Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Cake Cookies
It’s November, and that means it’s pumpkin time! This Pumpkin Cake Cookies recipe is fast and delicious.
Cake mix is a fantastic shortcut ingredient. Don’t snub it. Doctor it, make it your own. I used Aldi’s yellow cake mix here, and it turned out great!
These cookies bake up light and fluffy, the walnuts providing a nice crunch. The pumpkin comes through with flavor and color.
Bready or Nor Original: Pumpkin Cake Cookies
Equipment
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree can
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup rolled oats also called old fashioned oats
- 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice mix
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- turbinado sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, egg, and oil. Mix in the cake mix, pressing out any clumps. Add oats, pumpkin spice, walnuts, and cranberries, mixing until combined. Dough will be sticky. Use a spoon to form balls of dough to space out on baking sheet. If desired, sprinkle some turbinado sugar on each cookie.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set. Move to cool on a rack. Store in a sealed container with waxed paper between the stacked layers.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Sugar-Crusted Pumpkin Cake
This Sugar-Crusted Pumpkin Cake is moist, delicious, and packed with autumnal flavors!
There is a definite pumpkin pie-like vibe to this thing. The white chocolate chips melted along the bottom (hence the direction to grease the foil well) and formed a sort of scrumptious crust, too.
This thing is even pretty. I like using turbinado sugar as a top crust because it’s pretty, texturally delightful, and tastes darn good!
This cake will keep for at least 3 days, covered and chilled, and maybe longer. It also freezes like a champ.
Since this makes a 13×9 pan, it’s probably a good thing it can be portioned out over days and weeks!
Bready or Not Original: Sugar-Crusted Pumpkin Cake
Equipment
- 13×9 pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Topping
- 1/2 cup turbinado or other coarse sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply generous nonstick spray or butter. Preheat oven at 350-degrees.
- Mix together the eggs, white sugar, vegetable oil, and applesauce. Add the cake flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt. Follow up with the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into the pan and level out. Mix together the two topping ingredients and sprinkle over the cake.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until the middle passes the toothpick test. Let cool at room temperature, then store in fridge. Cake will keep for at least 3 days in the fridge, but can also be sliced and frozen for later enjoyment.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Pie Biscotti
The 2020 pumpkin theme ends with a perfect fall treat: Pumpkin Pie Biscotti.
These things are dangerously good, and yes, they really do taste like pumpkin pie–in crisp, crunchy form.
I always keep pumpkin kernels around. I always use them in my Healthy Breakfast Cookies and in other things I make for myself, including salads. Use unsalted ones, if you can, or reduce the salt in the recipe.
Like all biscotti, these are great not simply because they are delicious, but because they should keep quite well if kept in a sealed container.
Enjoy these twice-baked treats with your hot drink of preference and feel appropriately autumnal.
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Pie Biscotti
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter half stick, softened
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted pumpkin kernels also called pepitas
- 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, blend the butter, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, until smooth and creamy. Mix in the egg and pumpkin puree. Gradually mix in the flour followed by the pumpkin kernels.
- Divide dough in half. Place each piece spaced out on parchment. Dough will be very sticky, so shape with plastic spatula or greased or floured hands into 1-inch high flat rectangular logs.
- Bake biscotti for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes. Use a long bread knife and slice down--don't saw--into long, even cookies. Space out cookies upright, if possible, or lay on sides.
- Bake for another 25 minutes; if cookies are laying on sides, flip them to other side halfway through. Set out on stove or counter to cool and dry for several hours.
- Melt chocolate in microwave or using a double-boiler on the stove. Drizzle chocolate over the ends of the biscotti and set again on parchment to set.
- Store biscotti in sealed containers at room temperature for days or weeks.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Pumpkin pairs with cream cheese in this delicious Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes.
No need for extra sugar or frosting on top. These are delicious all on their own!
It seems that my pumpkin theme most years needs at least one cream cheese and pumpkin pairing. This one fulfills that requirement this year, and in a delicious way.
These cupcakes are light and airy with a bright flavor of pumpkin and spice, with the cream cheese adding wonderful sweetness.
This recipe makes two dozen. It’s certainly faster to bake up if you have two pans, but that is by no means required. One pan will do the job.
One warning about these things: they are so light and airy, it is easy to eat several at once. But because they are pumpkin, that makes them healthy, right? Just, uh, ignore that sugar and oil…
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Equipment
- 1 or 2 cupcake/muffin pans
- paper cupcake liners
Ingredients
Pumpkin batter
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- nonstick spray
Cream cheese filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees.
- In a big bowl, beat together pumpkin puree, sugar, and oil. Beat in eggs one at a time.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Gradually blend into the pumpkin mix.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, carefully warm the cream cheese a touch, just to make it soft enough to mash. Stir in the white sugar and egg until it is cohesive; it's okay if there are still some small chunks of cream cheese.
- Place paper liners in the muffin pan (or two pans, if available). Apply nonstick spray in each liner. Add pumpkin to fill each liner about 1/3; a teaspoon scoop is useful for this. Add some dollops of cream cheese into each. Add layers of pumpkin batter to cover.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a middle cupcake passes the toothpick test. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then gingerly use two forks to pry out each cupcake to set on a rack to cool more. Place in sealed container in fridge to store.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Spice Espresso Cookies
These Pumpkin Spice Espresso Cookies look a perfect autumnal orange and taste like fall, too–with an added kick of espresso.
I love pumpkin recipes that use a whole can of puree. No messing with leftovers, y’know? This recipe will use a full 15-ounce can!
The pumpkin flavor comes through in the baked cookies, too, along with warm spices and coffee.
Expect a texture that is light and cakey in the mouth, and slightly tacky to the fingertips. That’s pretty common with pumpkin cookies–or ones with applesauce, and this recipe includes both.
I stored these cookies in the fridge because I live in Arizona and my kitchen is warm through fall, but these should keep fine at room temperature elsewhere.
The recipe does make about 50 cookies, but as light and delicious as they are, they might not last that long at all.
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Spice Espresso Cookies
Equipment
- tablespoon cookie scoop
- parchment paper
- waxed paper
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 15 ounces pure pumpkin puree
- 2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (4 Tablespoons) room temperature
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 Tablespoons half & half or milk
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- turbinado sugar for top
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, and applesauce. Add the half & half, pumpkin pie spice, espresso powder, and vanilla, until well combined. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients.
- Use a tablespoon scoop to dollop dough onto the parchment paper, spacing out to allow for slight spread. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the tops.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the tops are dry and set. Move to a rack to completely cool.
- Cookies will be slightly tacky, as many pumpkin cookies are, and should be stored with waxed paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking together. Store in a sealed container at room temperature or in the fridge.
OM NOM NOM
Bready or Not: Pecan-Whiskey Pumpkin Pie
This Pecan-Whiskey Pumpkin Pie is FANCY. It looks fancy, and let me assure you, it tastes fancy.
I’m relieved that the results are amazing, because honestly, this is the most complicated pumpkin pie recipe I have ever made.
I’m used to the basic, yummy Libby’s pie. This pie is substantially more intimidating, but doable.
I found the original recipe in the November 2019 issue of Bon Appetit. I do not like how the original recipe is written. It’s confusing at several points. Therefore, I largely rewrote it, creating what (I hope) is a more straightforward version.
But it is still complicated. I suggest making the pie crust a day ahead, just to avoid dirtying everything all at once.
The end result is a pumpkin pie with a custard that is delicately firm and soft, with nuanced spices that perfectly complement the candied pecans on top.
This is a pie to make to impress people. Truly, this is a Bake Off showstopper kind of pie.
Recipe heavily rewritten from original in Bon Appetit November 2019.
Bready or Not: Pecan-Whiskey Pumpkin Pie
Equipment
- deep dish pie pan
- parchment paper
- pie weights
- immersion blender or blender
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon white sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) cold, cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup ice water
- 1 large egg white reserve yolk to use in pie filling
Pecan Topping
- 1 1/2 cups whole pecans
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
Pumpkin Pie
- 3 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 15 oz pure pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons rye whiskey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- pinch ground cloves
- 6 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Make the crust
- Note that the dough can be made as days in advance and kept chilled. The crust can also be baked a day or two before the pie is finished; keep it covered at room temperature in the meantime.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and coat it with flour, then use fingers to press butter into shaggy pieces of varying sizes. Drizzle in about 5 Tablespoons of cold water and knead it into flour. Add additional small increments of water until dough just starts to come together. There should still be visible pieces of butter.
- Dump dough onto a clean, lightly-floured surface and knead a few more times to work in any dry, shaggy bits. Form the dough into an even, broad disc and encase in plastic wrap. Tuck inside fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days.
- To blind-bake crust, preheat oven at 400-degrees.
- On a floured surface, roll out dough to make about an even 12-inch round. Loop it over the rolling pin to lift it onto a deep dish pie plate. Shape it into pan. Form the crust edge as desired and trim away any excess dough.
- Line the inside of the crust with parchment paper. Fill entire crust with pie weights, such as dry beans.
- Bake until the edges of the crust start to brown, about 20 minutes. Use parchment to lift out pie weights and set aside to cool--do so with great care!
- Decrease the oven temperature to 350-degrees, and continue to bake for another 20 to 25 minutes. While it is baking, separate an egg; place the white in a bowl and beat it slightly, and reserve the yolk in fridge to use for the pie filling.
- Remove crust from oven. Immediately brush a tablespoon of egg white over the bottom, which will help it resist going soggy once the filling is added. Return crust to oven for another 5 to 10 minutes. Reserve the remaining egg white for use in the pie.
- At this point, the recipe can proceed to the filling stage, or the crust can cool completely and be covered to sit at room temperature for a few days.
Filling
- Heat oven at 350-degrees; set a baking sheet inside oven at heat up, too.
- While mixing the filling ingredients, toast the pecans on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring them once at the halfway point. The pecan should be a little darker and fragrant.
- If using an immersion blender, combine the following ingredients in an even-bottomed large pot (a slow cooker pot works for this) or use a large blender (in two batches, if needed). Combine eggs, egg yolk, pumpkin puree, heavy cream, and white sugar. Add the whiskey, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, 6 Tablespoons brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, and kosher salt. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into crust and bake until the filling is puffed and mostly set--a little wobble is okay--about 40 to 45 minutes.
- While that is finishing up, coat the pecans. Pull out the leftover egg white and whisk in 2 Tablespoons brown sugar and kosher salt. Add maple syrup and Tablespoon of melted butter, stirring until just combined. Add the pecans and toss to coat.
- Carefully use baking sheet to bring out the pie. Use a slotted spoon to add the pecans on top of the pumpkin, letting the excess egg white slurry stay in the bowl.
- Return pie to oven. Bake until filling is completely set, until a butter knife stabbed into center (avoiding pecans) comes out clean. This can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. If necessary, cover the edge of crust with foil to prevent overbrowning.
- Let pie cool at least 2 hours before cutting in, chilling first if desired. Store pie loosely covered by foil at room temperature or in fridge.
OM NOM NOM!
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