Tag Archives: fall baking

Nov 30

Apple and Cranberry Crisp

This past Thursday was Thanksgiving, and I can’t even begin to describe the scene in our kitchen during the hours leading up to the big event. Let’s just say that my wonderful husband cooked up a storm while I baked my tail off to ensure that there’d be enough sweet stuff to go around. Naturally, I overdid it. We both did, to a certain extent – though on the plus side, having a ton of leftovers means I don’t have to cook for the rest of the week. Plus, as nice as it is to have our family over, there’s just something to be said about curling up on your couch in your pajamas and eating leftovers without having to worry about being the host. Yeah, that was us last night.

Anyway, needless to say I’ve got lots of catch-up to do on here, but I’ll start with one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes: apple and cranberry crisp. I’m a big fan of fruit crisps in general, and the apple-cranberry combination is no exception. I love the contrast of the tart cranberries and sweet apples. And when you help yourself to a generous plate of warm, fresh-from-the-oven apple and cranberry crisp and top it with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream, it just doesn’t get better than that.

cranapplecrisp

Apple and Cranberry Crisp

Ingredients:

For the fruit layer:

3 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small chunks
12 ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons AP four
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp orange juice

For the topping:

6 tbsp cold butter, diced
2/3 cup AP flour
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light brownsugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside.
  2. To make the fruit layer, simply combine all of the ingredients listed above, mix well, and let sit while you make the topping.
  3. To make the topping, whisk together the flour, oats, sugars, salt, and spices. Use a fork to cut in the butter so that thick crumbs form.
  4. Transfer the fruit layer into the prepared and pan and use your fingers to sprinkle the crumb topping over it. (To make this easier, try spraying your fingers with cooking spray.)
  5. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the top is browned and the edges are bubbling.
  6. Let cool slightly before serving. Topping this dessert with vanilla ice cream is optional, but highly recommended.
Nov 24

Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies

Okay folks, we’re just about reaching that point where even I’m ready to give the pumpkin thing a rest. This year I think I made almost every pumpkin treat imaginable, not to mention the many savory pumpkin dishes I’ve whipped up but haven’t written about.

Now when I say I’ll be taking a break from pumpkin, in reality we may be talking a week or two, tops. But still, to avoid separation anxiety, I decided to make one more batch of pumpkin deliciousness, this time in the form of butterscotch blondies.

As is the case with most blondie recipes, this one is really easy to put together, and it’s also a great way to use up any leftover canned pumpkin you might have. Unlike the pumpkin pecan bars I made a little while back, these blondies are much sweeter and definitely less suitable for breakfast (though I of course wouldn’t judge you if you were to have them with your morning coffee). And if you’re not a fan of butterscotch, you could easily substitute chocolate chips or even cinnamon chips, which are a little harder to find but work really well with the pumpkin base.

pumpbscotch

Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups AP flour
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugars until well-combined. Beat in the egg.
  4. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until well-incorporated.
  5. Stir in the flour mixture until well-combined. Then, stir in the butterscotch and white chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top.
  6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Nov 21

Pecan Pumpkin Bars

At some point I do realize this pumpkin fixation is going to have to start. After all, the holidays are almost here, at which point I may have to shift my attention toward my beloved peppermint bark. But until then, I will continue to be all about the pumpkin.

These pumpkin bars are super moist and very dense. One of the things I like about them is that they’re not super sweet – you can eat them for breakfast and not feel like you’re starting your day off with junk food. At the same time, if you prefer a sweeter bar, it’s easy enough to kick up the sugar factor by adding more white chocolate chips, and well, more sugar. Best of all, these bars are super easy to prepare, so if you’re short on time, as I tend to be, they’re a good snack to quickly throw together.

pecpumpbars

Pecan Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups AP flour
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugars until well-combined. Beat in the egg.
  4. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until well-incorporated.
  5. Stir in the flour mixture until well-combined. Then, stir in the pecans and white chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top if desired.
  6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Nov 20

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Yes, I’m still doing the pumpkin thing. No, I haven’t gotten tired of it yet, as evidenced by these moist, cakey pumpkin oatmeal cookies. Feel free to get creative with the mix-ins, though I personally think white chocolate chips and dried cranberries were the perfect choice for this easy recipe.

pumpkinoatmealcookies

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 cups oldfashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, spices, and salt in medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
  3. Add in the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, mixing well to combine.
  4. Add the flour mixture; mix until well-incorporated.
  5. Fold in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
  6. Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons onto your prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. When stored in an airtight container, these cookies should last a good 4-5 days (if you don’t polish them all off before then).
Nov 16

Pumpkin Oatmeal Crumb Bars

Can you tell that I’m pretty much obsessed with pumpkin?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve made pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin brownies, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin whoopie pies, and pumpkin cake. Incidentally, I’ve also made pumpkin butter, pumpkin soup, pumpkin stew, and a host of other savory items featuring my favorite fall ingredient. But the one thing that was missing from the lineup until recently was the classic pumpkin pie.

Now don’t get me wrong – I like pumpkin pie. Love it, in fact. But this year I kind of wanted to do something different. Enter these pumpkin pie bars, which are essentially pumpkin pie taken up a notch, and in a very good way.

At a recent get-together at my place, I served these bars cold and topped them off with homemade whipped cream, and they were a huge hit. If you’re seriously into pumpkin like I am, go make these bars as soon as you have a chance.

pumpkinpiebars

Pumpkin Oatmeal Crumb Bars

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:

For the Oatmeal Crumb:

1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 cups quick oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Pumpkin Pie Filling:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup evaporated milk

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the excess to hang over the sides.

2. To make the crust, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add both the granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix until no clumps remain. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract, then stir with a fork until the mixture is evenly moistened. Press half of the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

3. To make the filling, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and whisk until well blended. Whisk in the pumpkin and then the evaporated milk until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined.

4. When the crust has finished baking, pour the filling over the bottom crust and return it to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven, pinch the remaining oatmeal crumb mixture into small pieces, and sprinkle it over the top of the filling.

5. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes until the top starts to brown and the center jiggles only slightly.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool to room temperature for at least 1 to 2 hours. Then, transfer the pan to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours. Store leftovers covered in the fridge – they’ll keep for a few days, assuming they don’t get gobbled up first.

Nov 6

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Maple Cream Cheese Filling

In case you’ve never been fortunate enough to have a whoopie pie, you should only know how much these things rock. Imagine two moist, cakey discs surrounding a rich layer of creamy filling. Talk about yum.

I’ve been wanting to make classic whoopie pies for some time now but never got around to it, and since I’m currently deep in fall baking mode, I decided that my inaugural whoopie pie attempt would feature none other than pumpkin.

Though I was intimidated at first by the idea of making whoopie pies, especially without a designated whoopie pie pan, I wound up having absolutely no trouble with these. The cake itself came out springy and packed with flavor, and the frosting was the perfect accompaniment.

Now that I’ve dabbled in the world of whoopie pies, I may have to try the classic chocolate version one of these days. Because, you know, that’s what I need around my house – more cake.

pumpkinwhoopies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Maple Cream Cheese Filling

Recipe From Lovin The Oven

Ingredients:

For the cakes:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 TBSP cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground fresh nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup canola oil
3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

3 cups powdered sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 TBSP maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2-3 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugars and oil. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
  4. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined.
  5. Use a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cakes are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool completely on the pan while you make the filling.
  8. To make the filling, beat the butter until smooth with no visible lumps. Add the cream cheese an beat until combined.
  9. Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
  10. To assemble the whoopie pies, turn half of the cooled cakes upside down. Pipe filling onto each half, then place another cake, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cake. Repeat until all cakes are used.
  11. Place the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up. If you’re serving them right away, you can remove them once they’re firm and keep them stored at room temperature; otherwise leave them in the fridge, where they’ll keep for a couple of days.

 

Nov 4

Pumpkin Cheesecake

My mom makes the best cheesecake ever. I mean, I’ve had good cheesecake, but hers is just outstanding. In fact, my mom’s cheesecake is so good that rarely do I find myself motivated to make cheesecake myself. The only thing is that my mom is not the biggest fan of pumpkin, which means if I want pumpkin cheesecake, I either need to buy it or make it myself.

Now some people may find cheesecakes intimidating, but I can assure you that this recipe is really easy to pull off, especially if you own a stand mixer (and even you don’t, that’s okay – a hand mixer will do). I’ve actually made this cake several years but have no idea where the recipe came from (my apologies and thanks to whoever came up with it). If you’re a fan of both cheesecake and pumpkin, I definitely recommend giving this recipe a shot.

pumpkincheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 and 1/4 cups ginger cookie crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

For the filling:

Three 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 cups pumpkin puree

4 large eggs

1 cup whipped cream for topping (optional, but recommended)

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine the melted butter and cookie crumbs in a bowl. Once thoroughly combined, press the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and cool for 15-20 minutes on a wire rack. While the crust is cooling, lower the oven temperature to 300 and start working on the filling.
  3. To make the filling, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and spices in a bowl and mix until smooth and fluffy.
  4. Add the pumpkin and mix well.
  5. Add in the eggs one at a time at a low speed, beating until just-combined.
  6. Spread the pumpkin filling evenly over the cooled crust and bake for one hour.
  7. After an hour, turn off the oven and open the door partway. Allow the cheesecake to sit in the opened oven for about 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for another 45-60 minutes.
  8. Cover the cheesecake and transfer it the refrigerator to chill for at least three hours.
  9. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge about 20 minutes or so before you want to serve it. I suggest topping it with whipped cream, but if you’re a purist, you can skip this step. The benefit of having a whipped cream topping is that it helps cover up any cracks that may have formed in your cheesecake. Oh yeah, and it tastes really good.
Nov 1

Pumpkin Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

It was my dad’s birthday the other day, so I decided to whip up a cake for the occasion. There’s only one problem: My dad doesn’t eat sugar, or at least he’s not supposed to. So in reality, when I say I made this cake for my father, I really mean that I made it for his lovely coworkers, who got to enjoy the majority of it while he limited himself to a couple of small bites.

This isn’t the first time I’ve made this cake, and I have to say, this recipe is really one of my all-time favorites. The cake itself is just really flavorful and moist, so much so that I don’t even think it needs the frosting. In fact, as was the case the last time I made it, I wound up with a bunch of extra frosting, which is now sitting in my refrigerator just waiting to be incorporated into a new dessert (there are worse problems to have).

Unfortunately, the photo below really doesn’t do this recipe justice, but I wasn’t able to get a shot of the cake once it was sliced. The candy corn pieces on top, by the way, are totally optional, and in fact don’t do anything other than add a little extra color. I wanted my cake to have a bit of a festive look, but next time around I’ll definitely be skipping this step.

If there’s one pumpkin dessert recipe you’ve got to try this season, it’s this cake. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed.

bestpumpkincake

Pumpkin Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from David Leite

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour, plus more for the pans
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

For the maple cream cheese frosting:

Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (if you have the good stuff, bust it out – it’ll be worth it)

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, line them with parchment circles, butter the parchment, and coat the pans with flour. Tap out the excess.
  2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition.
  4. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour.
  5. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth.
  6. Divide the batter equally between the pans and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Cool the pans on racks for 10 minutes, then invert the cakes onto racks and remove the parchment paper to cool completely.
  8. Once the cake has cooled, you can make the frosting. In a stand mixer, beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy.
  9. Assemble the cake by frosting the top of one cake and then placing the other cake on top and frosting the sides and top.
  10. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set.
Oct 31

Pumpkin Nutella Bread

Pumpkin bread is one of my favorite fall treats, and I especially love it because it’s a) quick and easy to make, and b) so adaptable to a variety of additional flavors. Case in point: this awesome Nutella-swirled version. I basically just took the recipe I used for my pumpkin butterscotch bread, threw in some Nutella, and let the combination do its magic. The result? A moist, yummy version of a classic. Now if only I could pry myself away from the pan and stop eating this stuff by the plateful…

pnutellabread

Pumpkin Nutella Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soa
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 large egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup packed pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
1/3 cup Nutella

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, and then whisk together with the sugar, oil, water, pumpkin, and vanilla.
  4. Stir in the flour mixture until well-combined.
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and then add in the Nutella. Use a knife or the back of a spoon to swirl it around.
  6. Bake the bread for one hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let the bread cool in its pan for at least an hour before cutting and serving.

pnutellabread_sliced

Oct 30

Pumpkin Pie Cookies and Impromptu Brownies

Sometimes things don’t go the way we plan in the kitchen. Case in point: these pumpkin pie cookies. Don’t ask me what happened, but basically I used the same recipe I do every year (one of my favorites, at that), and this time around my cookies came out looking like miniature pancakes. Thankfully, they still tasted delicious – as in, think pumpkin pie in a moist, cakey cookie form. But they were kind of unattractive to look at, and relatively tricky to transport. So when I found myself with about two dozen extra pancakes – er, cookies, I decided to get creative.

A few days ago I made pumpkin brownies, and so I decided to use that same recipe and incorporate my leftover cookies into the batter. The result? One incredibly awesome combination. In fact, even if your cookies don’t come out as pancake-like as mine, you can still crumble up a portion of your batch and bake them into your favorite brownies – that is, if you manage to stop eating them long enough to reserve a few for experimentation.

pumpkinpiecookies

Pumpkin Pie Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a few baking sheets with greased foil or parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and shortening until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the sugar, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, and beat well.
  5. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients and mix until well-blended.
  6. Scoop into small, round balls, making sure to leave a decent amount of space between each cookie (these babies will spread).
  7. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown and the tops start to brown ever so slightly.
  8. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a minute or two, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. You’ll get anywhere from 24 to 36 cookies out of this recipe depending on how big you scoop.

 

pumpkinpiecookiebrownies

Pumpkin Pie Cookie-Stuffed Pumpkin Brownies

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (dark or light – either will work)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons AP flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
12 pumpkin pie cookies, flattened and/or crumbled up

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 pan and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, sugars, butter, pumpkin, and vanilla.
  4. Stir in the flour mixture until well-combined.
  5. Pour half of the batter into your prepared pan. Evenly spread the pumpkin pie cookies on top, and then pour remaining brownie batter on top of the cookie layer.
  6. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least one hour in the pan before cutting and serving.