simple, sweet and salty. So, go wash your pumpkin seeds and let’s roast!

What you will need:

1 cup washed pumpkin seeds (I got this from 1 medium pumpkin)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit. Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 30 minutes to dry them out.

Once dry, take out seeds and set your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until all the seeds are coated. Put the seeds back on the parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the seeds are lightly golden brown. Enjoy!

Yum! Such a great snack. And here is our mess from carving…

 

Have fun!

 

Pumpkin Crumb Cake in a Mug 

So I actually wasn’t going to post this. I’m so over pumpkin! LOL seriously. Pumpkin itself really is not a great flavor. It’s the cinnamon and pumpkin spice that everyone loves. But, I wanted to share this recipe with you all so there ya go! I had a little bit of canned pumpkin left and made this quick cake in a mug. I was expecting it to come out differently, it was good, but not great. And the white in the picture is powdered sugar. NOT NECESSARY as this is already very sweet.

What you will need:

Microwave safe coffee mug

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground cloves

For the streusel topping:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In the microwave, melt the butter in the mug. Add the sugar, pumpkin and vanilla and stir until combined. Stir in four, baking powder, salt and cloves until combined.

To make the streusel, put all ingredients in a small bowl and mix with your fingers until it resembles coarse sand. Pour over the cake batter in the mug. Microwave for about 1 minute to 1 minute 20 seconds. Allow to cool for 2 minutes before digging in! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Nutella Cookie Bars

Heavenly. That’s the perfect word to describe these bad boys. The absolute perfect fall dessert! I mean… who doesn’t love Nutella?! And they are not very difficult to make. So come on! Put on your aprons and start your ovens…

What you will need: 

9 x 9 inch square baking pan lined with foil and sprayed with a non-stick spray

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a large bowl, whisk together, flour, spices, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In another bowl, beat melted butter, pumpkin, both sugars, egg yolk and vanilla until well blended. Add in the flour and beat until combined.

Press half of the batter at the bottom of the prepared pan with your fingers. Tip: Spray your fingers with the non-stick spray so the dough doesn’t stick to your hands. The dough should only cover the bottom. Bake for 8 minutes.

Place the Nutella in a microwave safe bowl and heat until pourable. 20 seconds is what I did. Evenly spread the Nutella over the partially baked cookie dough. Dollop the rest of the cookie dough over that and spread as evenly as you can. Bake for another 17 minutes. Let cool completely on a  wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!
  

Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Pancakes

The fluffiest, tastiest and most perfect fall pancake! Seriously, these are heavenly. Not only is there pumpkin in the batter, but also molasses! It really takes them to another level. SO GOOD! These do take a little longer to make than the traditional pancake, but it is so worth it. Wake your family up with a sweet treat! Happy October 🙂

What you will need:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup pumpkin 
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl,  whisk together the flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. In other bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil, pumpkin, molasses and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combined. The batter will be thick!

Heat your pan on medium heat and grease with butter or non-stick spray. Using a big spoon, pour batter onto pan. Tip: Since the batter is so thick, using the back of the spoon, I then spread the batter out evenly into a circle.

Flip the pancake over when the edges are dry and bubbles are just starting to pop on the top, about 2-3 minutes. The next side will not take as long, maybe about another 45 seconds to a minute. Serve hot with maple syrup. Enjoy!

I got 10 medium sized pancakes.