Here are some wonderful recipes for those of you wanting to get your "pumpkin on"!!! If you have a favorite pumpkin recipe, please email it to me or add it in the comments below.
Just Like Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
Makes 1-2 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute – adjust to taste
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (or 1/4 cup of espresso if you have an espresso machine)
Directions:
In a saucepan stir together milk, pumpkin and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds or until foamy or just whip the mixture really well with a wire whisk.
Pour into a large mug or two mugs if you decide to share. Add the coffee or espresso on top.
Optional: Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.
Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients for Cream Cheese:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients for Candied Pumpkin Seeds:
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Ingredients for Muffin Batter:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
¾ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
¾ cup vegetable oil
12 cup muffin pan and Paper muffin cups
Directions for Cream Cheese:
Using electric mixer combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Cover and chill until firm (place in freezer 1-2 hours)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; line 12 muffin cups with paper muffin cups.
Directions for Candied Pumpkin Seeds:
Spray large baking sheet with cooking spray. Heat seeds in medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, 5 minutes or until seeds begin to pop. Add sugar and stir constantly about 1 minute or until sugar begin to liquefy and caramelized; add cinnamon and salt. Spread seeds on baking sheet and cool. Break apart seeds once cooled.
Directions for Muffin Batter:
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and salt in bowl. Set aside. Using mixer, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla; mix on low to combine ingredients. Add pumpkin and oil and continue to mix about 1 minute. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until batter is smoother; 30-60 seconds.
Directions for Baking Muffins:
Spoon batter into paper cups, making batter level with top of muffin cup. Add approximately 1 Tablespoon of cream cheese mixture to top of each muffin and press cream cheese down into middle of each muffin cup batter. Sprinkle muffins with candied pumpkin seeds. Bake 20-25 minutes until slightly browned on top. To test doneness insert toothpick into center of muffin (not cream cheese) and it should come out clean.
Can freeze these; defrost 1-2 hours prior to serving.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling
Yield: About 4 dozen assembled whoopie pies (will vary depending on how large you make them)
For the Whoopie Pies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 cups chilled pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Maple-Cream Cheese Filling:
3 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, the dark brown sugar, and the oil together. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.
5. Use a small cookie scoop or a large spoon to drop a rounded, heaping tablespoon of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, making sure that the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. The cookies should be firm when touched. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack.
7. To make the filling, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth with no visible lumps, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth.
8. To assemble the whoopie pies: Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe or spoon the filling (about a tablespoon) onto that half. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spread to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm before serving.
