Whole Wheat Spelt Pumpkin Muffins

Along with my no sugar-ness I have decided to slowly take it out of my childrens diets too- as best I can anyway. This morning I wanted to make muffins. Our normal banana muffins are FULL of sugar. I mean, we are talking 2 cups of sugar! I made this recipe before but didn't think it was welcomed much. However, that was in a day when sugar was still a BIG part of our every day.This morning when I made them I turned around and when I turned back all 12 were completely gone. I'll call that success and use it more often!

Whole Wheat Spelt Pumpkin Muffins
1 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C spelt flour
1 T pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 C honey
1/4 C buttermilk
1/3 C melted butter
1 C pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together flours, pie spice, soda, powder and salt. Make a well in the center and all the other ingredients. Mix together until well combined.
Scoop into 12 muffin wells with liners and bake for 20 minutes.
You could also add chocolate chips if you like that sort of thing.

Enjoy! 


Whole Wheat SPelt Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Pecan Scones with cinnamon icing

Today I was trying to think of something for breakfast. I cut a piece of bread, toasted it, put butter on it and ate it. Then I felt like there just had to be more. This day needed to be more. I remembered a little bit of pumpkin in the fridge and wondered how the day would change with scones. Not just any scones but the best scones ever because they would have PUMPKIN!!! It's pumpkin season people. Yay!

Pumpkin Pecan Scones with cinnamon glaze

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a food processor combine-
1 C bread flour
1 C cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
and 6 T brown sugar
with 6 T cold butter
Until crumbly

Put in a bowl and add-
1/3 C heavenly cream (oops I meant heavy :))
1/3 C pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped pecans

Mix until just moistened. It will still be kind of dry but needs to hold together.  Turn out on a slightly floured counter and make into two circles. Cut into 12 triangles.
Bake for 15 minutes.

To make the glaze:
Combine 1 c powdered sugar, 1/2- 1 tap cinnamon (your taste), and 1 T milk
When scones are mostly cook drizzle the glaze over and enjoy! Or rub it all over your face. :)

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream

I'm not sure what to say here about these other than I made them for family dinner and my husband has eaten at least 3 in less than a half hour. I am not sure there are going to be any left for the dinner! These are so good! I got the recipe off of Pinterest and am not sure where it originated.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the  brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until well combined.  Add dry ingredients, and mix on low until smooth. Fold in pumpkin puree.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
Makes ~ 18 cupcakes.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 stick salted butter
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color.  Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth.  Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel.  Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes).  Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration.  If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny.  If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Hello Winter Weather!

it's cold here in Alaska now. It's the season when I pull out the pumpkin and create and create and eat and eat. This one I stumbled across and am basically in love with it. I ate some right before bed at 9pm (which is a major no-no) and then had more for breakfast! It's SO good! And pretty simple to make.

Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin 3 large eggs 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt   Maple Pecan Glaze: 1 cup whipping cream 3/4 cup pure maple syrup 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter; press firmly on bottom of 9-inch springform pan. 3. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. 4. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center appears nearly set when shaken. Cool 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 4 hours. 5. To serve, spoon some Maple Pecan Sauce over cheesecake. 6. Maple Pecan Glaze: In medium-sized saucepan, combine whipping cream and pure maple syrup; bring to a boil. Boil rapidly 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly thickened; stir occasionally. Stir in chopped pecans. Cover and chill until served. Stir before serving.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Base and crumble topping:
1/3 C butter,softened
1/3 C brown sugar
1 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C chopped pecans

Beat sugar and butter until smooth. Add in flour and pecans until mixed. Press 1/2 of the crumble into an 8x8 pan and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Set the remaining aside.

Cheesecake filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 c sugar
2T milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Cream cheese and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour over baked crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumble on top and Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Once baked pour pumpkin ice cream topping on top and chill. Yum!

In celebration of Autumn!

I copy off a lot of recipes from the internet and then they pile up in a notebook until I try them out. These two were copied off just last week and didn't have to wait long for their debut. The exclamations once eaten were, "I just want to rub this all over my face", "I want to bathe in it, I would be sticky, but I would bathe in it", "Mom you should bottle this syrup and sell it at farmers markets when we move."

So first I would like to thank Gina, my dear friend from college days, for sharing her Buttermilk Syrup. Mornings will never be the same. And to the Pumpkin Waffle recipe owner (who ever you are) I love you!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted


Preheat oven to 250°F and preheat waffle iron. Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined.
In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks.  Fold them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined.
Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp.

Gina's Buttermilk Syrup
1/2 C butter, melted
1 C sugar ( I used organic cane sugar)
3/4 C buttermilk
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
In a saucepan combine butter, sugar and buttermilk and cook just until boiling. Remove from heat and add soda and vanilla. Then rub it all over your face! :)

Pumpkin Cupcakes

My sister, Marissa, found a pumpkin cupcake recipe on allrecipes and went on and on about how wonderful it was. So I had to try it for myself. She added the chocolate chips that it calls for and I did not. So my batch was not very sweet at all, but still really good. The icing is simply 8oz cream cheese and 1/4 C agave nectar. My sons seems to love that and just keeps eating it all.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• miniature chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine the eggs, pumpkin, oil, honey and water; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined; fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.
2. Fill greased or foil-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

The original recipe can be found here

Pumpkin Chowder

To say that I like pumpkin is pretty much an understatement. My husband thinks I should join an addiction recovery program! LOL
I found this recipe last year and we love it at our house. It is perfect for a cold autumn day.

Pumpkin Chowder

1/2 lb of diced bacon (we use turkey bacon)
2 C chopped onions
2 tsp curry
2 T flour
1 lb eating pumpkin or sugar pie pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
2 Lg potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cups chicken broth
1 C half n half
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot cook bacon over low heat, about 5 min. Add onions and cook until onions are clear. Add curry and flour. Stir to coat. Add chicken broth, pumpkin and potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are tender- about 15-20 min. Add the half n half and season to taste. Enjoy!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

It's PUMPKIN TIME!!!!
Autumn is in full swing here in AK and my heart longs for pumpkin delights night and day. This recipe that I got off of Allrecipes.com I have made twice this week. My little guy has had fun eating them for breakfast. Yes, I will probably get the mother of the year for that one!
Enjoy!

Iced Pumpkin 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 ground cloves
• 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
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. 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.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

TWD: Pumpkin Muffins

Anyone who has read this blog at all knows that I was pretty excited for today's recipe: Pumpkin muffins. I have a recipe that I already love and was excited for the chance to love another one. The recipe cam be found here. I only made a few changes to mine: I added raw pumpkins seeds in place of the nuts that it called for and I sprinkled the top of them with sugar crystals instead of sunflower seeds. I thought they were really good and got to share them with lots of people that I adore!

Kissed Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Since I found out about the pumpkin spice Hershey's kisses the wheels in my brain have been turning trying to figure out a way to use them in cookies. I saw another recipe website where a lady made the cookies out of a cake mix and then pressed the kisses in the middle. I guess I am a cake snob because cake mixes taste completely chemical to me, so that was not an option.

Then I thought about altering my peanut butter doodle recipe, but quickly shot that idea down because I am not quite so sure that peanut butter and pumpkin really should go together- however, I may change my mind on that one later!

Then on Sunday my SIL called me looking for my snickerdoodle recipe and these cookies were born!!! And what a birthday it is- so incredibly good. I would almost say that the kisses by themselves are too rich, but when they are cuddled into these cookies they are amazing.

KISSED PUMPKIN SNICKERDOODLES-

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp pumpkin pie spiec
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 C white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cream together butter, pumpkin, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, pie spice, soda and salt. You might want to chill it for about an hour at this point. It makes them easier to roll into balls. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
Mix the sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Muffin Wednesday!!! The pick this morning was pumpkin cream cheese muffins. My picky eater wanted cream cheese muffins (anyone have a good recipe?) but all I could find was pumpkin cream cheese muffins- BONUS!!! I think my kids have resigned themselves to the fact that pumpkin is a regular part of their diets now.

These are yummy- so yummy that I ate three (YIKES)! But I love both pumpkin and cream cheese so what else could it be but yummy?

Pumpkin Cream cheese muffins

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.
For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.
Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Top it with more batter.
Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Bagels- Bread machine

I have had this recipe floating around in my car for weeks it seems. My mom gave it to me after singing its praise and I knew I had to try it.

My experience with bagels is limited. I tried to make them once before and they didn't turn out so great. Little blobs of doughy mess was the result. So I have been skiddish of bagels for awhile.

Well...NOT ANYMORE!!! I wanted them to look more like bagels than blobs so I actually rolled out the dough and cut them with a cookie cutter so they looked more like a doughnut. I won't do that next time. I will probably cut out the hole in the middle, but they rose to look just like donuts.

Anyway- try these! I wish I had some pumpkin cream cheese to complete the experience.

Pumpkin Bagels

1/2 C and 2 T warm water

3 C flour

6 T brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 C pumpkin

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 T cloves

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

1 T yeast

Place in bread machine on dough cycle according to manufactures directions. Let run through the first raise cycle and then pull out. Form into 8 balls and gently press down, putting a hole through the middle with your thumb, to resemble a bagel. In 3 qts rapidly boiling water and 1 T sugar drop bagels in to boil about 1/2 minute on each side. Then let dry on a rack for a minute or so. Spray with a little non-stick vegetable spray or do an egg wash. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes on 400 degrees.

Whala! You have pumpkin bagels!

Down East Maine Pumpkin Bread and Crockpot Pumpkin Butter

I found this recipe on allrecipes a few years ago and have been in heaven ever since. This recipe is absolutely amazing and with my additions of raw pumpkin seeds and flax seed you have pumpkin perfection! It is a great bread to make for gifts during the holidays and pumpkin butter as a companion makes it worth giving again and again!

Down East Maine Pumpkin Bread

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup olive oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use 2 C whole wheat and 1 1/2 C white flour)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Opt. additions: ½ c flax seed and 1c raw pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 2 loaves

I was looking for a GOOD pumpkin butter and I found it in this recipe. It is amazing lathered on the pumpkin bread!

Crockpot Pumpkin Butter

2 C pumpkin puree

1 C white sugar

1 C brown sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning

Put all ingredients in crockpot on low between 3-6 hours. Stir frequently so it doesn't burn. It thickens up as it cooks.

Pasta with creamy pumpkin sauce

If you love pumpkin as much as I do this will be a wonderful adventure for your taste buds. You get true pumpkin flavor mixed in with amazing things like butter and cream cheese (I once said cream cheese was magical and I still mean it!). My picky eater gave me a thumbs down but still ate it. Honestly, I don't really care if he liked it or not. I will make it again and again for myself! :)

PASTA WITH CREAMY PUMPKIN SAUCE

1 pkg. (16 oz.) pasta, uncooked

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed

1/2 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

1/2 cup milk

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp. ground chili powder

Ground nutmeg to taste

COOK pasta as directed on package. MEANWHILE, place cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, butter and milk in large saucepan; cook on low heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring frequently. Add pumpkin and spices; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. ADD pasta; toss lightly. Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Okay- I know I said I was going on a pumpkin sabbatical until October, but let me explain myself. It starts with the chickens.
Our chickens started laying about a month or so ago. Some of the eggs have been as small as robin eggs others we have found in the forest because of escapee chickens and others have had squishy shells. Yesterday we gathered one that was cracked and then another one this morning. So I cracked them and put the eggs in a bowl with the plan to make something today.
As I opened the fridge I realized that I had about a cup of pumpkin leftover from the last pumpkin adventures. I sifted through my stack of 'recipes to try' and found a recipe for pumpkin oatmeal cookies. Perfect I thought, but then I noticed that it called for only one egg. Drats! So I leafed through the recipes again and found one for Honey Cranberry Oat bread. Why not I thought. I had frozen cranberries anyway.
So I mix up the dough and put it in the pan, although it said it was supposed to go into two pans, but only fit in one. I put it in the oven to bake.
Now the oven story! Well, you see we lived in this amazing house that my husband built for me. Complete with a brand new double oven. We decided to sell the house and moved into this rental home that has an oven from the 40's. Did they make ovens then? Anyway, when you put it to cook on 350 degrees it figures you meant 3,500 degrees and bakes accordingly. So watching the oven has become an undesirable past time. Oh, how I miss my double oven!
Well, after a crazy morning and falling down the stairs again- this is the second time in a week- I didn't watch the oven as closely as I should and the outside got a bit crispy. I went to take it out of the oven, burned myself, and promptly dropped it on the floor.
Now the floor was recently cleaned so I took the scalped top and placed it back on top of the bread to let it cool. Once it was a little cool I decided to try and get it out of the pan. Needless to say, the bread didn't make it (and it was not cooked in the middle) and I turned to the cookies. I can actually laugh about all this now, because I think- does this honestly happen to other people?
That said- do I still have anyone with me?
The cookies mixed up very easily and I plopped them down on to the cookie sheets for baking. I had to alter the temp from 400 degrees down to 375 and then down again to 350. That was perfect. Now these are just like normal, puffy pumpkin cookies. They taste good but I think if I ever make them again I will add chocolate chips instead of raisins.


Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
About 5 dozen.

1 cup Canned Pumpkin
1 cup Sugar
1 3/4 cups Rolled Oats
1 Egg(beaten)
1 1/2 cups Flour (1 C whole wheat, 1/2 C white)
3/4 cup Shortening
1cup Raisins or Chopped Nuts
1 /2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoons Nutmeg
3/4teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Salt
Preparation Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
Add and mix shortening. Stir until mixture is crumbly.
Stir in egg, pumpkin, oats and raisins(or nuts).
Drop teaspoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. You might want to press them down a little.
Bake ten minutes or until done.

Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Perfection

I think I may need to take a pumpkin sabbatical for the month of September. My kids are getting a little sick of it, although I could continue in force for quite some time!
I altered my sugar cookie recipe and the result was pumpkin sugar cookie perfection! These are amazing. I can't believe no one else has thought of them yet. Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 C pumpkin
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cream together butter, pumpkin and sugar until smooth.
Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder,pumpkin pie spice and salt.
Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight is what I did).
Roll out dough on floured surface 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Roll out pumpkin cookies

I think we might be on to something here. I was telling my sister that I didn't like the cakeyness of pumpkin cookies. Cookies should be cookies, not cake. So she led me to this website- http://www.pumpkinnook.com/ that has some fun pumpkin recipes and this recipe was among them.

They are good cookies, better with cream cheese frosting, and best with sprinkles! I think that I am going to take a clue from this recipe though and try to adapt my sugar cookie recipe into a pumpkin sugar cookie recipe. This one is good though.
Pumpkin Rollout Cookies
3/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup canned or fresh cooked pumpkin
1 egg yolk
1 tsp pure vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch Salt
Preparation Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine with electric mixer the butter & brown sugar 3.Add the pumpkin, egg yolk, and vanilla.
4. Gradually add the flour and spices.
5. Mix with your hands to create a soft dough.
6. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. Divide dough into two pieces.
8. Roll out each piece to 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface.
9. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
10. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.
11. Decorate with favorite frosting and candies.

Pumpkin Butter

Hope you are not sick of pumpkin stuff yet because here comes another one. I scoured the internet trying to find a simple pumpkin butter recipe and came up with this one. It tastes amazing, but is not pretty. It looks like a cross between hummus and curdled milk. But as I said, it tastes like all the wonders of Autumn. I just tried it on whole wheat toast and it made it wonderful.

Pumpkin Butter

1/2 C butter, melted

1/2 C pumpkin

1/4 C powdered sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Whip the butter and pumpkin until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat until combined. It does not look pretty but it really does taste great.

I have a few more recipes that I am going to try. Ones that make it kind of like apple butter. So I'll be back for more pumpkin fun soon!

Pumpkin Scones

My sister (if you are wondering- I have ALOT of siblings) decided to tweak my scones recipe yesterday to make pumpkin scones. I loved her idea so much that I made some myself today and I LOVE them!!! But they've got pumpkin in them so what do you expect?I am pretty confident that they would be even more amazing with pumpkin butter.

Pumpkin Scones

In a small bowl mix:
1/2 c pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg

In another bowl mix:
2 c flour (1/2 white, 1/2 wheat)
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt

Then cut in:
1/2 C butter
Add 1/4 c raw pumpkin seeds

1/8 C flax seed

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and pat into a flat circle on the counter. Cut into 8 wedges. Bake at 350 for 12- 15 minutes