Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Happy Fall!! I love baking with pumpkin.  Brenn tells me it looks like a pumpkin exploded in my house.  These are a hit with the boys that come over each day after school.  In fact, they requested them this week.  So I made them again! Super easy and yummy!

~Recipe~
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup  butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the coating:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
Dash of allspice * I added a dash of pumpkin pie spice to mine today.  It was an added flavor!*

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets parchment paper. 

Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend.

 Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly. Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed. 
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the 
baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Easy and delish! Enjoy~

Pumpkin Pie Cake

It was finally below 80 for a couple of days last week and I HAD to fill the house with the yummy smell of pumpkin.... Pie, cake, bread...it was wonderful! This cake is good.  I am not sure of the 'crust', but I will try it again!

~Recipe~

Yellow cake mix
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 29 ouncepumpkin
1 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 t ginger
1/2 tssp cloves
4 eggs
2 cans of evaporated milk*12 ounce cans*

Mix the cake with melted butter for 30 seconds, add egg and mix until combined. Press the mix into a large greased jelly roll pan.  Combine the sugar and spices in a small bowl and set aside. Beat the 4 eggs for about 1 minute or until frothy. Add the sugar mixture and the pumpkin and mix well. Pour the canned milk in and mix, again. Pour the filling over the crust and be careful not to overfill.  I did nit use the entire filling in the cake.  I baked the left over  in custard dishes and had an additional dessert. Bake the cake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.  Serve with whipped cream or cool whip.  Brooklyn ate it for breakfast, too.  Enjoy~

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Apple Sauce

Gone. I made this cake last night and it is gone. The kids asked me to make it again today. I guess that means it is a keeper! It is so easy and can be literally thrown together in no time and can be warm or room temp. YUM!

~Recipe~

1 1/2 c flour
1 c white sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
 dash of nutmeg
3/4 c oil... I used 1/2 c pumpkin spice oil and 1/4 c apple sauce  You can use canola oil for the whole amount
1 15 ounce can pumpkin
2 eggs

Whisk the flour, soda, powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together and set aside.  Combine oil, pumpkin and eggs in a mixing bowl and throw in the dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour into a prepared 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool and top with the sauce before serving.

Sauce~
I doubled this recipe.  I put it on the cooled cake and then drizzled it on the plates before serving and added a bit more to the top. YUM!
1/2 c brown sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2/3 c apple juice
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1 Tbsp butter
pinch of salt

Whisk the brown sugar and cornstarch in a medium sauce pan.  Add the juice, cream, salt and butter.  Cook over med-high heat, whisk constantly.  Large bubbles will form and that is when you know you need to reduce to low and allow to thicken(2 min or so).Drizzle it over the cooled cake and cool the rest and top as desired. Presto! YUM!
Enjoy~