Pumpkin Butter Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I wonder why, when October rolls around, that I look for ways to turn all normal baked goods into pumpkin baked goods.

I start thinking in pumpkin pies, pumpkin loaves, pumpkin pancakes, even pumpkin cookies.

But I have never found a thin and chewy pumpkin cookie. The earlier ones I’ve tried were thick and cakey. There’s nothing wrong with thick and cakey but it’s not my favorite texture. Chewy is my favorite. I am in love with chewy.

Enter these cookies. I am in love with these cookies.

They come together just like a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe but have that added punch of pumpkin flavor. They are the epitome of a perfect Autumn spin on run-of-the-mill chocolate chip cookies.

Pumpkin Butter Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
barely adapted from How Sweet Eats

makes about 24-30 cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup pumpkin butter (I used this one)
heaping 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugars with a wire whisk until they are combined. Add the egg and vanilla and stir until mixed thoroughly. Stir in the pumpkin butter and mix until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture (I did this in 3 intervals) and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but work it with a rubber spatula and it will all come together. Fold chocolate chips.

Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. Once firm, use a 2 tablespoon cookie dough scoop (or eyeball it using a regular spoon) and place on baking sheet with at least 2 inches of space between each cookie.

Bake for 12-15 minutes (mine took 13), or until cookies are crisp and slightly golden on the edges. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes to set, then remove them to a wire rack to cool. Or not cool. Your choice : )

*Note: Let cookie sheet cool between batches. Do not use a hot out of the oven cookie sheet as it will melt the butter and sugar resulting in a flatter cookie. You can quickly cool your baking sheet by popping it in the freezer for just a few minutes.

Pumpkin Pasties for Harry Potter

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that the last Harry Potter movie is upon us. And I’m SOOO excited. I have recently read ALL the books, seen all the movies (multiple times) and now I am taking it a step above normal obsession: I am making the goodies that Harry and his pals enjoy. (I have a couple more to share this week, so stay tuned!)

I scoured the internet hoping to find some recipes from the Harry Potter Unofficial Cookbook, but sadly I found none. Maybe I just can’t navigate Google as well as I thought. And WHY I don’t own this book yet is beyond me, really. But I’m thinking it’s a necessity.

Moving on. The first treat I’m sharing are these pumpkin pasties which are essentially mini pumpkin hand pies. You can make these as spiced, small, and simple as you want. I’m a homemade gal so I made it all from scratch but you could easily use pre-made pie dough and canned pumpkin pie filling, if you’re in a pinch. No judgments here!

These are delicious and you can make the separate components and keep in the fridge until you are ready to assemble and bake. They are so good! I mean who says no to a mobile slice of pumpkin pie?? And if you are already looking forward to Thanksgiving, these can tide you over until then 🙂 Win-win-win!!

Grab one of these pasties, your wand and run around pretend stunning your cat. Not that I would do anything like this…

Pumpkin Pasties
Adapted from here

For the Pie Crust:

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. granulated white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1/8 – 1/4 cup ice water

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse to combine until resembles course crumbs. Add ice water in a steady stream until the dough comes together, you may not need the entire 1/4 cup. The dough should stick together when pinched. It shouldn’t take longer than 10 seconds.

Shape the dough into a flattened disc, wrap into plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. (The dough can be frozen for up to a month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

For the Pumpkin Filling:

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree OR 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs lightly. Stir in the pumpkin puree, heavy whipping cream, and light brown sugar, mixing between each addition. Add the spices and salt and stir to evenly distribute. Pour the filling into a buttered casserole dish and bake until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean, about 30 – 40 minutes.

Cool completely.

Assembling the Paties:

Ingredients:
1 egg, yolk and white separated
1 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
granulated sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Take the disc of crust dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out onto your floured work surface until about 12″ in diameter. Roll from the center out and rotate your crust quarter turns occasionally to avoid sticking. Using a 4″ circle-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can squeeze out of it and transfer each to wax paper or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. You can re-roll out your scrap dough to get more rounds, but be aware that over-worked dough can result in toughness. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Once the pumpkin pie filling has cooled completely, take the dough out of the refrigerator and drop about a tablespoon of the pumpkin filling into the center of each dough round. Using your finger or pastry brush, apply a thin coat of egg white to half of the edge of the round and fold the circle over and press the edges to seal. The egg white will help to keep the dough closed while baking. Crimp the edges with a fork to give a final seal. Set on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and continue the same way with the rest of your dough rounds.

Lightly whisk together the egg yolk and cream. Brush the tops and edges of the pasties with a soft pastry brush and sprinkle on sugar (if using it). Use a knife to cut three slits in the tops of each pasty. If your dough has gotten considerably warm, refrigerate for about 30 minutes; if not, continue with the recipe. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Yields about 16 pasties, depending on the size of cookie cutter you use.

Serve with some butterbeer and ice cream 🙂

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake

There are a few things in life that are absolutely necessary to own to keep life running smoothly:

That little black dress

A spare gift in the closet for that uh-oh, I forgot moment

A stock-pile of canned pumpkin puree to get you through until next turkey day

And a splash of bourbon in your cheesecake.

I’m telling ya, these things collectively have gotten me out of some hot water.

And I don’t like HOT water, my skin is sensitive.

I made this cheesecake for a few Thanksgivings and let me tell you, it was nothing short of ridiculously well received. The bourbon and pumpkin are great partners in crime while the sour cream layer, which I realize just made some of you squirm, finishes this creamy-dreamy cheesecake off on a sweet note.

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
Adapted from Gourmet, November 2003 via Smitten Kitchen

For crust
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (from five 4 3/4- by 2 1/4-inch crackers)
1/2 cup pecans (1 3/4 ounce), finely chopped
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For filling
1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional, I usually up it to 2 TBSP)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

For topping
2 cups sour cream (20 ounces)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional)

Garnish: pecan halves

Make crust: Invert bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (to create flat bottom, which will make it easier to remove cake from pan), then lock on side and butter pan.

Stir together crumbs, pecans, sugars, and butter in a bowl until combined well. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1/2 inch up side of pan, then chill crust, 1 hour.

Make filling and bake cheesecake: Put oven rack in middle position and Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl until combined.

Stir together granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl.

Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, then add pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour filling into crust, smoothing top, then put springform pan in a shallow baking pan (in case springform leaks). Bake until center is just set, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 5 minutes. (Leave oven on.)

Make topping: Whisk together sour cream, sugar, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl, then spread on top of cheesecake and bake 5 additional minutes.

Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 3 hours.

Chill, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours. Remove side of pan and bring to room temperature before serving.

Do ahead: Baked cheesecake can be chilled, covered, up to 2 days.

TWD – Caramel Pumpkin Pie (Rewind)

Today’s post was supposed to be this amazing (I’m sure) cranberry shortbread cake. And I promise I’ll have that up next week as I’ll be skipping the cranberry galette.

Hey, we all need to cut corners sometimes right?

I have a lot on my metaphorical plate these days:

I have to make a baby shower cake and attend said baby shower this weekend.

I have to prep the blog for a giveaway I’m doing next week.

I have to make about 30 mini red velvet cakes and figure out how to ice them simply but beautifully.

I have to make and personalize 30 place cards.

I have to make 2 mini cakes: a rice krispy treat cake and a chocolate cake.

I have to make and arrange at least 3 floral centerpieces.

Oh yah, and I have to remember to get married on Friday 😉

So as you see, lots to do. So I’ll leave you with this pie which is pretty good, but not my favorite.

It’s a standard pumpkin pie base with some homemade caramel thrown in for flair. I couldn’t really detect the taste of the caramel, so I may not have let it cook long enough. But it was pretty deep in color so I took it off once it looked as Dorie described.

Once you have the caramel made, it comes together pretty quickly and bakes up beautifully. But for some reason my pie filling didn’t want to stick to the pie crust. I guess that’s what I get for having the pie crust in my fridge for 2 days before filling it. Oops!

For the recipe, head on over to Janelle’s blog, Mortensen Family Memoirs or simply click here to be taken directly to it.

SMS – Crustless Ginger Custard Pumpkin Pie

Boy oh boy do I loooove pies.

Just not 4 pies in 4 weeks. “Hm, how to make this easier on myself,” I thought. And then it came to me: skip the crust, make a smaller amount and put it in ramekins! Genius!!

And that’s exactly what I did.

If there are too many flaky, sinful, buttery, pies in your  life right now (as if that could ever be a BAD thing) and the idea of making one more pie makes you want to hurl your pie plate right through your kitchen window… then follow my lead and take it down a notch, or four. Here’s what I did to ensure the safety of my own pie plate:

• made 1/4 of the recipe
• subber ground ginger and cinnamon for the fresh ginger and cinnamon sticks.
• baked in 2 ramekins until set

See? Easy-peasy lemon squeezey. Even thought lemons have nothing to do with this… but I digress.

This custard filling is SO tasty and I love it SO much that it is going to be the pumpkin pie this year at the Thanksgiving table. Along with 2 other pies, a cake, and cookies that I will be slaving over. But that’s a ramble for another day 😉

For the recipe, head on over to Debbie’s blog Every Day Blessings of The Five Dee’s. Thanks Debbie for choosing this wonderful recipe!!

Up next week: Strawberry Muffins with Fresh Lemon and Rosemary. And I already have them made! Woohoo for being on top of things!

Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar-Walnut ‘Crumble’

Confession time:

I am not a vegan. But this quick bread is.

This quick bread is WAY cooler than I am. Way more delicious too.

But if I were to be classified as delicious we’d have problems. You see, that’s called cannibalism. And it’s illegal, albeit creepy as hell.

Say it with me now kids: cannibalism is creepy and totally illegal. Vegan bread is delicious and TOTALLY legal.

Can’t you just picture this lesson Sesame Street? I’d be a great teacher.*

This bread is vegan which in a nutshell means no butter, no eggs, no dairy. Are you having a panic attack at the sight of ‘no butter?’ Don’t.  It is moist and flavorful and downright amazing! Whips up quick too! And just think, this is something you can make when you are out of eggs and butter and you have a gazillion things to do before your in-laws, friends, or mailman arrives. So hop to! You don’t want to miss out!

Vegan Pumpkin Walnut Bread
Slightly adapted from Joy the Baker

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat flour or only all-purpose flour, I used 100% Whole Wheat)

2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used ground nutmeg)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (or just under two cups)

1 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup water (I forgot to add this and it still worked!)

Handful of chopped walnuts and brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a rack in the center of the oven. Grease and flour two loaf pans (mine are 8×4×2) and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In a medium bowl, carefully whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup and water.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold all of the ingredients together. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well, finding any stray flour bits to mix in.

Divide the dough between the two greased pans and sprinkle with a few walnut pieces. Repeat with brown sugar (I like to grab a handful of brown sugar and squeeze it in my hand to make it semi-solid and just sprinkle the crumb like pieces on top.) Bake for 1 hour (mine was done in 48 mins), or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let rest in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Serve warm. Maybe even wrap one loaf up in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for future munching, or tie a bow around it and gift it to a hungry friend.

*Disclaimer: Don’t worry parents, I will not be responsible for the shaping of young minds in classroom like surroundings.