Fall Pumpkin Treats!
By Brenda Hyde
Pumpkin is second only to apples as the
"Taste of Fall". Though you can buy canned
pumpkin year round, it never tastes as good
as it does on a cool, crisp autumn day!
A note on canned pumpkin: when you see the
ingredients "solid pack pumpkin" or "canned pumpkin"
be sure you are not using "pumpkin pie filling".They
aren't the same thing and won't have the same results.
You can also used your own fresh pumpkin puree if you
wish.
Pumpkin Cookie Pops
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup solid pack pumpkin
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
lollipop or popsicle sticks
candied green cherries, sliced
Pumpkin Icing
Chocolate Glaze
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl cream the
butter, syrup and sugar until light. Add egg, vanilla
and pumpkin; mix well. Combine the dry ingredients;
sift together and add to pumpkin mixture, mixing well.
Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto greased
cookie sheets. Insert sticks into the side of the unbaked
cookies. At the opposite side, insert a green cherry slice
for stem. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from sheets
and cool on rack. Frost with the icing and glaze-below.
Pumpkin Icing: Combine 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
with 2 tablespoons water, two drops of yellow food coloring
and one drop red coloring; mix until smooth. Frost the
cookies and allow to dry.
Chocolate Glaze: Melt 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate
chips with 1 tablespoon butter, mixing well. Using a
small clean paint brush or toothpick, dipped in the
glaze, paint on faces to each pumpkin cookie.
Great Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients:
4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
2 cups quick or old fashioned oats, uncooked
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can, 16 ounce, solid pack pumpkin
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
icing
sprinkles or other cookie decorations
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, oats,
cinnamon, and salt; set aside. Cream butter, add
sugars gradually, beating until light and fluffy. Add
the egg and vanilla; mix well. Alternate after each
addition. Stir in chocolate chips. For each cookie,
drop 1/4 cup dough onto lightly greased cookie sheet.
Spread into a pumpkin shape using a thin metal
spatula or the back of a large metal spoon. Add a bit
more dough to form a stem. Bake at 350 degrees for
20-25 minutes, until cookies are firm and browned.
Remove and cool on racks. Decorate using your favorite
icing and assorted candies. Makes about 32 large cookies.
NOTES: I thought butterscotch chips, white chocolate
morsels or toffee bits worked better in these. For icing
you can use a plain white icing and add yellow and red
food coloring to create orange or caramel frosting is nice
too. You can make faces with another color of icing, or
sprinkle with cookie decorations.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
2 tbsp. milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 oz. chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Mix all dry ingredients together and add to the
remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by
teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350
degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Pumpkin Ginger Muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
5 tbsp. applesauce, at room temperature
2 egg whites, whipped
1/2 cup apple juice, at room temperature
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare muffin tins with cooking
spray and flour. In a mixing bowl, combine pumpkin,
applesauce, whipped egg whites, and juice. In another
bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder,
salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix wet ingredients with dry
ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.
Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar as
soon as taking out of the oven if you wish.
Pumpkin Orange Cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cups (15-oz can) pumpkin
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Orange glaze (recipe follows)
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Combine
butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl;
beat until creamy. Add egg, pumpkin, orange juice and orange
peel; beat until combined. Gradually add flour mixture; beat until
combined. Stir in nuts. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto
ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 375 Degree oven
for 12-14 minutes or until edges are set. Remove to wire racks to
cool completely. Spread each cookie with about 1/2 teaspoon
orange glaze.
For orange glaze:
Combine 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons
orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel in medium
bowl until smooth.
Pumpkin Cheese Pie
Ingredients:
2 unbaked 9 inch pie shells
3 cups pumpkin puree, (fresh or canned)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp. ground cloves
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk (1 large can)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Topping:
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all filling ingredients
in a large bowl. Beat well. Divide between the two pie shells.
Combine all topping ingredients in small bowl of electric mixer.
Beat until smooth. Spoon mixture carefully over the pumpkin
filling, dividing topping between the two pies. Bake for 50 to 60
minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool
on racks. Chill for 24 hours before serving.
No-Bake Pumpkin Squares
Ingredients:
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
16 ounce can pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Remove the ice cream from the freezer and allow to soften.
In a small dish, melt the butter or margarine. Place about 11
large graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush to make
1 1/2 cups of crumbs. Add the sugar and cooled butter and mix
well. Press this evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch square pan.
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, and
spices. Fold in the softened ice cream and stir until smooth.
Spread this evenly onto the graham cracker base. Cover and
freeze until firm, about two hours.
Twenty minutes before serving, remove the pan from the freezer
and allow to thaw at room temperature. Cut into 3-inch squares.
Serve with whipped cream.
About the Author
Brenda Hyde is a wife, and mom to three, living in
the Midwest United States. She is also a freelance
writer and editor of Old Fashioned Living.
More on Pumpkin:
More Pumpkin Recipes
Roasting Pumpkins
The Perfect Pumpkin
Pumpkin Sweets
Pumpkin Sprouts
Pumpkin Traditions
Pumpkin Fudge and More
Herbs With Pumpkin
Harvest Tips and Recipes
