Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

A couple of weeks ago I posted an amazing Spice Cupcake recipe that I took to a party with Alex’s coworkers. I also made a batch of these and took them too! I wanted to cover my bases with a wide variety of cupcake flavors and this certainly complemented the spice cupcakes. I love pumpkin anything and these cupcakes are no different. They have a wonderful spicy pumpkin flavor in a delectable chocolate cupcake base. They are super easy to make and would be a fantastic addition to your fall cupcake lineup.I made these with my last bag of frozen pumpkin puree from last fall’s pumpkin. The batter when you use fresh pumpkin is a little wetter than if you use canned so make sure you take that into account when making these. If the batter seems a bit wet to you make sure to add more flour. The consistency should be that of regular cupcake batter. If you use canned pumpkin you may want to add slightly less flour than called for, just to be sure your cupcakes aren’t overly dry.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:235]Source: Cake adapted from Kiss My Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

Dad’s Pumpkin Pie

I love this pie, it is probably my favorite pie of all time. I have fond memories of my Dad making these the morning of any holiday that contained a family gathering. I have really never found any pumpkin pie that compares to this one.This pie is super quick and easy. Personally, I prefer to use prepared pie crusts since (imho) the effort you put into making your own isn’t worth the end result. This makes the recipe even easier. If you need a gluten free option simply replace the pie crust with a gluten free one and you’re all set! It’s entirely gluten free.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:154]

Maple Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Toasted Pecans

Alex requested that I make cupcakes again for his office, and since I’ve been trying to make as many pumpkin treats as possible I decided on this recipe. I picked up a jar of Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup from Trader Joe’s and thought this would be the perfect place to try using it.I have to admit the frosting on this is incredible! It is one of my favorite frostings I’ve made so far. It is a wonderful blend of tart cream cheese and sweet maple syrup. The pecans add the perfect crunch to the top of it.These received rave reviews from Alex’s office. He even told me several people said they don’t normally like nuts but these were fantastic! If you’re looking for a great fall treat this is the perfect one for you.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:128]Source: Cake adapted from Kiss My Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Buttercream

For the last few weeks I’ve been making pumpkin treats obsessively. If you’ve been reading the blog you’ll know this, and I certainly hope you’ve tried a few of these pumpkin treats. These are a simple pumpkin cupcake with spiced buttercream. They are excellent if you don’t want to commit a lot of time but need a great fall inspired dessert.These were the other cupcakes I took into my office. They quickly disappeared and everyone seemed to really enjoy them. I’ve topped these autumn colored with nonpareils. You can certainly top them the same way or leave them undecorated.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:125]Source: Cake adapted from Kiss My Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Alex requested that I make his work some cupcakes this week and since I’ve been on such a pumpkin kick I decided to keep with that theme. I’ve read a lot about impossible pumpkin pie, the pie where you don’t put a crust down, but one appears from the ingredients you put in. I decided I had to try this. Since it would be pretty hard for Alex to transport a whole pie to work I decided to change these into cupcakes.I received rave reviews from both Alex and coworkers who tried these. They really loved the pumpkin flavors that shone through. Alex told me that these really put him in the mood for a pumpkin pie (so keep your eyes on the blog for a pumpkin pie recipe next week!)Instead of creating a heavy icing for these cupcakes I’ve topped them with Cool Whip. Since I was prepping them ahead of time, I decided to use cool whip even though I would typically use fresh whipped cream. If you are serving them right after topping them I would suggest using fresh whipped cream, if they are going to sit for any length of time I suggest using cool whip since it won’t melt or slide anywhere. I’ve sprinkled nutmeg on top to pull out the savory flavors of the cake. If you want to showcase the sweet portion simply use cinnamon instead.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:115]Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Brownies

With all the pumpkin treats I’ve been making lately I decided it was time for some pumpkin brownies. I really wanted to pair the pumpkin layer with a dark chocolate layer to give it a more complex flavor. These brownies are crazy yummy. Once you try one bite you won’t want to stop!While I chose dark chocolate for these brownies you certainly don’t have to. Using semi-sweet would temper the flavor a bit and still be incredible. I would hesitate to use milk or white chocolate since those flavors won’t really stand out against the pumpkin flavor.I had issues getting the pumpkin cream cheese layer to nicely swirl into the brownie layer. I ended up just smoothing the pumpkin layer down so my brownies had two distinct layers instead of swirls. I think next time I may try adding a little water to the brownie batter so they will swirl together a little better and look a little prettier.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:114]Source: Adapted from ABCgo.com

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars

I had a friend over for the weekend and we found this recipe and decided we absolutely HAD to make it. It combines to amazing things, snickerdoodles and pumpkin cake! This cake is full of pumpkiny goodness and topped with cinnamon sugar. This is definitely a must try dessert this fall. You could also divide the batter into cupcakes and adjust the baking temperature for personal servings of this great dessert.Everyone who tried these absolutely loved them. They all remarked that is was a super unique dessert that combined flavors they wouldn’t have thought to combine. The recipe just calls for cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, but I’ve toyed with the idea of sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Making this change would amp up the pumpkin flavor and really give it an extra boost.I’ve used fresh pumpkin puree in my recipe. If you use canned pumpkin it will change the moisture content. If you find the batter too think you always add some water or decrease the amount of flour used. I found the batter to be a very runny cake type batter. You will want to try and keep it at this consistency.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:111]Source: Adapted from Averie Cooks

Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

I absolutely LOVED my other gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They are incredibly tasty and just knew I had to try a chocolate version of them. This recipe is a lighly chocolate version, but it still contains all the amazing pumpkin, spices, chocolate chips and pecans.  It is a can’t miss autumnal treat!When you make this recipe with canned pumpkin puree, you may want to consider lowering the amount of flour you add. I found the batter to be slightly dry when made with canned pumpkin resulting in more “cookie mound” type cookies. The flavor was in no way compromised, they just didn’t flatten out as much as the others did. This is due to the difference in water content of the canned vs fresh puree.The use of chocolate chips and pecans are highly suggested for this recipe. The cookies will work without, but I think they add that little extra bit to really push the cookies over the top. For a little yummy alternative using butterscotch chips would really add a unique flavor to the finished product.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:109]

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

If you’ve read the past couple weeks worth of blog posts you’ll know I’ve been on a pumpkin spice kick recently. I absolutely love the taste of pumpkin spice baked goods but since I’ve been baking so many of them I’ve run out of my premade spice mix and thought it was high time I made my own.Since spices are naturally gluten free making your own spice mix is a great way to ensure there is no gluten contamination. This blend is great for adding to any regular or gluten free baked goods. It tastes just the same as one you’d purchase at the store if not better.This recipe will make as much as you want. As you can see from the recipe I call for parts rather than a certain amount. This will allow you to make as much or as little pumpkin pie spice as you want/need. If you store the blend in an airtight container it will last as long as the spices would on their own.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:107]

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

These cupcakes got rave reviews from everyone who tasted them. They have a wonderful blend of fall spices and the cake itself is super moist. But in my opinion, the best part of these cupcakes has GOT to be the frosting. The frosting is super creamy and the cream cheese and cinnamon pair perfectly to give just the best possible compliment to the cupcakes.Normally I don’t much like my desserts without chocolate in or on them but these seem to be an exception.  If you really wanted to include some chocolate, this recipe would lend itself to a nice chocolate glaze over the top of the cupcakes before frosting them. I however, wouldn’t suggest doing this since you could easily overpower the fall flavors.This recipe only makes a dozen cupcakes. However, it is super easy to double or triple if you need more. When I made these, I made them with canned pumpkin so I can’t really say how they will turn out when you use fresh pumpkin puree. I would suggest having a little bit of extra flour on hand if the dough seems super wet.I’ve decorated them with nonpareils which are completely optional. You could sprinkle them with a little bit more cinnamon or even a tiny bit of nutmeg. Nonpareils were just my easiest option since I already had them on hand.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:106]Source: Cake adapted from Kiss My Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

In honor of the first official day of Fall, here is an incredible (and gluten free) cookie recipe you will want to try! Comment below if you try these out, I’d love to hear what you think!I love these, they are amazing! Last week I made a regular version of these and I decided that I absolutely had to make a gluten free version so I could eat these to my hearts content without upsetting my tummy. These are totally worth making and you will really love the seasonal flavor. These are soft cookies yet when you add the pecans you get a fantastic bit of crunch. The whole thing is just absolutely incredible. I will definitely be making more of these as the fall goes along.For this recipe I’ve used Better Batter Gluten Free Flour. Since each type of gf flour blend is different I really can’t say how these cookies will turn out if you use a different one. If you are worried about the pumpkin pie spice and possible gluten contamination you can simply make your own blend. This will help insure you have a clean blend to use.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:105]

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I LOVE these cookies. They are absolutely incredible. I need to get a gluten free version made ASAP so that I can eat them to my hearts content rather than just sampling a piece. So be on the lookout next week for a GF version of these!My Mom gave me this recipe and suggested I try it. I thought it sounded very good and seasonal so I went ahead and made it. Oh man! These are fantastic cookies. They are both completely soft and moist, yet full of over the top flavor and a slight bit of crunch. I’ve taken these several places already and people just raved about them. They a little piece of heaven in a cookie.Since I used fresh pumpkin puree in the cookies they spread a bit more than they would if you used canned pumpkin. If you’d prefer thicker cookies you can simply add a little bit more flour and baking soda to thicken them up. However, if you are using canned pumpkin, DO NOT change the ratios. If you do, you will end up with dense cookies. Canned pumpkin doesn’t have the same moisture content that fresh puree does. Either way, this recipe is great as is, and easy to double or change if you like.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:103]Source: Adapted from Taste of Home

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

I had a huge craving for pumpkin muffins recently. They seem to have the perfect mix of cinnamon and other fall spices. I haven’t had them in ages and it just seemed right to make them again. However, since I’m trying to eat gluten free I needed to make some changes to my Mother’s recipe. This recipe has been passed down from my Mom and I’ve made these for years. They are the perfect combination of pumpkin and fall spices.I cut this recipe in half from the original. It should make approximately one loaf or a 12 cavity pan of muffins. You need to be very careful not to over mix these. When you bake with gluten free flours it is easy to over-mix the batter. Mix until everything has just been incorporated. If you over mix you’ll end up with muffins on the gummy side. As you can see from the photos I ended up over-mixing mine slightly. The gluten free flour mix I made myself, recipe from here.  I used pumpkin pie spice since the one I have is certified GF. If you don’t have a gf spice mix you can simply use the amounts listed below of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

---

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins1 ¼ Cup Sugar½ Cup Olive Oil2 Eggs1 Cup Pureed Pumpkin1 ½ Cup Gluten Free Flour1 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum½ Teaspoon Baking Powder1 Teaspoon Baking Soda½ Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice OR Alternative Spices:¼ Teaspoon Cloves½ Teaspoon Cinnamon½ Teaspoon Nutmeg1/3 Cup + 2 Tablespoons WaterChocolate Chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350, oil a 12 cavity muffin pan.

Mix the sugar, oil, eggs and pumpkin in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and xanthan gum. Mix until just combined.

Add the water and chocolate chips, mix until just combined.

Place the batter in the greased pan, bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Mini-Bundt

Recently I had the opportunity to bake birthday treats for Alex’s office. I couldn’t decide what type to make so I went ahead and made five different types! I absolutely love the Nordic Ware Brownie Bundt pans. This recipe makes one pan of mini-bundts, just multiply the recipe per how many dozen you need. They also tend to pop over the edges, if you want smaller bundt use a mini muffin pan for the extra batter.This bundt pairs well with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting, caramel, cinnamon glaze or a vanilla buttercream frosting. I had a jar of Trader Joes Pumpkin Caramel Sauce on hand so I used that on one half of the bundts. I put a vanilla buttercream with drizzled caramel sauce and crushed pecans on the other half of the bundts.

---

Pumpkin Mini-Bundt1 ½ Cup Flour½ Tablespoon Baking Powder½ Tablespoon Baking Soda½ Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice½ Teaspoon Salt2 Eggs½ Cup Sugar½ Cup Brown Sugar1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract7.5 oz Pumpkin Puree½ Cup Oil

Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a mini-bundt pan

Mix the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin puree and oil in a large bowl.

When well combined add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well.Add the flour and mix well.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean.

Let cool for 2 minutes then turn onto a cooling rack.(If you don’t turn them out right after you bake they will likely stick to the pan.)

Let cool completely then glaze, or ice.

---

Source:Adapted from: Kiss my Bundt by Chrysta Wilson

---

 

Pumpkin Brownie Pie

This is a pie you must try! When we celebrated the holidays with Alex’s family I made several different pies. In my opinion this one was by far the best. It is decadent and is a unique flavor combination. I never would have thought to pair chocolate and pumpkin in a pie.  The chocolate in the dessert is quite rich and the pumpkin filling is light an airy.One thing that you need to make sure to do is mix the extra water into the left over batter. I forgot to do this on my pie so the brownie filling sort of sunk to the bottom instead of being swirled on top.

---

Pumpkin Brownie PieBrownie Filling:1 Stick Butter12oz Bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips2/3 Cup Brown Sugar2 Eggs1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract½ Cup Flour2 Tablespoons Dutch Process Cocoa Powder½ Teaspoon Baking Powder¼ Teaspoon Salt Pumpkin Filling:1 Cup Pumpkin Puree1 Cup Heavy Cream1 Egg¼ Cup Sugar¼ Cup Flour½ Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice¼ Teaspoon Salt Preheat the oven to 350 and coat the bottom of a 9in pie plate with oil or butter. To make the brownie filling:Heat the butter, chocolate chips and brown sugar in a saucepan, whisking occasionally until the butter and chocolate are melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in eggs and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until combined.. Pour about one third of the batter into the plate and set the rest aside. Bake until the top is shiny and just set, about 20min. To make the pumpkin filling;Combine the pumpkin, cream, egg, sugar, flour, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour the pumpkin over the warm brownie layer. Stir 1 Tablespoon of water into the remaining brownie batter, then spoon the batter onto the pumpkin filling. Using the back of the spoon or a knife pull the brownie batter into the pumpkin filling creating a swirl design. Bake until the whole pie is set about 40-45min.

---

Source:Adapted from: Food Network Magazine, November 2014 pg. 184

Pumpkin Bread

This recipe is one that my Mother has been making for a long time. I’m not sure we even know where it came from anymore we’ve been making it for so long. It is one of my absolute favorite recipes to make with fresh pumpkin puree.I’ve altered my Mom’s original recipe slightly to suit my own tastes. I think it has more of a complex flavor with the addition of the vanilla extract. This time around I made a mixture of plain and chocolate chip muffins and small loaves of bread.Pumpkin Bread Recipe:2 1/2 Cups Sugar1 Cup Oil4 Eggs2 Cups Pumpkin Puree or a 15 oz canBeat first 3 ingredients together then add the pumpkin.3 1/3 Cup Flour1 tsp Baking Powder2 tsp Baking Soda1/2 tsp Ground Cloves, 1 tsp Cinnamon, 1 tsp Nutmegor1 TBS Pumpkin Pie Spice1 tsp Vanilla Extract2/3 Cup Water Optional:Chocolate ChipsChopped NutsAdd dry ingredients and mix well.  Add water and mix again thoroughly. DO NOT FORGET THE WATER!!!!Add choc chips or berries.  Then place in greased pans filling the pans 3/4 of the way full.  Bake on 350 for 1 hour for regular sized loaf pans or 20-25 minutes for muffins/mini loaf pans. Use a toothpick to test doneness.  This will make 2 large loaves or 2.5 dozen regular sized muffins.

How to Puree a Pumpkin

With the holidays right around the corner I’m sure you’re starting to plan your holiday baking. I know I am! One thing I’m sure you’re thinking about with Thanksgiving this week is the traditional pumpkin desserts. Now, these are great with the normal canned pumpkin, but have you ever considered taking them to the next level by pureeing your own pumpkin? My Dad has been doing this for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid I remember helping out in the kitchen a few days before Thanksgiving while he prepped everything. It was always so exciting as a kid to have him cook the pumpkin because it meant the holidays and family gatherings were right around the corner!This year I picked up a GIANT pumpkin for $2.99 at Aldi back a few weeks before Halloween. I used it to decorate our porch for several weeks before I brought it inside to cook. So not only are you saving money by making your own pumpkin puree you can also use it as decoration for several weeks. Make sure you cook it before it starts to mold, although you can cut off portions with mold on them as long as it’s not invasive.To get started you want to bring a pot of water to boil on the stove. Do not salt the water, this will give the pumpkin a salty taste that you don’t want.Scrape all the seeds from the inside of the pumpkin. I find it easiest to cut the pumpkin into quarters and scrape from there. Then you want to cut your pumpkin into 6in (ish) chunks. Boil the chunks in the water until they are soft. This will take approximately 20-25 minutes per batch.Once they have been boiled you want to cool them so that you can touch them. I leave them on a baking sheet until they are cool enough to handle.You then want to cut the rind off. If you’ve cooked the pumpkin long enough the rind will pretty much come right off. I use a butter knife so there is less of a chance I’ll hurt myself.Once the rind is off, put the pumpkin in a food processor using the puree attachment. Puree until there are no chunks left. Store the puree in the freezer until ready to use. Because there are no additives the puree will only last a few days in the fridge before it molds. I like to store the puree in 1 Cup baggies so I can easily defrost as much as I need for a recipe.Use this pumpkin as you would the canned stuff in a recipe. The pumpkin has more water content than the canned stuff so make sure you take this into account when using it. You may have to add additional flour to a recipe to make it the right consistency.