....is Brown Sugar Shortbread & Pumpkin Butter, Revisited

Today I'm revisiting another Fall favorite from years past! Growing up I thought shortbread was a dry and flavorless cookie in a tin (I made sure to avoid) and then I made it from scratch. It's buttery, and sweet and when made with brown sugar it's even more decadent. It's wonderful by itself but in the Fall I like to top with Apple Butter or Pumpkin Butter. To save some time, Pumkpin Butter can be found in a jar at the grocery but it's easy to make and tastes like Fall (but then again I say that about anything spiced with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves & Allspice). The Pumpkin Butter needs minimal attention and can simmer on the stove while the Brown Sugar Shortbread is in the oven. They make a lovely pair and are perfect for this time of year.

....is Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cookie

I must have St. Louis on the brain this week. Gooey Butter Cake was a standard coffee shop dessert while I was in school. It came in a range of flavors, vanilla, chocolate, spiced chai (my favorite!), etc. A few years ago I found a recipe to make this treat into a cookie. It has since become one of my favorite cookies to make for Christmas. But a little pumpkin and spices make the typical Gooey Butter Cookie perfect for Fall!

....is Pumpkinhead Doodles

It's here! It's here! I love Autumn, even though my city doesn't quite get a full Fall season it's probably still my favorite time of year. I love the colors on the trees, pumpkin spiced everything  and the chance to wear boots without melting. Today feels like Fall but it's supposed to be 80 here again on Monday. So, quickly before Summer comes back, let's pretend like it's really Fall and bake some deliciousness!

The Spiked Recipe Challenge was the perfect opportunity to use the Beeroness' Beer Brown Sugar Cookies with a Fall Beer twist. I upped the Cinnamon, used the Shipyard Pumpkinhead & rolled it in sugar & sprinkles to make it the Snickerdoodle I've been craving recently. (If you look close the sprinkles are leaf shaped! I love Fall.)

The cookies get tastier the longer they last! Just like the Ginger & Molasses Doodles, I think the flavor of the Beer and Cinnamon gets a little richer the second and third day (if they last that long). MMcK & I made a double batch to share and they went quickly!Happy Autumn & I hope you enjoy the Pumpkinhead Doodle.

....is Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Once Upon a Recipe 

(The Cookies are exactly the same, the Frosting has been altered.)

For the Cookies:

1 Cup Butter, Softened

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

½ tsp Ground Nutmeg

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

1½ Cups Pumpkin Puree

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, beat the Butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add The Sugar, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg. Beat until thoroughly combined, taking care to scrape the bowl down at least once. Add the Egg and Vanilla, and beat until combined. 

Beat in the Pumpkin. 

Add in the Flour and mix together well. 

Drop the dough by heaping teaspoons onto a cookie sheet. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are just set and have lovely golden brown ridges. 

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool.

For the Frosting:

1 (8oz.) Package Cream Cheese, Softened

¼ Cup Butter, Softened

1 Cup Icing Sugar

¼ Cup Brown Sugar

½ tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Cinnamon

¼ tsp Nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.

Frost the cookies when cool and enjoy!

....Pumpkin Bread Pudding on a Snow Day

From Smitten Kitchen, I opted for the 'Come On, Be Lazy With Me, Instructions'

It snowed today! And this is what my street looked like. I literally saw a man skiing down my flat street in cross country skis. The covered hunk in the bottom right of the picture is my lovely Jeep. It has a rack on the top but snow covered it. What it meant was a Snow Day! And 'snow work' (finding myself punny). So what better to do then bake deliciousness?

1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk
3/4 Cup Canned Solid-Pack Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs Plus 1 Yolk
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/8 tsp Ground Allspice
Pinch of Ground Cloves
2 Tbsp Bourbon
5 Cups Cubed (1-inch) Crusty Bread*
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted

*The best way to make fresh bread crusty is to cube and then bake them 350°F for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

While preheating oven to 350°F with rack in middle, melt butter in bottom of a 8inch square baking dish. Once it is melted, take it out of the oven and toss bread cubes with butter, coating thoroughly. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together all the remaining ingredients. 

Pour them over buttered bread cubes in baking dish, stirring to make sure all pieces are evenly coated. Bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

So yummy I tried some right away.

....is a Chocolate Pumpkin Pie and Whipped Cream

Follow the Pumpkin Pie recipe on the Pumpkin but add half a bar of melted Bakers Dark Chocolate to the mix.

I was in charge of the Whipped Cream:
8 oz of Heavy Whipping Cream
2-3 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp of Ginger
1 tsp of Cinnamon
1/2 tsp of Vanilla

Combine ingredients and whip on high with a hand mixer.

....is a Turkey Pumpkin Chili Date

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 (~7-ounces) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 (~7-ounces) can pumpkin purée
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp paprika/chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cinnamon (you'll have to add this to your collection)
1/2 tsp allspice (I know you don't have this either, just do extra cinnamon instead of buying both)
1 Tbsp Sugar (Brown or White)
Salt and pepper to taste



Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeños cook to soften, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about another minute.

Add turkey and cook until browned. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, broth, chilipowder, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and add beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes more. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

CBP.

Mine.

....is Brown Sugar Shortbread

Ingredients

1 cup Butter, softened

1 1/4 cups Brown Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

2 1/2 cups Flour

Directions

In large mixer bowl, beat Butter and Sugar until creamy. Add Vanilla; then gradually beat in Flour, blending thoroughly.

Place dough in baking dish, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or for up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until firm to the touch (press very lightly to test). Let cool before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Tastes great with Pumpkin Butter!

....is Pumpkin Butter

Ingredients: 

3 1/2 cups Pumpkin Pureé, or 1 (29 ounce) Can (not pre-spiced pumpkin pie filling)

2 tsp Vanilla

3/4 cup Apple Juice

1 cup Brown Sugar

2-3 Cinnamon Sticks

1-2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice 
(I used the spicing instructions on the can of Pumpkin plus 1/4 tsp of Allspice)

Directions: 

Combine Pureéd Pumpkin, Vanilla, Apple Juice, Spices, Cinnamon Sticks and Sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to your taste.