Pumpkin, Oatmeal, Butterscotch Blondies

This past weekend was a busy one for us, with mom and dad and kids going in several directions, several times. I dislike those kinds of weekends immensely, but they happen. I did manage to carve out time for a nice dinner Saturday evening, and afterward I decided a sweet treat was in order. Because I didn't start them until after dinner, I didn't want to bake cookies (and be in the kitchen for an hour), so these bars were perfect. When I asked my guys if they wanted some Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars (I intentionally left out the word "oatmeal" when I asked) they said "Nah." Huh? I decided to make them anyway, and they loved them (even after they found out there was oatmeal in them).

These little babies will definitely be an annual event.

They are a combination of several recipes, and I subbed out three-quarters of the all-purpose flour with oat flour (or blended oatmeal) because I could not find a recipe which used oats and had a blondie texture. If you are not so keen on oats, just use all-purpose flour (though I can't guarantee the same texture), and if you eat gluten-free, I bet you can use a gluten-free flour mix in place of the all-purpose.

These fell apart quite a bit when they were warm, so I should tell you to let them cool before cutting and eating, but they were so good when they were warm, I really can't tell you that. When they cooled, the butterscotch chips hardened up, so they had a bit of a crunch to them -- very different from the warm texture, but still very, very good.

Pumpkin, Oatmeal, Butterscotch Blondies

makes 20-24

1 ½ c. oat flour (blend oatmeal in your processor or blender)

 ½ c. all-purpose flour

2 t. cinnamon *

½ t. ginger *

¼ t. ground cloves *

1 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 ¼ c. granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 t. vanilla

1 cup pumpkin (not pie filling -- just pumpkin)

12 oz. bag butterscotch chips

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 

Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Mix in the pumpkin puree (it might look curdled, but that's ok). With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the butterscotch chips with a rubber spatula.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, about 35-40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting (or not).

To serve, lift the cake from the pan using the parchment and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 24 squares (I lift the paper back in the pan then, just to contain the mess).

* if you have pumpkin pie spice, you can substitute 1 tablespoon for the cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

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Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes

It's that time of year to crack open a can or two of cooked pumpkin. The other morning I wanted something really good for breakfast. Not just tasting good, but nutrient good. My husband and kids were eating donuts and bakery grandma rolls. Ugh.

I had a can of pumpkin, so I did a quick online search and found some Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes. They were delicious! I added just a little sugar, but with maple syrup you could probably skip it. They are not quite as sweet as the Banana Oatmeal Pancakes from last summer, but bananas are quite a bit sweeter than pumpkin. I also doubled the recipe so I could have a couple in the freezer. Double the recipe made seven pancakes.

I would highly recommend toasting some walnuts just for crunch. I did not this time, but I will next time. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes

2/3 cup oats

1 egg

1/4 cup pumpkin

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoon agave (I used about 2 t. sugar)

pinch of salt

In a food processor or blender, pulse oatmeal until finely ground (almost flour consistency). Transfer oat flour to a bowl and add remaining ingredients. Whisk to combine. Let batter sit so the oatmeal can absorb the liquid while the pan heats.

Preheat griddle or pancake pan to medium on stove top.  Grease griddle or pan (I used coconut oil) and pour batter on pan by the 1/3 cup. Flip after about 90 seconds until fully cooked. 

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Source: modified from Running to the Kitchen

Pumpkin Spice Granola

We enjoyed fresh from the orchard apples all through September.We still have about a peck of mixed apples to eat and I need to go back to the orchard to get my oldest son's favorite, Sun Crisp. I held off on baking pumpkin treats as long as I could so we could enjoy our apples, but when the calendar flipped to October, I decided I held off long enough.

 The first treat of the season was these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares. I subbed oat flour for about half the all-purpose flour and I think it made them even better!

The second treat was Pumpkin Granola. I hunted around the Internet looking for a recipe, but all the Pumpkin Granola recipes I saw had Pumpkin Pie Spice, but no actual pumpkin. Pumpkin is an awesome vegetable, nutritionally, a good source of Vitamin E, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. I have been known to sneak pumpkin in a lot of dishes. It's just plain good, and paired with oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and yummy warm spices, it's a win.

Pumpkin Granola

2 c. old-fashioned oats

2 c. quick oats

3 T. sesame seeds

2 T. ground flax seeds

1/4 c. sunflower seeds

1/4 c. pepitos (or another nut -- almonds are good)

1/2 c. coconut

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1/8 t. cloves

1/8 t. ginger

1/8 t. nutmeg

5 T. coconut oil, melted

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/8 t. salt

3 T. maple syrup

1/2 c. pumpkin puree

1 t. vanilla

dried fruit of your choice -- about 1/2 cup (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

In  large bowl, combine oats, coconut and spices.

In a small bowl, mix melted coconut oil, sugar, salt, syrup, pumpkin and vanilla. Pour onto oat mixture and mix thoroughly (the easiest way to do this is with your impeccably clean hands). Pour mixture onto a large baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. 

When granola is baked remove from oven and if using dried fruit, scatter fruit on the top of the hot granola. Cool completely and then place in a jar or other airtight storage container.

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Pinning it down {1}…Pumpkin Pie Dip

Joining Sarah, Pam and friends today for my first "Pinning it down" post.

I admit to holding Pinterest off for quite awhile. I read about it all over blogdom, and I thought that it might be a near occasion of sin for me, the way Pottery Barn catalogs are. I put them right in the burn pile without even peaking. Though we have a lovely home, the images within the pages create in me a feeling of dissatisfaction. So I don't look. I was afraid pinterest would do the same thing. But then I heard from lovely readers who had "pinned" my recipes and I knew if there was food there, I needed to go.

I have had no feelings of dissatisfaction thusfar, but I am a beginner. I have, however, found lots of yummy foods to try, and I tried a recipe that's been on my list of recipes to try for several months. Just pinning the pic got me moving.

And by the way, if you are on Pinterest, leave me your moniker in the comm box so I can follow you. I'd love to see what you're pinning.

This Pumpkin Pie Dip was spotted at The Girl Who Ate Everything back in the fall. I think I get burned out quickly on pumpkin recipes in the fall, so it was nice to wait on this one until winter. We really enjoyed it. Standing in the grocery store, however, with recipe pulled up on my iPhone, I made a quick decision to not follow the recipe. I use Cool Whip for exactly two recipes in all my cookbooks. I don't like it, but for those two recipes Cool Whip is the thing. Standing in the dairy aisle, I decided to go with the real deal, whipping cream. Thus, modifications have been made. Because there is no sugar in whipping cream (vs Cool Whip) there is less sugar in the recipe "my way." I think it was plenty sweet from the sugar in the pudding mix. This dip would be crazy good with gingersnaps, or cinnamon graham crackers, but I love, love the salty sweet thing you get from serving this with my new fave pretzel -- Cinnamon Raisin Twists (PS the raisin comes from powder and

juice -- no actual raisins).

Pumpkin Pie Dip

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

small box instant vanilla pudding

1 cup pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not canned pie mix)

1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice (or 3/4 t. cinnamon, 1/4 t. ginger, 1/4 t. cloves, 1/4 t. nutmeg, 1/4 t. allspice)

Add spices and pudding mix to whipping cream in the bowl of your mixer. Whip on medium high until whipping cream is stiff and holds a peak. Stir in pumpkin and chill for an hour or so or until ready to use. Serve with apple slices, pretzels, or cookies.

Get.Some.Now.

I bought a box of these oh-so-yummy treats and they went so fast I had barely a nibble. But it was a delicious nibble and now I must.get.more.

My guess is they will be a seasonal item, so get yours quickly.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting

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Wow, is this a food blog? I have been a little preoccupied with life the last two weeks and neglected this place. Not that I haven't been cooking, just don't have time to talk about cooking. One of the kids had my photo files open yesterday and I saw this backlog of photos that have never been posted here. Gotta get on that.

These yummy cinnamon rolls are where I left off last, I think. I made them a few weekends ago for Sunday breakfast and they were a huge hit. Huge. They are yummy like regular cinnamon rolls, but with the added flavor and moistness of pumpkin in the dough.

I have a confession of sorts to make. I don't make cinnamon rolls for my family. My mother-in-law makes cinnamon rolls and my husband goes so gaga over her rolls that I gave up a long time ago trying to make rolls that beat, or even match, hers. I make this Cinnamon Bun bread, which is really good but not quite close enough to real cinnamon rolls to make a comparison. But these, these rolls are good enough to keep them wanting, and it's not grandma's rolls they're wanting.

The dough is soft, but not gooey on the inside, and the frosting...much better than plain old butter frosting. I used the bread flour, as the recipe instructs, and I do think it makes them a little different than all-purpose flour. But if you don't purchase bread flour, go ahead and try them with all-purpose. I have a feeling the pumpkin contributes a lot to that texture, and certainly flavor. I doubled the recipe to get a big plan of thick rolls, because I knew my gang would devour them as written and there wouldn't even be enough. I also modified a few of the ingredients, including the spices because I don't buy pumpkin pie spice -- if you keep the basics in your spice cabinet, you don't need mixes. I also omitted the spice from the frosting because I didn't think it needed it, at all, but add it back if you like.

The recipe comes from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting
makes 12 rolls

2/3 c. milk

1/4 c. butter

1 c. canned pumpkin

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. nutmeg, preferably freshly ground

2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1/4 t. cloves

1 t. salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 T. dry yeast

4 c. bread flour (you can use regular all purpose flour but bread flour makes them lighter)

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1 T. cinnamon

1/3 c. softened butter

Caramel Frosting

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1/4 c. milk

1/2 t. vanilla

1 dash salt

1 -1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

In small saucepan, or in the microwave, heat milk and 1/4 c. butter just until warm and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. In large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, spices, and salt. Add milk mixture and beat with electric mixer until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast.

Add half of the flour to pumpkin mixture. Beat mixture on low speed 5 minutes, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly (dough will be very soft). A dough hook can be used for easier mixing. Turn into lightly greased bowl, then grease surface of dough lightly.

Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough, sprinkling with enough additional flour to make dough easy enough to handle. Roll dough into 24 x 10 inch rectangle.

In a bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread softened butter over surface of dough surface of dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jellyroll style. Pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut roll in half. Cut each half in quarters, and then cut each quarter into thirds for 12 2-inch rolls. Place rolls, cut side up, in greased 13x9 inch square baking pan.



Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.

Bake rolls at 350 degrees about 30-35 minutes or until golden.



Remove from pan to waxed paper-lined wire rack.



Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Caramel frosting. Makes 12 rolls.

Caramel Frosting:

In small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk.

Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook over medium low heat 1 minute.

Transfer to small mixer bowl and cool mixture. Stir in vanilla, salt, and confectioners' sugar. Beat with electric mixer until well blended. If necessary, add more confectioners' sugar for desired consistency.

Spread over rolls and serve.

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Pumpkin Quick Bread -- Plain and Simple

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Most of the time when I'm in the kitchen, plain and simple is not what I'm after. I like food a little bit jazzy, mildly complex. But some things just must be plain and simple, especially when children are involved. Most kids don't like mildly complex food, they like it straightforward, no chunks, no je ne sais quoi.

This pumpkin bread is just that. It's not my personal favorite, as my personal favorite is loaded with chunks, but my kids love it. I made it with some butternut squash that was left from dinner Sunday, so mine is a little less pumpkin in color, but the flavors are all there. Yum!

Pumpkin Quick Bread
1 loaf

2 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. soda
1 t. ginger
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cloves
1 cup pumpkin
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 350. Grease 3 x 5 loaf pan.

Mix dry ingredients. Mix together pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Alternately beat in flour mixture and pumpkin mixture at low speed until blended. Stir in nuts (optional). Pour batter into pan. Bake for about 60 minutes (toothpick test). Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

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Romaine and Pepita Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

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Last Friday we had friends over for a simple get-together to visit and begin celebrating the feast days ahead. Pizza was on the menu, a variety of choices to satisfy everyone's tastes, and I had a tossed salad in mind but had to work out some kinks in my recipe. I did some internet hunting and came up with just the recipe I was looking for. Years (and years) ago when we ate out at restaurants (when all of our children could eat from a children's menu), we enjoyed Don Pablo's, a family-style, chain Mexican spot nearby. On the menu, they had a salad that I just loved. It was a simple salad, I think topped with grilled chicken (but I could be wrong on that -- it's been a long time) and pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels) and a fabulous spicy ranch dressing. The dressing was the one thing I had not previously figured out, but now I have it down. I served it to our friends on Friday and everyone really enjoyed it. I skipped the chicken because it was not a dinner salad, but I will keep it in mind for next summer when a grilled chicken salad is just the thing.

If you prep your salad ahead of time, like I did, hold off on the pepitas until you serve so that they don't get soggy. The actual ingredients of the salad can vary -- it's the basic romaine, pepitas and dressing that count the most. I kept it simple with carrot coins and sliced red onion. You can add diced tomatoes, zucchini rounds, whatever sounds good to you.

Romaine and Pepita Salad
makes six side salads

5 c. cleaned, chopped romaine lettuce
2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin coins
3 slices red onion, quartered
1/3 c. pepitas, roasted and salted (buy them roasted and salted)

Cilantro Ranch dressing

3 fresh tomatillos, peeled and cut into quarters
2 cloves garlic
1 pkg. Ranch Buttermilk Dressing mix
1 c. mayonnaise (you could use sour cream also)
½ cup buttermilk
3/4 c. fresh cilantro
heavy dash cayenne pepper


Place tomatillos and garlic in food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Add mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, buttermilk and process until smooth. Add cilantro and cayenne and pulse until cilantro is finely chopped. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

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Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Icing

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If given a choice of a dozen different cookies, I will almost aways choose a cookie that is crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. The chocolate chippers I grew up with were not soft like many other people's childhood cookie. They were crisp all around with just a bite of chewy in the center. I suppose I like what my mother fed me.

But every once in a blue moon I want a nice soft comforting cookie, and this recipe is the perfect choice. The other day I had a cookie in my my head, but could not find a recipe. It was a caramel cookie, soft, sweet and buttery. But after searching for at least an hour for a good recipe, I gave up. I just wasn't in the mood to create. I remembered that I had a cup of pumpkin in the refrigerator left from sending a Pumpkin Coffee Cake to Doug's coworkers earlier this week and decided to go for a soft pumpkin cookie instead. A modification in the icing recipe gave me a little of that flavor I was looking for in a caramel cookie. The base recipe came from allrecipes and I modified to our taste.

My kids loved these cookies, especially my college boy (of course I delivered him a plateful) who loves all things pumpkin.

Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Icing

makes about 36 cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt

2 T. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. half & half (or milk)
1 t. vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Add in flour, powder, soda, salt and spices. Mix until combined.
Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven until lightly browned. Cool cookies.

To Make Icing: Place butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat.
Cook until butter begins to brown lightly -- be careful that you do not burn it.


Place powdered sugar in a mixing bowl and add butter and vanilla. Whisk until combined and slowly add half & half until you get a thick, but spreadable consistency -- add more half & half, or milk if necessary.

Frost cookies with a thin layer.

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Source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Scones with Ginger Icing

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Having opened a large can of pumpkin over the weekend for this coffee cake, and stowed the rest in the fridge, I was looking for a way to use up some of the leftovers. Since it was, like 7 o'clock on Monday morning, I was thinking scones. I had filed away a blog post in my memory and after a few clicks I was there. I modified the recipe just a tad for family preferences and because I omitted the white chips, I added a ginger icing. Yum!

Pumpkin Scones with Ginger Icing
makes 12

2 c. all-purpose flour
⅓ c. light or dark brown sugar
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. cinnamon
dash ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1 t. baking powder
¼ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
½ c. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ c. buttermilk
½ c. pumpkin puree
1¼ t. vanilla

1 c. powdered sugar
¾ t. ground ginger
½ t. vanilla
2 T. half & half

Preheat the oven to 400° F and place a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla, and then add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times. Pat the dough into two 6-8 inch circles about 3/4" high. Cut each round into six triangles. Carefully place the scones on the baking sheet with about 1 inch in between each.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and ginger. Add vanilla and half & half and stir until you get a thin spreadable consistency, adding more half & half if necessary. Spread over tops of scones.

Modified from: Smells Like Home

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Taste Fall

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What is it about the taste of spices and pumpkin that tastes like fall? Is it in our DNA -- ancestral memories of yummy spiced baked goods that used up autumn's harvest? I don't know, but nothing tastes like fall like good, spiced, baked goods. The cool turn of weather makes them taste even better. On Saturday, I was up early with the puppy (just when my children learn the pleasures of sleeping late, we get a puppy so I can get up early with her!) and decided I might as well make something yummy for breakfast. With a can of pumpkin in hand, a quick Google search landed me at those Mennonite Girls and a delicious Pumpkin Coffeecake. The whole family truly enjoyed this coffeecake and I have a feeling I'll be making this moist, light cake for more than breakfast. It would make a great dessert or afternoon tea snack, too. Not too spicy, but just enough. And the applesauce gives it just a little bit of tang. Mmmm.

I made this coffeecake exactly as directed (except for omitting the almonds in the streusel for allergies) and I am posting it just as it appeared on their blog.

Sorry, bad picture. It was early and still a little bit dark out.

Pumpkin Coffeecake

Streusel:
¼ c. brown sugar
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. flour
¼ c. rolled oats
¼ c. slivered almonds (I omitted)
1 ½ t. cinnamon
3 T. butter

Cake:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 ½ t. cinnamon
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
¼ t. ginger
¼ t. nutmeg (I used a pinch)
pinch cloves

Filling:
½ c. unsweetened applesauce

Combine streusel ingredients, cutting in the butter to make crumbs; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar and beat in eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin and vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Spoon 1/2 into greased 10”springform pan (this will be a thin layer, but it bakes up much higher). Spread applesauce over batter. (as directed, "spread it, leaving a hole in the center because otherwise the cake looks like it’s not done in the middle once you slice it") Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Spoon remaining batter evenly over streusel and then spread carefully. Top with remaining streusel. Bake at 350F. for 50 - 55 min. or until cake tests done. Cool 10 min: remove outside ring.

Combine glaze ingredients: 1/2 c. powdered sugar,
1/4 t. vanilla, 1 1/2 T. hot water
Drizzle over coffee cake.

Source: Mennonite Girls

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Pumpkin Roll Tutorial

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I posted the recipe for this Pumpkin Roll here last fall, but when I made it last Sunday I decided to photograph the process since this recipe uses the same procedure as a jelly roll cake, ice cream cake, and a Buche de Noel. It is really not a difficult procedure, but the steps can be daunting if you have never done them. And rolling a cake up in a towel may seem pretty strange if you've never seen how it turns out in the end.

I only have one warning about this cake. Do not attempt this cake if you do not have wax paper or parchment. It will stick and you will be sad. Grab some the next time you're at the store and try the cake then.

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
⅔ cup pumpkin
1 t. lemon juice
¾ cup flour
1 t. baking powder
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
½ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
4 t. butter
1 t. vanilla

Grease a 10 x 15 rimmed baking sheet and line with waxed paper.
Grease the waxed paper.
Beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, lemon juice, flour, baking powder and spice until creamy.
Pour mixture onto waxed cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with nuts if desired.
Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

The baked cake (duh)



Remove from oven and immediately cover with clean dishtowel.

Flipped on a dishtowel with wax paper still attached.


Flip cake onto counter with towel under.
Remove waxed paper.
Trim edges with a sharp serrated knife.

All edges trimmed. The next picture is a close-up so you can see how much I trim -- just the very crispest part of the edge.


Sprinkle with powdered sugar.





Roll towel and cake up like a jellyroll, rolling from the shortest side.



Let cool.
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla until creamy
and spread on cooled cake (unroll).

Blurry picture, but I wanted you to see what it looks like when you unroll it.


Re-roll and cover with plastic wrap.



Refrigerate or freeze.



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Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake

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The other day I had a hankerin' for some chocolate and also wanted to use the leftovers of a big can of pumpkin in the refrigerator. I was in the mood for a cake, so I went looking for a recipe. I had seen one at myrecipes.com, but it was really loaded with butter, so I kept looking. I never really found what I wanted and so, I combined some recipes and came up with my own.

This is a moist, mildly spicy cake, with a rich chocolate flavor. It came out of the pan beautifully, so I just drizzled (o.k., maybe a little more than a drizzle) with a delicious chocolate icing that doubles as chocolate sauce for ice cream (save those leftovers!). This cake is yummy enough, and pretty enough, to serve company, but also homey enough to enjoy with family on a cool autumn night.

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup applesauce
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
2 cups canned pumpkin
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a Bundt pan or spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, applesauce, and eggs.
Mix in sour cream and pumpkin.
On low speed, stir in the flour, cocoa, spices, baking powder and soda just until blended.
Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake for about 60 minutes,
or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the pan on a baking rack.
Invert cake onto a serving plate.
Drizzle with chocolate icing.

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Chocolate Fudge Icing

1 cup granulated sugar
5 T. butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place sugar, butter and milk in medium saucepan over med-high heat.
Stir until mixture comes to a boil, 3 to 4 minutes.
Still stirring, let mixture boil one minute, until sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat.
Stir in chocolate chips and whisk until chocolate is melted and icing is smooth.


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Autumn Yum

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I was shopping in Kohls a few weeks ago desperately hunting for a pair of shoes to wear to a black tie event when I came across some autumn-scented candles that I snatched up and I've since been burning around the kitchen. The scent of pumpkin spice and cinnamon has put me in a serious autumn baking mood and now I'm craving baked goods. I thought I'd link to all my fall-ish recipes -- the ones that smell so good while they are baking and fill the house with smells of autumn.

Pumpkin Roll Cake

Pumpkin Ice Cream and Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Upside Down Cake

Poor Man's Cake

Pumpkin Harvest Bread

Sweet Potato Pie

Gingersnaps

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

Pumpkin Muffins and Pumpkins Chocolate Chip Bread

Applesauce Molasses Cake

And, I'm going to be trying this recipe soon, also. Like the author of that post, I refuse to support Starbuck's West Coast liberal agenda, but sometimes I crave their lattes.

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Pumpkin Muffins and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

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My kids are big fans of all things pumpkin, and I love that I can pick up a jumbo can of store-brand pumpkin for less than $2. Pumpkin is so nutritious that I often add it to foods in place of half the oil, much like you would applesauce. It doesn't add as much sweetness as applesauce, so I might use it in a cornbread recipe or savory muffins. The orange color is kind a bonus in my book.

But, this week I was baking for the freezer so my jumbo can of pumpkin went into typical pumpkin baked goods, These two recipes are family favorites. The muffins are a real treat that I would enjoy everyday if I could. They are soft and moist, and the streusel adds a little sweetness and crunch. The Chocolate Chip Bread doesn't even need a description -- chocolate, pumpkin, cinnamon -- yum!

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
makes 18

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup oil
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup shredded peeled apple

Place paper cup liners in muffin tins.
Preheat oven to 35o degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, spice, soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except apple.
Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir until moist; add apple.
Spoon batter into cups.
Sprinkle streusel over batter and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Streusel: Combine 2 T. flour, 1/4 c. sugar, 1/2 t. cinnamon and 4t. butter; cut
until crumbly.



Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
2 loaves

3 ½ cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 t. baking soda
1 ½ t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup oil
⅔ cup water
4 eggs, well beaten
2 cups pumpkin
12 oz mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease two 3 x 5 loaf pans.
Mix dry ingredients.
Add oil, water, eggs and pumpkin.
Mix well; add chocolate chips.
Pour into pans and bake for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.


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Pumpkin Harvest Bread

This is hands-down the best pumpkin bread ever -- if you like "chunks." Most adults don't have texture issues like kids do, but if you do, you won't like this one. It's really chunky.

The recipe came from my college roommate and I love it. I don't make it very often, because it has walnuts in it. Because of Noah's allergies I just don't buy nuts. But, in the fall, I just can't not buy them. So many fall foods cry out for nuts. Since this recipe has apples, nuts, and cranraisins, my kids wouldn't touch it, except Faith. So I have no fear of accidental ingestion.

I'm planning to make a loaf Sunday or Monday, so I'll post a picture later.

Pumpkin Harvest Bread

3½ cups flour
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
½ t. baking powder
¾ cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
16 oz. can pumpkin (2 cups)
1 cup chopped cranraisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tart apple, chopped*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and powder.
In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs, one at a time.
Add pumpkin alternately with flour mixture.
Stir in cranraisins, walnuts and apples.
Pour batter into two greased loaf pans.
Bake for 60-65 minutes or until done.

*If I'm feeling lazy, I substitute raisins for the chopped apple.
And if I'm not in the mood for raisins or apple chunks, I shred the apple and it cooks down softly.

Pumpkin Upside Down Cake

This dessert recipe came to me from my Aunt Ruth. It's simple, delicious, and feeds a big crowd so it's a great one to have on hand. It's also very rich, so serve it with some ice cream or whipped cream to cut it (yea, right!). If you always keep pumpkin, evaporated milk and cake mix in the pantry, you'll have a dessert you can make if you need one at the last minute.

And don't pay any attention to that name -- it's much more like a pumpkin cobbler than a cake.

Pumpkin Upside Down Cake

3 eggs
32 oz. pumpkin
1 - ¼ cup sugar
1 t. nutmeg
½ t. ginger
2 t. cinnamon
12 oz. evaporated milk
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
¾ cup melted butter
1 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make filling: in medium bowl, lightly beat eggs.
Add pumpkin, sugar, spices and evaporated milk.
Stir until well combined.

Pour into an ungreased 9 x 13-inch dish.
Sprinkle dry cake mix over filling evenly.
Drizzle butter evenly over cake mix.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and add walnuts if desired.
Bake an additional 30 minutes or until topping in golden brown.
Cool completely and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
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Pumpkin Ice Cream and Snickerdoodles

Last week I got a hankerin' for pumpkin ice cream. We love all things pumpkin around here, but pumpkin ice cream is a real treat. We usually get it at the local ice cream parlor, but it's soooo pricey, I thought I'd give it a whirl. It could not have been easier.

I used my handy-dandy ice cream maker. And the recipe was as simple as stirring the ingredients. I paired it with Snickerdoodles -- our favorite cinnamon cookie -- for a yummy weeknight dessert.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

14 oz. can of pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
2 cups whipping cream

Mix ingredients, chill thoroughly, and pour
into Ice Cream Maker.

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Snickerdoodles

1-1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
2-3/4 c. flour
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. sugar mixed with 1 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cream butter, shortening, and sugar.
Add eggs and beat well.
Add dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls.
Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.
Place on ungreased baking sheet, 3 inches apart.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from sheets to a rack immediately.

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Party Recap

Well, the deutsche Partei was a big hit. Food was consumed in huge quantities, typical of any event where teenage boys are found. I was surprised, however, to find that they loved the German food (with the exception of the birthday boy and one other). The birthday boy loves bratwurst, beer bread, pumpkin roll, and root beer, but has real disdain for any food with vinegar, which eliminates a lot of German food.

But, his friends made this mama very happy and they can come back any time. They ate sauerkraut and Warmer Kartoffelsalat (Potato Salad) with gusto. They inhaled the bratwurst and knockwurst, as well as the Augratinkartoffeln (Au Gratin Potatoes) and the desserts.

The root beer was a huge hit, also. We had bottled Goose Island, and Bulldog, as well as Boylan's Birch Beer, and canned A&W, Mug, and Barq's.

I used the German Potato Salad pretty much as written at the link. It was a little sweeter than what I'm accustomed to, but was so good (even left over) that I wouldn't change a thing. The Au Gratin potato recipe was my tried and true recipe. If you're interested, just ask.

I'm posting my Pumpkin Roll recipe. I made two and they're both gone, so I guess they liked them. Below is a picture of the dessert table and the Pumpkin Roll.

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
⅔ cup pumpkin
1 t. lemon juice
¾ cup flour
1 t. baking powder
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
½ cup walnuts,chopped (optional)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
4 t. butter
1 t. vanilla

Grease a 15 x 10 pan edged pan and line with waxed paper.
Grease the waxed paper.
Beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, lemon juice, flour, baking powder,
and spice until creamy.
Pour mixture onto waxed cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately cover with clean dishtowel.
Flip cake onto counter with towel under.
Remove waxed paper.
Roll towel and cake up like a jellyroll.
Let cool.
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter,
and vanilla until creamy.
Unroll cake and spread with frosting.
Re-roll and wrap with plastic wrap.
Cover with tin foil. Refrigerate until serving time.
Can also be frozen.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

These Pumpkin Squares are a favorite with everyone in the family -- and many teachers that my husband works with. Some even ask for them. For our cookout on Saturday, I had s'mores fixin's on hand, but in case of rain I also made these moist, yummy squares. The last few little pieces were eaten for breakfast the next morning!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

2 cups flour
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. baking soda
¾ t. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
1¼ cups sugar
1 egg
2 t. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a glass or metal 13 x 9 pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on med. high speed
until smooth, beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled).
Reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients until just combined.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan
and toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes.
Cool completely in pan. Cut into 24 squares.

** pumpkin pie spice: 1-1/2 t. cinnamon, 3/4 t. ginger, 1/2 t. nutmeg, 1/2 t. allspice.