Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Sometimes I'm a procrastinator, like when it comes to updating this blog. I have recipes that I have made & taken pictures of, but have not posted them either because a) I'm too lazy, b) I'm too busy, or c) I just don't really like the pictures. However, I made these cookies today and I do not want you to procrastinate making them. They are like a little bite (or two) of fall in your mouth. The icing turned out more like a glaze, but still tastes delicious. Please make these soon. You and your friends will thank you for it. Yes, you will thank yourself. I meant that to sound that way! Oh, and I only made half the recipe but am posting the original. I got 21 cookies by halving it and my first batch of ones were pretty small.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Source: Cooking This and That, who adapted it from allrecipes.com


Ingredients:

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then spread icing over top.

To Make Icing: Combine all ingredients and beat with elextric mixer. Add milk as needed, to achieve spreading consistency.

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Pumpkin Pie Bars

I love pumpkin pie and I always crave pumpkin around this time of the year. I also had some pumpkin to use up in the fridge so in honor of the coming holiday, I decided to make these bars. They are fantastic! I also made homemade whipped cream to go on top of them...so good.

Pumpkin Pie Bars
Adapted from Kraft.com as seen on Delicious Melicious

Ingredients:
1-1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) cold butter or margarine
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I don't like nuts in my baked goods so I omitted)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons bourbon (optional) (I didn't use)
a handful of butterscotch or chocolate chips for sprinkling on top (optional)

Directions:
HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; grease foil. Mix flour, 1/4 granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and nuts.

RESERVE 1 cup oat mixture; press remaining onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min. Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, bourbon, pumpkin and spice with mixer until well blended. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture and a handful of butterscotch or chocolate chips (if desired).

BAKE 25 min.; cool 10 min. Use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Whipped Cream
Adapted from my memory

Ingredients:
Heavy whipping cream (I used half a small container)
Tablespoon of sugar (Jon said more could have been added though)
Dash of vanilla

Directions:
Pour whipping cream into mixer and mix until soft peaks form. Start mixing slowly and then increase speed as it becomes thicker. Add in the sugar and vanilla just as the soft peaks are forming.
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Pumpkin White Chocolate Blondies

The fall season is coming to a quick close this year, so I figured I would get a few more pumpkin recipes in before switching over to "Christmasy" foods. These are excellent - they taste more like a cake than a bar type of blondie.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Blondies
Adapted from Fresh From Cate's Kitchen, originally from Martha Stewart

Sorry for the picture - I was trying to get a quick one so I could update the blog!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (I used light margarine because that's all I had and they came out fine)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) white chocolate chips (I only had half a bag left)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled).

Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into squares.

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Mmm...pumpkin.

So I jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon. Actually, I've always loved pumpkin, but the only thing I've ever done with it is make pumpkin dip. I really wanted to make Reading, 'Riting & Recipes (adapted from Cara's Cravings) pumpkin cheesecake brownies so I started with those. I served them to some friends who came over to play Rock Band 2 & they really enjoyed them. They are very rich, but delicious!

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Adapted from Reading, 'Riting & Recipes and Cara's Cravings.

Ok, so it's a super close up brownie - not sure why it has so many holes in it!

Brownie Batter
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cheesecake Batter
6 oz cream cheese, softened (I used neufchatel cream cheese)
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground ginger and ground cloves (I omitted the cloves since I didn't have any)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8" square metal baking pan. (I used a glass baking dish)

For the Brownies
Beat together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients and then gradually stir into butter mixture by hand.

For the Cheesecake
In a separate bowl, beat together all ingredients.

To assemble
Spread about 2/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan. Spread the pumpkin batter over it, distributing evenly. Drop the remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. To make the swirls, run a butter knife back and forth through the pan - don't be afraid to go all the way to the bottom of the pan like I didn't on this batch!

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until center is set. Cool completely and chill before cutting and serving.

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I had some pumpkin left over so I went on search for a pumpkin sauce. I've always wanted to try it so I figured this would be the perfect time to do that. I found a Rachael Ray recipe - simple & tasty.

Pasta with Pumpkin & Sausage
Adapted from Rachael Ray


Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage (I only used 2 links to save on meat)
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I omitted)
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons (would have loved to use, but couldn't find it in the store!)
1 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Directions

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

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