Simple Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes I realize I've shared a lot of pumpkin with you. Get over it because I'm loving all thing pumpkin right now and the growing human making me unable to eat most things is letting me eat all the pumpkin, so it's going to keep happening. No seriously, I get it. I told Dave I was going to make pancakes this weekend and when I asked him what flavor, all he said was not pumpkin. But I digress. These cookies may be pumpkin, but they also have chocolate chips. And they are only three ingredients, so how could you not make them? The perfect after school snack, last minute treat when you're invited to a pot luck or a quick and tasty gift for that person you forgot to put on your list. These cookies are soft, full of flavor and dotted with chocolate chips. Chocolate, of course, it quite an appropriate pairing with pumpkin, so I'll never hesitate to include it.

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

Ok, so maybe there's been a high proportion of pumpkin recipes lately. But can you blame me? We're well into pumpkin season and they just taste so good. Almost makes the cooler weather (and rainy crap we've been getting) seem slightly more tolerable. But these muffins--these are brunch-worthy. Like holiday brunch-worthy. Maybe Thanksgiving morning? And they're super quick to make, so you can definitely squeeze these in on the big day between the turkey and the sweet potato casserole or just before everyone else wakes up on a lazy Sunday. Dave loved the streusel topping, which really brings the pumpkin pie style to these soft, flavorful muffins. If you don't have a stone muffin pan, I'll encourage you to put it on your holiday wish list--the result is a crisp exterior edge, which is this case seems almost crustlike.

Pumpkin Twinkies

I didn't intend for this to be a week of pumpkin goodies, but it is Halloween, so sure, why not? But about these twinkies--seriously so good. It's been a while since I made twinkies, so I figured a fall inspired flavor would be good. Soft and tender cakes are filled with a cream cheese and marshmallow cream filling.  Which is perfect for the pumpkin cakes. And super easy. It all starts with a prepackaged cake mix and a can of pumpkin. Boom, twinkies about a half hour later. Dave and I might trick or treat these over to some friends tonight. Unless we eat them all first. Which is a distinct possibility.

Pumpkin and Spice Molasses Cookies

Molasses cookies are a fall standard, but each year I try to find a slight different version. Enter these pumpkin and spice molasses cookies. The trick with these guys is that they have pumpkin in them, making them a little soft and chewy. Plus all the spices and flavors of a standard molasses cookie. And then they're dipped in white chocolate for a creamy finish. No, it's not too much going on, why would you say such things? These cookies are perfect, delicious and I can think of a handful of people who might want to see a few of these in their cookie tins this holiday season.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

Where do I start with these cookies? Pumpkin, so of course they taste like fall. Cheesecake, yup a creamy filling inside each cookie. And Snickerdoodle, because, hello? Snickerdoodles! But I need to be honest--these cookies are a touch time consuming and the dough will work against you a bit. But your patience will be rewarded with an amazingly good cookie. The cookie is soft, coated in cinnamon sugar and full of pumpkin flavor. Plus a creamy center surprises you with a lovely cheesecake filling. These would be a perfect cookie for a fall festival or even your Thanksgiving dessert table (I promise you, it is not to early to start thinking about your Thanksgiving menu!).

Glazed Pumpkin Donuts

I may or may not have bought new donut pans specifically for this recipe. Ok, so I did. But I swear I'll use them for lots of other delicious donuts too! It's pumpkin season and I've had a hankering for donuts, but when did donuts get to be $1.29 each from the bakery at the grocery store? That definitely is highway robbery. So really, the pans are an investment. And they were rightfully christened with these delicious, cakey, pumpkin gems. Ok, first the donuts: perfect, tender, just the right amount of spice to enhance the pumpkin but not overdone and so soft and fluffy inside. Then they're topped of with a simple glaze (and some of them got double dipped because I had extra glaze!). Yes these are the baked pumpkin donut you've been waiting for.

Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies

You know how I love to make tiny little two bite cookies? Well, these suckers are big.  Huge, even. A big ol' soft pumpkin cookie, stuffed with caramel and then rolled in cinnamon sugar because, well, why not?  The cookies are a wonderful way to tuck in the caramel--perfectly pumpkin flavored with a little spice and sweetness.  The caramel is a nice surprise, offering a creamy center wonderfully matched to the pumpkin and spice.  You might want to keep all these to yourself, but wouldn't it be better to share?  I mean, this is the season of giving.  So I decide the best way to share these cookies would be through the 3rd Annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Exchange. Like last year (with these) and the year before (with these), I shared a dozen of these cookies with each of three different food bloggers and in return, I received three lovely packages, each containing a dozen cookies from three other food bloggers

Pumpkin Roll Bars

There's just something about pumpkin and cream cheese that's delicious.  Simultaneously light and indulgent, it's a combo I really like, whether in these muffins or this cake.  So I figured these bars would be an excellent way to get my fix.  These bars are made of a soft, sweetly spiced pumpkin cake with a cream cheese topping, swirled with more pumpkin batter for a simple bar dessert full of pumpkin flavor and creamy filling.We had game night with some friends and a pumpkin roll bar was definitely the delicious dessert we needed to end the night.  They'd be a perfect dessert to put on your Thanksgiving buffet or take with you to your holiday gathering.  I'm pretty sure I'm making these again for our holiday meal, but let's be honest--my menu is usually a moving target.

Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies

I know cookies aren't the traditional Thanksgiving dessert, but I'm hoping this year you'll reconsider and may add a batch of these delicious cookies to your dessert table.  I mean, these cookies have the prerequisite pumpkin flavor, but the addition of cranberries as well, for a true fall flavor.  Plus oatmeal for a great texture and flavor.  These cookies are different from last week's Pumpkin Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip cookies in that they have a slightly different texture--soft but still hearty--and without the browned butter.  These pumpkin cranberry cookies might be a little more my favorite, but here's an idea: make them both and have a taste test for Thanksgiving.  Or decide which ones you like best, hide those and serve the others.  No one needs to know--I won't tell.

Vegan Spiced Pumpkin Bread

It's been a while since I baked up some bread.  But I couldn't just make one big loaf, so I opted for a pile of little mini loaves, made dairy-free with pumpkin and lots of spices.   In fact, this bread is so well spiced, that you might stop for a second, like I did, and wonder if it's gingerbread, thanks to a little bit of added molasses.  Soft and tender, this is a delicious little loaf.  I had a bit with my breakfast and then later a little nibble for a late night snack. It's just too good.  And since it's vegan, you know there was a reason that I decided to make this recipe, as my tendencies rarely lean toward vegan or dairy free cooking.  So a vegan recipe and the last day of the month can only mean one thing: Foodie Pen Pal reveal day!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

There's a lot going on in these cookies and I can tell you it all comes together in one delicious bite of pumpkiny, oaty, cinnamony goodness.  This is also the first time I've used brown butter for a cookie and I'm very pleased with the subtle, but delicious, difference.  I think I like it because the brown butter has a nuttiness to it that goes really well with the oats in these cookies.  The cookies are really soft, thanks to the pumpkin, but still hearty with the oats.  And cinnamon chips a perfect mix in. In hindsight, I which I had tossed in some dried cranberries as well, but there's always next time.  I have a feeling these will be requested in the future.

Pumpkin Beer Chili

It's October.  The temperatures are cooling and football is in full swing.  That means chili season, pumpkin season and beer season.  Well, it's kind of always beer season for us, but now that I've discovered the excellent flavor enhancing skills of beer when added to chili, beer and chili go together in a whole new way in my kitchen.  So I completely devoured this chili made with a mix of turkey, pepper and onions, tomatoes, pumpkin and lots of seasoning, as well as a nice, healthy serving of beer.  This is a perfect chili for October--oodles of flavor, hearty and filling for cool fall evenings, and a savory pumpkin base.  Yet another chili for our rotation, and that's just fine with me.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

I'll admit it: this combination simultaneously intrigued and scared me.  I mean, I thought it could be tasty, but the back of my mind told me that pumpkin and peanut butter just didn't belong together.  But I ignore that little voice in my mind and went with it for these bars.  They are soft, moist, chewy and nutty with sweetness and spice.  Neither the pumpkin or the peanut butter overpowers the other, but compliment each other, making and excellent duo paired with the oats.  Dave and I both enjoyed them, as did the ladies as work when a took a few in to share at a training.  What can I say?  I'm a believer in the pumpkin/peanut butter combo.

Pumpkin Pancakes

October means it's pumpkin season and now I can unleash all the delicious pumpkin recipes I've been wanting to make since last fall.  Truth be told, I love pumpkin so much I'm not afraid to cook or bake with it "out of season."  Regardless, pumpkin taste like fall and these fluffy, soft pancakes are a perfect way to start your crisp fall mornings.  Spiced with pumpkin pie spice, these pancakes have an excellent pumpkin flavor and are just lovely for brunch. Or cook up a bunch on a weekend and freeze them for quick breakfasts during the week.  Warm and covered in maple syrup, pancakes like this are exactly why I enjoy fall mornings.

Skinny Fudgy Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes are rich, delicious and full of fudgy flavor, have a chocolate glaze and are just over 100 calories each.  Let me give you a second to get up off the floor.  Better?  Yeah, I fell over too when I saw the stats on these figure friendly and amazingly delicious cupcakes.  And fell over again when I tasted one.  While the majority of what I post here would indicate otherwise, I do try to indulge in moderation and keep things healthy from time to time (so that I can indulge in the decadent and rich stuff on other occasions).  My boss and a coworker have birthdays a day apart, and my cousin Angela enjoyed her 21st birthday a few days later, so these cupcakes where a hit all around.  You'd hardly believe there are just four ingredients in these awesome cupcakes.  There are five ingredients in the glaze!  But I'm pretty sure I've found the perfect cupcake recipe for Girls' Night.

Pumpkin Roll

As you may know, I don't generally do cakes.  I've make a few here and there, but I don't have the patience for decorating, so I stick to the things I love--like cookies and muffins.  But, like any good Girl Scout, before I hang up my apron in defeat, I do like to give a good try to anything.  So the idea of baking a thin cake and spiraling it up with filling to make a rolled cake was a challenge I'd be willing to accept.  While seemingly difficult, I thought it was more about engineering that actual patience with details so since decoration was not necessary, I might be able to succeed here.  And who knew I could do it?  While there are a few tweaks I'll make for my next go around, I loved this cake and this process.  Dave was in awe and could have finished the whole thing if I'd have let him.  The cake has perfect texture with a lightness to it, not dense or heavy.  The cream cheese filling is sweet but not sickly and the addition of fiori di sicilia (like I did in the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins) offers a slight citrus note the complements the pumpkin and spices, as well as the lightness of the cake.

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

I'm a year-round ice cream eater.  I don't care how cold it is outside or how cold I complain that I am, if I want ice cream, I'm going to eat ice cream.  Additionally, ice cream is generally the cure for what ails you in my family.  Sore throat?  Cough medicine, plenty of fluids, and ice cream.  Headache?  Two ibuprofen and ice cream, with sprinkles.  When my dad broke his leg and my mom took a photo of him in his cast to send to us, he was conspicuously eating something out of a bowl.  Immediately my then-three-year-old niece said it must be ice cream (it totally was).  Because ice cream has healing powers.  Apparently.  I bought some ice cream, deciding vanilla would be a good choice because a) Dave loves vanilla; and b) I could turn it into any flavor milkshake I wanted.  So when I offered Dave a milkshake after spying some leftover pumpkin in the fridge, I had an ulterior motive.  Of course Dave accepted the offer and when I asked if he wanted a special flavor, he's ears perked.  He surprised me at wanting to try a pumpkin pie flavored milkshake, but we were both glad he did.  This milkshake tastes eerily similar to it's pie counterpart, tasting exactly like the creamy pie goodness, with a dash of graham cracker crust and a perfect dollop of whipped cream.

Pumpkin Cinnamon White Chocolate Bars

What had happened was I wanted to make a yummy pumpkin treat.  And I wanted a bar treat.  And I wanted something "in" said bars, like a chip or candy.  Perhaps of the white chocolate variety.  Oh, but cinnamon is so tasty with pumpkin.  Luckily I found this delicious recipe that yielded an amazing, soft cake-like bar that was a full-on pumpkin flavored treat with a smattering of white chocolate and cinnamon chips strewn throughout.  A delicious dessert, snack, breakfast (no judging!--pumpkin is healthy, right?) for you to enjoy and share.  I'm pretty sure Dave and I only shared these with each other--I honestly don't remember if Madaline and Ernie had any.  But still, it wasn't like I sat and ate the whole pan (cause I totally could have).  I love the texture and the combination of flavors is perfect for fall.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

These are deceptive little monsters.  Oh, they look so innocent with their perfect pumpkin hue and their tasty streusel-y topping, like a lovely little fiber-filled muffin with a little sweetness.  Then you bite it and bam!--cream cheesey goodness all wrapped up inside.  These muffins are amazing.  I took them to a meeting and they went untouched for a little while.  Then someone had one.  And someone else noticed they weren't "normal" so they grabbed one.  And of course the other side of the table caught wind of the hidden treasure in these muffins and before I knew it, well, let's just say I didn't bring any leftovers home.

Pumpkindoodles

Welcome to a week's worth of pumpkin recipes!  And I could have done something interesting like showed you how to make your own pumpkin puree or use pumpkin in a savory dish, but really?  We're gearing up for the holiday season in a house that churns out cookies like they're going out of style.  Of course, every recipe is going to be sweet, scrumptious, and perfect for your Thanksgiving (or other holiday) gatherings.  It you expected anything different, you clearly don't know me that well.  I basically live on sugar, butter and chocolate for two months straight and then wonder in January why my pants don't fit.  So you're welcome and enjoy these tasty pumpkiny treats!