Mini Pumpkin Biscuits

November 23, 2011 by

Here’s a cute biscuit that makes me think I’ll consider Jack’o’lanterns for Thanksgiving. How could you not want to make such cute biscuits? The photo and the recipe are from the Betty Crocker website (original here).

Ingredients

  • Mini Pumpkin Biscuits2 cups Bisquick® Original baking mix
  • 3/4 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
  • 1/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 12 whole cashews
  • 36 raisins
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 drops red food color

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350°.
  2. Stir baking mix, sweet potatoes, water and sugar until soft dough forms.
  3. Turn dough onto surface dusted with baking mix; gently roll in baking mix to coat.
  4. Shape into ball; knead 10 times.
  5. Shape dough into 12 balls.
  6. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
  7. Insert round end of cashew into top of each ball.
  8. Make face of pumpkin by inserting raisins for eyes and nose in side of each ball.
  9. Mix egg and food color; brush over pumpkins.
  10. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm.

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Pumpkin Spiced Latte

November 7, 2011 by

From the SparkPeople website (original online), this converted recipe transforms a decadent coffee treat into an 98-calorie drink. I have some instant mix for pumpkin coffee, but the calorie savings may convince me to give this recipe a try!

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp canned pumpkin
  • 1 tsp pumpkin all spice
  • 1 cup of non-fat milk
  • ½ cup strongly brewed coffee
  • 4 tsp Splenda (or to taste)

Directions

  1. In a medium sauce pan, mix the pumpkin and the milk.
  2. Heat until steaming, mixing constantly.
  3. In a blender combine pumpkin mix, coffee, about 1/2 pumpkin all spice. Blend on high in whip mode.
  4. Put Splenda in a cup and poor mixture on top of it.
  5. Dust the top with the rest of pumpkin all spice.

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Pumpkin Mousse

November 6, 2011 by

From the Atkins website (original online), this low-carb dessert looks decadent but has only 5 carbs. Changing the heavy cream to a lighter, low-fat version would help keep the fat a bit lower—though as is, the recipe only has 17 grams of fat. Looks like a wonderful addition to the autumn recipes!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (1 packet)
  • ¼ cup cold water
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend
  • 15 ounces pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)
  • 1½ cup heavy cream
  • 12 packets granular sugar substitute (sucralose)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

  1. In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water, let sit 5 minutes until gelatin softens.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, toast pumpkin pie spice 1–2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.
  3. Reduce heat to low, stir in gelatin mixture and cook 1-2 minutes more until gelatin melts.
  4. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
  5. Place pumpkin purée in a large bowl, mash well with a fork.
  6. In large bowl, with an electric mixer on high, beat cream, sugar substitute and vanilla until soft peaks form.
  7. With a rubber spatula, slowly fold in cooled gelatin mixture.
  8. In three additions, gently fold whipped cream mixture into pumpkin purée.
  9. Divide mousse into 8 dessert glasses. Chill 2 hours.

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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

October 31, 2011 by

From the October 2009 Real Simple (original online), these tasty cupcakes start with a cake mix, but folks will never know they’re not made from scratch!

Ingredients

  • 1 18.5-ounce box yellow cake mix (plus the ingredients called for in the package directions)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 2 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 24 pieces candy corn (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350° F.
  2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
  3. Prepare the cake mix as directed but with the following change: Add the pumpkin pie spice and substitute the can of pumpkin puree for the water called for in the package directions.
  4. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.
  5. Let cool.
  6. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy.
  7. Spread on the cupcakes and top each with a piece of candy corn.

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Pumpkin Cookies

December 1, 2010 by

I remember walking in my great-grandmother’s home on one of our trips to Pennsylvania and finding her packing up these cookies to give to us. At that point, I thought pumpkins were useful only for pies at Thanksgiving. Little did I know! Thanks to the lovely lady I called Great Grandma Hahn, my mother’s father’s mother, for the memory and these tasty treats.

This is the first of 25 cookie recipes I’m posting to celebrate the Christmas holiday, but these pumpkin cookies are tasty any time of year!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup shortening
  • ½ cup soft butter or oleo
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 1 cup raisins
  • ½ to 1 cup nutmeats (e.g., chopped walnuts)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups sifted flour
  • 1 can evaporated milk

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Place raisins in a saucepan and cover with water.
  3. Bring water and raisins to a boil over medium heat, and then drain and allow to cool.
  4. Cream together shortening, butter, sugar and egg in a mixing bowl.
  5. Add pumpkin, raisins, nutmeats and vanilla.
  6. Sift together soda, baking powder, cinnamon and flour.
  7. Add flour mixture (dry ingredients) to pumpkin mixture (wet ingredients).
  8. Drop by spoon onto greased cookie sheet and brush with canned milk.
  9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Variations

  • Any chopped nut can be used for the nutmeats—walnuts, pecans, and so forth.
  • Skip the step of boiling raisins if you like. The process makes the raisins plumper and juicier, but isn’t required.
  • Add white chocolate chips after combining wet and dry ingredients for an even richer cookie.

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