This recipe is about as simple as a dessert can be, and you can even make the tart dough ahead of time to cut down on day-of prep. You don’t even need a stand mixer for the filling, just a bowl and a whisk. The texture is similar to pumpkin pie, but the flavor is a step above. The spices add all the flavors you would expect from a fall dessert, and the bourbon adds a hint of something special. I’m not sure I’d be able to recognize it as bourbon if I hadn’t put it in there myself, but it definitely adds a distinguishing flavor. I was a bit hesitant to add the full half-teaspoon of cloves since I’m not a huge clove fan, but I followed the recipe and am so glad I did. The amount of spice in this tart is simply perfect and only helps to elevate the pumpkin flavor. If you really want to take this over the top, make whipped cream with a splash of bourbon and pipe it around the borders (just don’t make the mistake I did and pipe it while the tart is still warm). So, to recap, we’ve got bourbon and pumpkin, two things that are practically a necessity for family holiday gatherings (at least in my family). Replace your pumpkin pie with this tart for Thanksgiving, and I promise everyone will be thanking you.

This time last week, I came home from our vet’s office in tears. Our dog Abby had been sick for three days, and the prognosis wasn’t good. She was in awful shape – weak, not eating, not wagging her tail – all things that are way out of character for our loving, energetic girl. Last Monday was our third office visit with her in four days, and I was so upset when we left that Eric had to leave his car there and drive us home in mine. Those of you that don’t have pets may not understand this, but Abby is part of our family. She’s been with us since she was just a little four and a half pound puppy, and we sometimes (and by sometimes I mean more frequently than I should admit) refer to her as Clara’s big sister. As you can imagine, we were both distraught (though, admittedly, Eric handled it much better than I did). We had to leave her there so she could receive treatment via IV, and I was so glad to have her home and snuggling with us that night.

After a long ten days since that first vet visit, I’m happy to say that our sweet Abby is doing much better. She’s not completely back to normal, but she’s on her way there thanks to the wonderful veterinarian and all the people that treated and took care of her. Everyone at the office was so kind and helpful that I wanted to thank them properly. What better way to do that than baked goods? Not to mention, I definitely needed the time in the kitchen to clear my mind and cheer me up.

These pumpkin bars are full of awesome, which makes sense since pumpkin and butterscotch are involved. Add white chocolate chips to that combo, and you’ve got a pumpkin dessert that’s hard to resist. These don’t have quite the same texture as other blondies I’ve made, but that’s largely due to the fact that pumpkin seems to make every baked good a little fluffier than it’s non-pumpkin counterpart. I know not everyone is a fan of nuts in their baked goods, but I think these would taste fabulous with pecans or walnuts mixed in. This is a great recipe to have for fall gatherings because it’s simple and perfect for sharing.

Sometime over the last week, the leaves have started to change here. It’s really feeling like fall, and I can’t get enough of it. Even with the cooler weather, I’ve had nearly insatiable cravings for ice cream, which makes sense because it’s my favorite dessert. Also, it might have something to do with this:

That’s right! Eric and I have a little girl on the way, and she should be here around March 11 of next year. I’m hoping things won’t change too much around here, but I can’t promise that there won’t be more dessert posts. This pumpkin ice cream is a great way to transition into the cooler fall weather. I love ice cream year round, but I reserve pumpkin ice cream solely for this time of year. It seems to make it more special that way. This one has all of the flavors of pumpkin pie, especially if you top it with freshly whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs. Though it won’t be replacing pumpkin pie on our Thanksgiving table, it’s nice to have an alternative for all the other days of fall.

Pumpkin Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:
5 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin puree

Directions:

Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the milk, cream, sugar, spices and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the edges begin to bubble.

Slowly pour the warm liquid over the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (between 160º and 170ºF on an instant read thermometer).

Set a mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the mixture through the strainer and then whisk in brown sugar until dissolved. Place bowl in an ice bath and stir until cool, then chill completely in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. Once chilled, whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin. Press through the strainer once more and then freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze for at least an hour before serving.

Source: As seen on Pennies on a Platter, originally from David Lebovitz and The Craft of Baking

Fall is easily my favorite time of year, and that’s due in large part to the abundance of pumpkin and pumpkin recipes. I don’t recall how I discovered my love for all things pumpkin, but I can tell you that it grows more every year. Perhaps it’s because of the seasonal availability of pumpkin, or maybe it’s just because pumpkin tastes insanely delicious in both sweet and savory applications. Either way, I fully intend on enjoying my share of pumpkin goodies until Thanksgiving is over.

I made these bars last week on a whim, and I am so happy I did. Eric and I split the batch and each took some to work. I realize it seems odd for someone who works at a cupcake shop to take a dessert to work, but my coworkers and I enjoy non-cupcake desserts too. ;) These bars are moist, thick and cake-like. I used a mixture of semisweet and dark chocolate, which made them incredibly rich. These were just what I needed to curb my pumpkin craving, at least for a couple days.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Makes 24
*Note: You can use 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice in place of the individual spices.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium high speed until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and continue beating until well combined. Beat in pumpkin purée, then reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients until just blended. Using a rubber spatula, stir in chocolate chips.

Evenly spread batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Cool completely in pan. Use the foil overhang to remove the dessert from the pan, then cut into 24 squares and serve. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Source: As seen on Two Peas and Their Pod, originally from Martha Stewart

If you follow my blog on Facebook, you may have seen some posts a few weeks ago about me visiting my friend Annie. Yes, that Annie. ;) After countless emails, Facebook messages and texts, we finally got to meet in person over Labor Day weekend. Annie was kind enough to invite me to stay with her for a few days so that we could hang out, cook, bake and eat together. It was absolutely amazing, and just thinking about it makes me wish I knew when we’d be seeing each other again. I’m sure you know this already, but Annie is pretty awesome. Not only did we spend plenty of time together in the kitchen, Annie took me to one of her favorite restaurants for a phenomenal dinner and scheduled us some relaxation time in the form of side-by-side pedicures. I even got to meet Shanon, another food blogging pal and Annie’s real-life friend, while I was there. Though you’re probably sick of me saying this, food blogging has created some wonderful friendships for me. Annie has been a friend through joyous and difficult times. I feel lucky to call her a friend, and I’m thrilled that our schedules worked out so that we could finally meet.

This week, Annie and I will both be posting the recipes that we made together while I was visiting. First up are these pumpkin doughnuts, which we made just a few hours before my plane ride home. It had cooled off significantly that day, and we baked these with the fall air coming through open windows. It was perfect. It just so happens that we’re both bad about not reading through directions before starting a recipe, and Annie noticed shortly before we were about to begin this one that the dough required a few hours chilling time in the refrigerator. So we started right then and ended up freezing the dough instead. The doughnuts were delicious, and Annie even packed up some for me to bring home to Eric. I generally prefer yeasted doughnuts, but these cake doughnuts, filled with pumpkin and fall spices, were enough to make me rethink that preference. We rolled half in cinnamon sugar and dipped the other half in a powdered sugar glaze, and I’m still not sure which I liked better. These were best the day they were made, but Eric and I enjoyed them almost as much the next day.

Pumpkin Doughnuts
Makes about 16 doughnuts and doughnut holes

Ingredients:
For the doughnuts:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
Canola or Peanut Oil (for deep-frying)

For the cinnamon-sugar:
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the spiced glaze:
1 cup powdered sgar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and butter until well blended. Add egg, then yolks and vanilla. Continue beating while gradually adding the buttermilk. Beat in the pumpkin about 1/4 cup at a time. Gradually fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture, then cover and refrigerate for about three hours.

Line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper and lightly flour your work surface. Gently roll dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Using a floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out dough rounds. Use a floured 1-inch cutter to remove the centers (we used the bottom of a 1M piping tip). Arrange the doughnuts and holes on the prepared baking sheets. Gather dough scraps and continue cutting until all the dough is used.

Line a cooling rack or two baking sheets with several paper towels. Add enough oil to a skillet or Dutch oven to reach a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Heat oil until the temperature reaches 365º to 370º. Fry doughnuts a few at a time, adjusting heat as needed to maintain temperature, until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Fry doughnut holes in a couple batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Use a spider/strainer to transfer doughnuts to paper towels.

To make the cinnamon-sugar, whisk together the cinnamon and sugar in a small, shallow bowl until combined. Make the spiced glaze by combining powdered sugar and spices in a small bowl. Add the milk and whisk to combine, until a thick glaze is formed. Add more milk as needed to achieve desired consistency. When the doughnuts are just cool enough to handle, dip half in the cinnamon-sugar, turning to coat completely. Shake off excess. Dip the remaining doughnuts in the glaze and allow to set before serving.

Doughnuts as seen on Pinch My Salt, originally from Bon Appétit
Glaze from Annie’s Eats

It’s no secret that I love pumpkin.  When I found out Eric and I weren’t traveling home for Thanksgiving this year, I racked my brain trying to decide what dessert to make for Thanksgiving Day.  Normally, I would make a pumpkin pie or cheesecake, but there was no way I was about to do that for just the two of us.  We would have way too many leftovers, and having one of those in the house for too long would have been dangerous!  I have a hard time resisting anything with pumpkin, what can I say?  Looking through all the pumpkin recipes I have bookmarked, I came across one for tiramisu.  The recipe seemed simple enough to cut down, so that’s what I decided to make.

This tiramisu, like I mentioned in my 24×24 post, tastes similar to a pumpkin spice latte.  The original recipe did not have any espresso, but I decided to add some.  After all, I know I love the combination of pumpkin and espresso and figured it could only make this tiramisu better.  Plus, I love the espresso-soaked ladyfingers in traditional tiramisu.  This tiramisu turned out even better than I thought it would.  The pumpkin mixture is light and fluffy, and there’s just a hint of spice.  I actually prefer my pumpkin desserts with a bit more pumpkin spice and have reflected the changes in the recipe.  I had never tried amaretti cookies before making this, and I loved the crunch and almond flavor they added to this.  I used rum like the recipe called for, but I think this would also be great with Frangelico. Overall, this was a fantastic dessert.  It was simple to put together the night before and tasted fantastic after a heavy Thanksgiving meal.

Pumpkin Tiramisu
Ingredients:
1/2 cup heavy cream, very cold
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup pumpkin purée
heaping 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
8 ladyfingers, halved crosswise
2 shots espresso (about 3 ounces)
1 teaspoon rum or Frangelico (optional)
4-5 amaretti cookies, crushed

Directions:
Combine heavy cream and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat mixture with a hand mixer, gradually increasing speed from low to medium-high, until stiff peaks form. Add mascarpone, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and continue beating until mixture is smooth. Set aside.

If using rum, mix into espresso. Quickly dunk four ladyfinger halves into the espresso mixture, placing two halves each into two small glasses. Top each with a small amount (about 1/6) of filling. Repeat process twice more, using three ladyfinger halves each time, to end up with three layers of ladyfingers and three layers of filling. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, top each tiramisu with crushed amaretti and serve immediately.

Makes 2 generous servings

Heavily adapted from Epicurious

Pumpkin rolls are a classic Thanksgiving dessert for many people, but not in my family.  I had never tried one until last weekend when I decided to make one myself.  I’d like to tell you I’m not sure why I waited so long to try making a pumpkin roll, but that wouldn’t be true.  Visions of torn cake plagued me every time I considered making one, and I was just sure I would break the cake while rolling it.  I’m not sure why I thought that, especially considering I’ve done cooking-related things that are much, much more difficult than rolling a cake.  It seems pretty ridiculous to have ever thought that now that I’ve made one.  If you’re worried about it like I was, don’t be.  This cake was a breeze to roll up.  In fact, I rolled this one while talking to my sister on the phone.  The truth is, this is one of those desserts that looks harder to make than it actually is.

If pumpkin pie’s not your thing, this might be just the dessert you’re looking for.  The cake is fragrant and filled with the wonderful flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon and clove.  Because it’s a sponge cake, it’s incredibly moist.  The cream cheese filling is sweetened, but it still has a slightly tangy taste, as well.  It goes perfectly with the pumpkin cake (think pumpkin cream cheese muffins, but in dessert form).  Eric and I each had a slice the night I made this, and I kept an extra slice when he took the rest of it to work.  It’s a good thing, too, because I very well could have eaten several slices of this!  I like pumpkin pie, but this cake has definitely won me over.  If you’re still looking for a Thanksgiving dessert, this one can be made in next to no time and will taste delicious even after a day in the refrigerator.

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, tasty and fun-filled Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin purée
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
For the filling:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
additional powdered sugar for decoration (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375º. Butter a 10×15 jelly roll pan and line with wax paper. Butter and flour paper and set pan aside. Lay a tea towel (or other thin, cotton towel) on the counter and sift powdered sugar over. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a small bowl. In a medium bowl using a hand mixer, beat together eggs and sugar on medium-low speed until mixture is thick and lighter in color. Beat in pumpkin until combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture. Pour batter onto prepared pan and spread evenly, tapping the pan on the counter as needed to release any air bubbles. If desired, sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Bake cake for 11-15 minutes, or until the top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately turn cake onto prepared tea towel. Carefully remove wax paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting at the narrow end of the cake. Place on a wire rack and cool completely. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla together on medium-low speed, either in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a medium bowl using a hand mixer. Increase speed to medium-high and continue beating until filling is smooth. Unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled cake, spreading just barely to the edges. Reroll cake and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar right before serving.

Serves 10

Adapted from Very Best Baking

It’s no secret that I love all things pumpkin, especially pumpkin spice lattes.  I was so happy a couple months ago when I discovered that I could make my own at home.  I’ve saved quite a bit of money (and I hope calories) by making them at home, and I’ve actually come to prefer my version to the coffee house one.  So when I saw this recipe was based on the same recipe I used to make my beloved pumpkin spice lattes, I knew I had to try it immediately.

This ice cream, without a doubt, is one of the best ice creams I’ve ever made.  It’s super creamy and full of all the flavors you’d expect to find in a pumpkin spice latte.  I love how the espresso and pumpkin both stand out and how the fall spices add subtle background flavors to the ice cream.  You might think that the ice cream would be slightly gritty because of the amount of espresso and spices, but I can assure you it’s not.  I did modify the amounts of nutmeg and cinnamon just a bit because I adore nutmeg and wanted to add more than the original recipe called for.  This ice cream was delicious straight from the freezer, but I’m already imagining how it would taste in milkshake form or affogato style with a shot of espresso poured over the top.  If you like pumpkin spice lattes, you will love this ice cream.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups half and half or whole milk
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin purée

Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the heavy cream, half and half, espresso powder and spices and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the egg yolks and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes light in color and falls from the beaters in ribbons.

Remove one cup of liquid from the cream mixture and gradually pour into the egg yolk mixture, beating the entire time, to temper the eggs. Add tempered egg mixture back to the saucepan and whisk well. Add the pumpkin purée and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the custard has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Transfer the custard to a large mixing bowl, preferably one with a pour spout, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap against the surface of the custard. Chill for at least two hours, or overnight. Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Once the ice cream has reached soft serve consistency, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 3-4 hours, or until ice cream has hardened. To make the ice cream easily scoopable, allow it to sit at room temperature a few minutes before serving.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

Adapted from My Kitchen Addiction

Eric and I love carving pumpkins.  I save our pumpkin seeds every year, but I always end up tossing them before I can figure out what to do with them.  I was determined not to do that this year.  With the abundance of seeds we had, I decided to roast a batch of sweet and a batch of savory.  It took longer for the seeds to dry than it did for me to roast them, though I’ve read you can quickly dry the seeds using a hair dryer (but I haven’t tried that).  The fun thing about roasting pumpkin seeds is that you can make several different varieties all suited to your personal tastes.  It’s incredibly easy to adapt the recipes to make them sweeter or spicier.  You could even mix it up and do a sweet/spicy combination.

Since cumin is one of my favorite spices, I decided to start there for the savory roasted pumpkin seeds.  I then added ancho chili powder, garlic salt and a little pepper, which gave the seeds just a bit of kick and the perfect amount of saltiness.  I had quite a bit of cinnamon sugar left from the apple cider doughnuts I made last week and used that as the base for the sweet seeds.  With nutmeg, ginger and a hint of clove, the sweet roasted pumpkin seeds had all the deep fall flavors I love.  Both batches of seeds turned out crunchy, but I found the smaller seeds had more of a crunch than the larger ones.

If you’re carving pumpkins this week, don’t throw out your seeds!  Save them and make a delicious snack everyone in your family can enjoy.

Cumin Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin seeds, cleaned and dried
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin seeds, cleaned and dried
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of ground cloves

Directions:
To clean the seeds, place them in a strainer and set it in the sink. Under running water, pull off any large pieces of pumpkin that may be stuck to the seeds. Allow to dry overnight on a wax paper lined baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 350º and line two small baking sheets with parchment or foil. In two small bowls, combine all ingredients for each batch of pumpkin seeds.  Stir to coat completely.  Spread evenly onto the two prepared baking sheets.Bake for 8-14 minutes, or until seeds are crunchy.  This will depend largely on the size of your seeds, so check them frequently.

Cook Like a Champion original

I realize I posted two pumpkin recipes last week, but I couldn’t wait to share this one with you.  It is pumpkin season, after all, and I did warn you I had a whopping fifty-six recipes to try!  Though I certainly won’t get through all of them before Thanksgiving, I plan on putting a major dent in that “to make” list of mine.  Plus, I really love pumpkin.  In fact, I think this recipe is my favorite pumpkin one so far.

These tender, flaky scones are phenomenal.  The pumpkin really shines, and the fall spices add warmth and depth.  I enjoy one from Starbucks occasionally, but those can’t hold a candle to these, especially in terms of texture.  There’s a good amount of butter in each scone (2 1/4 teaspoons), which I think might contribute to their wonderful flakiness.  Even Eric, who at one point thought he didn’t like pumpkin, thoroughly enjoyed these.  I made them for breakfast two weekends in a row, and that speaks volumes to how much we liked them.  After typing this, I’m ready to make another batch!

While these would certainly taste fine on their own, the glaze makes them irresistible.  The original recipe calls for maple syrup and powdered sugar, but I decided to add a little pumpkin to the mix.  I love the orange color and extra pop of pumpkin flavor it adds to the scones.

Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients:
For the scones:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup pumpkin purée
1/3 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
For the glaze:
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons pumpkin
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 425º.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
-In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt and spices.
-In another medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, cream, sugar and vanilla.
-Using the tips of your fingers or a pastry blender, cut butter the into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
-Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.  The dough will be crumbly.
-Turn the dough out onto the counter and push the pile together with your hands.  Continue pressing and kneading the dough until everything comes together, taking care not to overwork it.
-Form the dough into a rough circle 3/4 to 1 inch thick.  Cut the dough into 8 wedges and placed on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
-Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom.  Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
-While scones are cooling, make the glaze by whisking the syrup, pumpkin and powdered sugar together in a small bowl.  Add more syrup or powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.  Pipe or drizzle over the cooled scones.

Yield 8 scones

Scone recipe adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, originally from Pinch My Salt
Glaze recipe adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, originally from Baking Illustrated via Ezra Pound Cake

It’s finally cooling off here in Virginia, and I’m excited to share more pumpkin recipes with you!  Fall is my favorite time of year for several reasons, and baking with pumpkin is high on the list.  I have close to sixty pumpkin recipes bookmarked, so I can assure you that many more will popping up between now and Thanksgiving.

These pumpkin cookies are actually more cake-like than cookie.  They’re soft and pillowy, much like a cupcake, and they’re full of pumpkin flavor.  The spices make the cookies taste even more like fall, with the perfect amount of spices to pumpkin.  The thing that really sets these cookies apart is the the cream cheese icing.  Pumpkin and cream cheese are often paired together, and now I understand why it’s such a popular combination.  The icing takes these cookies from good to phenomenal.  With these cookies and a pumpkin spice latte, I’m ready to welcome fall with open arms.

I’ve made these cookies twice, once with Libby’s pumpkin purée and once with organic pumpkin purée.  I didn’t get the orange color this time around (when I used the organic kind), but I expected that since the purée itself was lighter in color.  However, the flavor was still just as good.  I plan on making my own pumpkin purée soon, since I know I’ll be using so much of it in the next couple months.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients:
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
(You can substitute 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for the previous three spices.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups pumpkin purée
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350º.  Line a cookie sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
-In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.  Set aside.
-In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until fluffy.
-Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla.  Continue beating until creamy.  Gradually beat in dry ingredients.
-Drop batter onto cookie sheet by heaping tablespoonfuls and flatten slightly.
-Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool on racks.
-While cookies are cooling, prepare frosting.
-In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine powdered sugar and cream cheese on low speed.  For extra flavor, add an extra teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
-Once cookies have cooled completely, pipe or spread the frosting on as desired.

Yield: About 40 cookies

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven, originally from All Recipes

It’s been almost a month since pumpkin spice lattes made their seasonal debut. Like so many others, I get more than excited when they come out every year. However, getting them frequently can become an expensive and unhealthy habit. You can easily make them at home, though, which at least helps with the expensive part. While it may not be healthy, this version is made with all natural ingredients, which has to make it at least somewhat healthier than the Starbucks version.

As far as taste goes, this is unbelievable. It tastes like fall in a glass. I’ve made the syrup two times now, and I adapted it just a bit the second time by increasing the amount of pumpkin and nutmeg and reducing the amount of cinnamon. I prefer nutmeg over cinnamon, so I changed the recipe to suit my tastes. Feel free to adapt this how you like – with more or less spices. Either way you make it will be delicious, and you may even kick your Starbucks habit.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons pumpkin purée

Directions:

Combine water and sugar in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar has completely dissolved. Add the cinnamon sticks, then whisk in remaining ingredients. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, but do not let the mixture come to a boil (reduce heat if necessary). Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Strain syrup through cheesecloth into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.

To make a pumpkin spice latte, simply add about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of syrup for each shot of espresso. For an iced latte, stir together syrup and espresso before adding desired amount of cold milk. For a hot latte, add about 5 ounces of steamed milk and stir to combine. Taste and adjust syrup accordingly. Top with whipped cream.

Update: Thanks to some of the commenters, I’ve since started making this using cinnamon sticks. Using them results in a much smoother texture, and the end product is not as thick. I’ve updated the recipe to include this change.

*This recipe actually filled up the jar pictured.  It was so good that I had used most of it before I remembered to take a picture!

Adapted from Sugarcrafter

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
ATK notes: Depending on the oven and the temperature of the ingredients, the cheesecake may bake about 15 minutes faster or slower than the instructions indicate; it is therefore best to check the cake 11/4 hours into baking. Although the cheesecake can be made up to three days in advance, the crust will begin to lose its crispness after only one day. To make slicing the cheesecake easy and neat, use a knife with a narrow blade, such as a carving knife; between cuts, dip the blade into a pitcher of hot water and wipe it clean with paper towels.

Ingredients:
For the crust:
5 ounces graham crackers (9 whole crackers), broken into large pieces
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks and left to soften at room temperature about 30 minutes
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
5 large eggs, left at room temperature about 30 minutes
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
- For the crust: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan evenly with nonstick cooking spray.
-Pulse crackers, sugar, and spices in food processor until evenly and finely ground, about fifteen 2-second pulses. Transfer crumbs to medium bowl, drizzle melted butter over, and mix with rubber spatula until evenly moistened.
-Turn crumbs into prepared springform pan and, using hand, spread crumbs into even layer. Using a flat-bottomed ramekin or drinking glass, press crumbs evenly into pan bottom, then use soup spoon to press and smooth crumbs into edges of pan.
-Bake until fragrant and browned about the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling.
-For the filling: Bring about 4 quarts water to simmer in stockpot. Meanwhile, dry the pumpkin by lining a baking sheet with a triple layer of paper towels. Cover with another triple layer of paper towels and press until the towels are saturated.
-Whisk sugar, spices, and salt in small bowl; set aside.
-In stand mixer fitted with flat beater, beat cream cheese at medium speed to break up and soften slightly, about 1 minute. Scrape beater and bottom and sides of bowl well with rubber spatula.
-Add about one third of sugar mixture and beat at medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute; scrape bowl and add remaining sugar in two additions, scraping bowl after each addition.
-Add pumpkin, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat at medium speed until combined, about 45 seconds; scrape bowl.
-Add 3 eggs and beat at medium-low until incorporated, about 1 minute; scrape bowl.
-Add remaining 2 eggs and beat at medium-low until incorporated, about 45 seconds; scrape bowl.
-Add heavy cream and beat at low speed until combined, about 45 seconds.
-Using rubber spatula, scrape bottom and sides of bowl and give final stir by hand.
-Set springform pan with cooled crust on 18-inch-square doubled layer heavy-duty foil and wrap bottom and sides with foil; set wrapped pan in roasting pan.
-Pour filling into springform pan and smooth surface; set roasting pan in oven and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan.
-Bake until center of cake is slightly wobbly when pan is shaken and center of cake registers 145 to 150 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 hours (see note).
-Run paring knife around cake to loosen; remove sides of pan.
-Set roasting pan on wire rack and cool until water is just warm, about 45 minutes.
-Remove springform pan from water bath, discard foil, and set on wire rack; continue to cool until barely warm, about 3 hours.
-Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
-To serve: Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide cake onto serving platter.
-Let cheesecake stand at room temperature about 30 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.
-Top with whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar, if desired. Also, if desired, press graham cracker crumbs into sides of cooled cheesecake for extra texture.

Source: Barely adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

It being my first cheesecake, I had no idea when it would be done. The center is supposed to be wiggly, but I didn’t know how wiggly. The center wasn’t liquidy, but it just wasn’t quite as firm as it should have been. It did not go to waste, however, because the majority of it is still good. It tastes quite amazing, too. For my first try, I’m not too disappointed.

Don’t let my mess up deter you from trying this recipe. Some of the wonderful ladies on the cooking message board I post on gave me some pointers for next time. Katie (from Good Things Catered) suggested that I use an instant-read thermometer until I make enough cheesecakes to know what the appropriate jiggle looks like. The center of the cheesecake should be about 145°-150°. Thanks, Katie! :) I was also told that cooling the cheesecake in the oven will prevent it from cracking. There are lots of tips out there; just Google them if you want to know more.

Pumpkin Mousse Cheesecake
Ingredients:

For the crust:
2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
1/2 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (Do not use pumpkin-pie filling.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 pounds (4 regular sized packs) cream cheese
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
For the topping:
powdered sugar
cinnamon

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 325°.
-In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs and butter until crumbs are moistened.
-Press into the bottom of a 9-inch round cheesecake (springform) pan.
-Freeze, uncovered, until filling is ready.
-In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice until just combined. Set aside.
-Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.
-Add the brown sugar and continue to beat for 2 minutes.
-Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
-Add the pumpkin mixture to the cream cheese mixture; mix on low speed until incorporated.
-Pour the batter over the crust, smoothing it out to touch the sides of the pan.
-Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cheesecake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan but is still a bit loose in the center.
-Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.
-Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before decorating or serving.
-To decorate, use a fine meshed sieve to dust the top with powdered sugar and cinnamon. I made the star on mine by using leftover cookie crumbs.

Source: Good Housekeeping

This pumpkin muffin recipe was inspired by two different recipes – this one from Annie’s Eats and this one from Pretty Things (mine don’t look nearly as pretty as either of those, though). These muffins are perfectly moist, and they taste just like fall. The streusel topping really adds that extra oomph. I think a dusting of powdered sugar would be tasty, too. My batter made 24 muffins. I sent some to work with Eric, and I froze the rest. The muffins can be taken out of the freezer and thawed (on the counter if you’re not in a hurry, or in the oven, microwave or toaster oven if you are) whenever you want them. This time, I made the muffins with pumpkin pie spice, but I think I’ll add some nutmeg next time. They were delicious as is, but I think I would like the additional flavor of the nutmeg.

Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
15 oz. can packed pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

Streusel Topping:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus one teaspoon flour
4 tablespoons butter, cubed
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350°.
-Combine all streusel ingredients in a small bowl.
-Blend with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly. Set aside.
-Grease 2 muffin pans.
-In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, cream sugar and oil together.
-Add egg and pumpkin; mix well.
-Sift together dry ingredients.
-Add dry ingredients and water a little at a time, alternating between each.
-Fill muffin pans about 3/4 of the way full.
-Sprinkle with streusel topping.
-Bake about 20 minutes.
-Remove from oven and let cool before removing from pans.