Pumpkin Kiss Cookies

These cookies are like mini pumpkin pie bites! And they are also only three ingredients! You can't beat a quick and easy recipe that tasted this good!

Ingredients:

About 30 Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses
1 pie crust (I used Pillsbury)
Powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Unroll the pie crust on a lightly floured work surface. Using a cookie cutter, cut out random square/rectangle shapes, about 2 inches by 1 inch each. Save the small scraps that will be left over to combine and cover a few more kisses. Place the kiss in the center of the dough and bring the edges towards the top. Roll slightly and smooth out the seams so that there are no areas showing the kiss.

Place on the prepared pan. They will not grow very much while cooking so you can place them pretty close together. Bake for 15 minutes until slightly golden on top and golden brown on the bottom. Let cool for ten minutes on the baking sheet. Dust the tops of the cookies with powdered sugar.

Pumpkin Bread

Fall is the time for everything pumpkin. This bread is soft and fluffy and has all of the flavors of fall in each bite! You might want to double the recipe, because this loaf will go quickly!

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, eggs, oil and sugar together. Slowly whisk in the dry ingredients until you have a smooth batter with minimal lumps. Spray a bread loaf pan with non stick cooking spray (I used Pam with flour). Pour the batter into the pan and slightly tap on the counter to distribute evenly. Bake for an hour in the oven. Let cool ten minutes before transferring to a wire rack and let cool fully before serving.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

Ready for that fresh pumpkin pie taste? Look no further! This pie turned out PERFECT! I am not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but this pie was amazing and it will be hard to make them from canned puree in the future.

Ingredients:

1 recipe for Fresh Pumpkin Puree
1 (14 oz.) can low fat sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 Tbs. cornstarch
2 Tbs. molasses
2 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 pie crust (homemade or store bought)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using the food processor with your fresh pureed pumpkin still inside, add the condensed milk, whipping cream, cornstarch, molasses, oil, seasonings and eggs. Puree on high for about a minute, and then pulse until you get the consistency that you are looking for.

Place your pie crust in a pie dish and crimp the edges. Pour the pumpkin pie batter into the prepared pie crust. Bake in the oven for one hour, checking to make sure that the center of the pie is fully cooked. Make sure the pie is fully cooled to room temperature before refrigerating. 

Fresh Pumpkin Puree

This was my first time making a homemade pumpkin puree. After making it from scratch, it is going to be hard to use canned pumpkin to make pumpkin pie ever again! Although the cooking time is long, all you have to do is walk away for a while, come back, and puree it in a food processor and, done!

Ingredients:

2 small pie pumpkins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut each pie pumpkin in half and scrape the seeds out into a bowl (save to make baked pumpkin seeds!). Place the pumpkins cut side down in a large baking pan. Fill water about 3/4 of an inch up the side of the pan (yes the pumpkins will be in water). Bake for 1 1/2 hours and test the flesh with a fork to make sure that it is fully cooked. Scoop the pumpkin flesh out into a food processor. Process on high until the consistency is smooth.

Dill Pumpkin Seeds

Never throw out seeds!! From pumpkin, to acorn squash you can ALWAYS bake and flavor them and make them into a tasty snack.

1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Soak the seeds in a salt water bath for at least two hours. Drain the seeds and pat dry with paper towel or a kitchen towel. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, white vinegar, dill, garlic powder, sea salt and cracked black pepper. Toss with the seeds and spread in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let sit for five minutes on the baking sheet to cool before removing.

Chocolate Chunk Spice Cookies

My favorite spice season is finally here. I love adding pumpkin spice mix or apple pie spice mix to everything. This has easily become one of my favorite cookie recipes of all time, combining my love of chocolate and my favorite fall flavors of cinnamon, clove, ginger.....you get the idea!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice mix
2 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 sticks margarine, softened
1 1/2 c. chocolate chunks
2 Tbs. chia seeds

In an electric mixer, beat the sugar, brown sugar and margarine until a paste forms. Add in the two eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and the chia seeds. On low speed, add in 1 1/4 c. of the chocolate chunks. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a batter scoop that makes 1 Tbs. rounds, place about 8 scoops at LEAST two inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Top each dough ball with a few pieces of the chocolate chunks. Bake for 11 minutes, and then let rest on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool fully. Repeat until all of the batter is gone.

Since I have to cut down on carbs, I sent a goodie box to the boys that work with my husband at the shop. Even though I would love to eat all of everything that I bake, I love giving baked goods to other people and getting feedback. Thank goodness I have a test group that I can do that with or my freezer would be full of frozen cookies and I would be twice the size!

Splenda Pumpkin Cake with a Maple frosting and Toasted Walnuts

Happy Hunting Season! This year I made my husbands best friend a birthday cake. He is diabetic, and I made this cake for him last year also, but this year I added walnuts to it. It is very delicious and you would never know that it is a Splenda recipe and diabetes friendly! We actually brought it to a bar and even people at the bar who tried it were impressed! 

(this recipe was first done in 2011, and was re-made in cupcake form as shown above in November, 2014. Change the cooking time  to 18-22 minutes)

Ingredients:

1 c. Splenda granulated sweetener

1/2 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. canola oil

1 egg

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbs. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

Frosting: 

1 8 oz. pkg. reduced fat cream cheese

1/4 c. butter, softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. maple flavor extract

1/2 c. Splenda granulated sweetener

1/2 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray two 9 inch circular cake pans. Set aside. Place splenda, brown sugar, oil, egg and pumpkin puree into a blender. Combine. Add remaining ingredients until well combined. Pour cake batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a drying rack. Place the frosting ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix until well blended. Place the first later of cake on a serving dish. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top. (Sprinkle with toasted walnuts if you chose to use them). Add the second cake layer. Spread with the rest of the frosting. (Top with more toasted walnuts if desired). Enjoy!

Pumpkin Doughnuts

I have been doing a bake sale fundraiser for the last few weeks at my work place and these had to have been one of my favorites so far. I don't eat doughnuts very often, but when it comes to fall, I love everything pumpkin and cinnamon flavored (which is funny, because I don't actually like plain pumpkin pie). These are a must try if you have a doughnut pan! When they are baked and not deep fried, I feel a lot less guilty about stuffing one in my face...

Ingredients:

2 c. flour
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 c. pumpkin pie mix
2 eggs
1/4 c. milk, 1%
1/4 c. margarine, softened

Glaze:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. milk (or less/more depending on consistency)

 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a doughnut pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside. In an electric mixer, cream the butter, pumpkin, eggs and milk together. Add in the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda until everything is well combined. Fill the molds 2/3 full and bake for 8-10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients and spoon over the top of the doughnuts, or dunk the tops in the glaze. Let the glaze harden slightly.

This recipe makes around 18-22 doughnuts.

Pumpkin 7-layer Bars

Ingredients:

2 c. graham cracker crust
1 stick butter, melted
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 1/4 c. chopped dates
1 1/2 c. shredded coconut
1 c. Pepita's
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 pan with non stick cooking spray. In a medium size bowl, combine the graham cracker and melted butter and press into the bottom of the prepared pan. In the same bowl (who cares if a few crumbs get in the filling), mix the condensed milk, pumpkin, and three spices together. Pour on top of the crust. Sprinkle the dates, Pepita's, and chocolate chips on top, ending with the coconut. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the coconut is golden brown on top.

 

Pumpkin Pie Crescents

I don't normally post personal stories on my baking blog, but I think I might start and give people a little bit of inside about me, or at least try and spice it up a bit so it isn't so boring and straight to the point. While baking these last night, and watching a scary movie to get into the Halloween spirit, I made the mistake of looking out of the window at the "possible chance of snow" we were supposed to get. Well, possible chance of snow turned into this....

That is my husky Tala, ecstatic that there was THAT MUCH snow on our back deck this morning. It took me forever to get her to even come back inside. So much for possible snow, there's so much of it it's like I fell asleep and woke up in a different town! That's what I get for living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan! Anyways....on to the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 containers reduced fat Crescent rolls
1 c. canned pumpkin pie filling
Wilton white icing in a bottle (or powdered sugar, maple extract and milk)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Unroll the crescent rolls out and tear apart where the seams are. Place 1 heaping tablespoon on each crescent roll (wide end). Bring the wide end over and pinch the sides of dough around the pie filling. Roll forward until the pointy edge is facing downward. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. When they have cooled, drizzle the tops with the icing.

Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts

Ingredients:

2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 Tbs. butter, melted
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a doughnut pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, mix all of the above ingredients together until well combined. Place in a piping or ziplock bag and cut the tip off. Pipe the batter into the mold and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown on the bottom, and bounces back when you slightly push on the top. Let cool fully on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, melt a 3 oz. bar of dark chocolate, chopped up, in a small bowl with 1 tsp. of vegetable oil. I melted it in the microwave for 35 second intervals (I needed 3) on 50% power. Dip the top of each doughnut in the melted chocolate and if you are using sprinkles, dip immediately into the sprinkles and then let the chocolate fully cool.

Pumpkin Ginger Bars with a Maple Glaze

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, room temperature
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. canned pumpkin
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 Tbs. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. maple extract
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. maple extract
1 Tbs. maple syrup
2-3 Tbs. milk, 1%

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 inch baking pan with non stick cooking spray. Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until smooth. Add the pumpkin, ginger, maple syrup and maple flavor and mix until combined. Sift the dry ingredients together (flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt) and mix slowly into the wet batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-27 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Cool on a wire rack. Combine the powdered sugar, maple extract and syrup, and the milk together and drizzle over the bars either before or after cutting into 12 squares.

Pumpkin Caramel Tiramisu

Ingredients:

18-20 ladyfinger cookies
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
2 Tbs. bourbon (or rum extract)
1 c. heavy whipping cream, divided
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. pumpkin
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
4 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs. powdered sugar
Caramel ice cream topping

In a shallow bowl, combine the bourbon and maple syrup. Dip around 6 ladyfingers briefly into the syrup mixture and place on the bottom of a glass serving dish or trifle dish. In an electric mixer, beat 1/2 c. cream until it thickens. Gradually add the sugar and beat until soft peaks form. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Fold in the whipped cream. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and remaining cream until thick. Spread half of the pumpkin mixture over the ladyfingers. Dip the remaining ladyfingers and place on top. Top with the remaining pumpkin mixture and the top with the cream cheese mixture, spreading in an even layer. Chill for 10-12 hours in the refrigerator. Before serving, drizzle with the caramel ice cream topping.

Oreo Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

24 Halloween Oreos
16 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
4 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line (2) 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners. Place an Oreo at the bottom of each muffin cup. Set aside. In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add in the vanilla, pumpkin, eggs, seasonings and flour. Pour the mixture on top of each Oreo to cover the tops. bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top of the cheesecake is set. Allow to cool fully before decorating or storing in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick margarine (I used Imperial), room temperature
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla, egg and pumpkin puree, whisking until fully combined. Gradually add in the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop the batter by 1/4 cup scoops onto the parchment paper. Smooth out the top slightly. Bake for 20-22 minutes until the middle is soft but fully cooked. Cool on a wire rack.

(Makes roughly 15-17 cookies, 6 WW points each.)