Pumpkin Donuts with Buttermilk Glaze

It's Pumpkin season, you know that, I know that.  Usually this time of the year means that I'm in the kitchen even more than usual, whipping up cakes, donuts, pancakes and pretty much anything that includes pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves etc.

I have said before and I will say it again.  If I had to pick a food that I would eat forever and ever, giving up everything else for it, I would always pick donuts.  No ifs, ands or buts about it.

Pair that with pumpkin and I'm in literal food heaven.

This recipe doesn't require rising time of any kind, it's pretty straight forward, easy and relatively quick to make.  The longest part of the process is the frying and even then, it's quite fast because they puff up and cook quite quickly.

Now to keep my son away from these, as his 13 year old self already plowed through 2 in no time.  Who am I kidding, I need to keep myself away from these too.  :)

Pumpkin Donuts with Buttermilk Glaze

Source: Babble

For the donuts:

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree

For the buttermilk glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla


In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spice and sugar. Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients (except for the canola oil) in a second, medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir them around the bowl until the mixture is well combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, rolling the donut dough to approximately1/4-1/2″ thick. (I know this will seem quite thin, but the donuts puff up immensely while frying). Cut with a donut cutter.

Meanwhile, whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, gently slide the donuts into the oil, frying on the first side until the edges of the donut are lightly browned, flip carefully and allow to cook on the other side until lightly browned. Remove and dunk immediately into buttermilk glaze. Allow to air dry on a cooling rack before serving.

Note:  You may find that the dough is too sticky and wet to really roll into anything.  Just add a bit more flour at a time until you get a soft, non stick dough that you can press out into a rectangle, with your hands.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Stop what you're doing, go into the kitchen and bake this cake.  Right now!

No really, I know you probably think I've lost my mind, but I haven't, it's just that I need you to enjoy this cake as much as I am.



Calories you may ask?  I have no clue, haven't even attempted to figure it out because I figure it's somewhere in the gazillion calories, but I don't care....because I really needed some Fall goodness, and because one bite of this amazing spiced cake with that caramel drizzled all over, and it's like an out of body experience.

*sigh*

No more talking, here's the recipe.  And if you don't make it today, don't blame me for missing out on something phenomenal.  Just saying!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Salted Caramel Cake

Adapted from:  Chow.com

For the cake:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil, plus more as needed
4 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée (not pie filling; about 1 3/4 cups)

For the salted caramel sauce:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

To serve:

Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)


For the cake:

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil and flour and tap out any excess flour.

Place the measured flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.



Place the sugar and measured oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the sugar is incorporated, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula.



Return the mixer to medium speed and add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, about 1 1/2 minutes total mixing time. Reduce the speed to medium low, add the pumpkin, and beat until just combined, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula.



Turn the mixer to low speed, slowly add the flour mixture, and beat until almost completely incorporated, about 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in any unincorporated flour at the edges with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape to the bottom of the bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour to 70 minutes.

Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn the cake out onto the wire rack and cool completely.



For the salted caramel sauce:

Melt the butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar, cream, and corn syrup; stir until the mixture is smooth and bring to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat, stir in the salt, and set aside to cool slightly.

To serve:

Dust the cake with powdered sugar (if using), slice, and serve with the salted caramel sauce.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

I've had pumpkin on the brain, I'm sure you can tell.

So today being Sunday and the day that I set aside to make big batches of cookies for the cookie jar, I thought I would use up the pumpkin I still have leftover instead of letting it go to waste.



These are always a huge hit in my house, I mean, I feel like I'm baking them and they are disappearing just as fast as I can get them iced and on the plate.

I've adapted the recipe from one over at allrecipes.com.  You can find the original here. I used shortening instead of butter and I also used pumpkin pie filling instead of just pumpkin.



Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Crisco shortening, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin pie filling
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.



2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients.





Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.



3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.



4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Pumpkin Pie Tart Slices

We've been enjoying the best temperatures right now, lower 60's is just heaven for us poor folks stuck in the hot Arizona sun.

With that, comes the yearning for Fall, for the changing of leaves, for soups and stews and for pumpkin, or in my case.....Pumpkin Pie.

The difference with this recipe is that you make it in a cookie sheet instead of a pie dish and you can cut it into small or big rectangles....it's more of a tart, thinner, flakier, but still the same ol' taste.

Pumpkin Pie Tart Slices

Adapted from: Picky Palate

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1/4 Cup heavy whipping cream
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 box puff pastry, thawed
3 Tablespoons melted butter
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl mix the pumpkin, sugar, heavy cream, egg, cinnamon and nutmeg until creamy and well combined.

2.  Place puff pastry onto a lightly floured countertop and cut out 4 pumpkins per sheet of pastry.  Place pumpkin cut outs onto silpat or parchment lined baking sheets.  Brush each pumpkin lightly with butter then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  Spoon about 2 Tablespoons of pumpkin pie filling around center of pumpkins leaving 1/4 inch border around edges.

3.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown on the edges and pumpkin pie is cooked through.  Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to cooling rack. 

Serve room temperature or chilled.  Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired before serving.

Pumpkin Cake Roll!

One of my favorites and so easy to make.

If you're scared of trying your hand at Cake Rolls, you have nothing to worry about, they are actually pretty easy to make once you get the hang of it.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon almond extract OR lemon juice if you prefer
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup confectioner's sugar, divided
6 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, cubed
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line a 15-in. x 10-in. baking pan with waxed paper. Coat the paper with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs for 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar; beat for 2 minutes or until mixture becomes thick and lemon-colored.

Beat in pumpkin and extract.

Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger and salt;

fold into pumpkin mixture. (I cheated and just added everything without mixing together first..still worked)

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched (do not overbake).
Cool for 5 minutes. Invert onto a kitchen towel dusted with 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar.

Gently peel off waxed paper.

Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For filling, in a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and remaining confectioner's sugar until fluffly.

Unroll cake; spread filling evenly over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges.

Roll up again. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

12 Days of Baking!!! *DAY 4*

I know that during the holidays a lot of us bake cookies, and cookie bars, fudge and pies and all that yummy goodness, so I thought it would be a neat idea to have the 12 Days of Baking.

Today I'm going for pies...who doesn't like pie huh??? Caramel, pecans and pumpkin all in one pie...YUMMY!!!

Caramel-Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Makes 8 servings
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 45 minutes

Ingredients

* 1 Pastry for Single-Crust Pie
* 2 slightly beaten eggs
* 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
* 1/4 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
* 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions

1. Prepare and roll out pastry. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Trim; crimp edge as desired. In a large bowl stir together eggs, pumpkin, and half-and-half or milk. Stir in the granulated sugar, flour, lemon peel, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Pour pumpkin mixture into pastry-lined pie plate. Cover the edge of the pie with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together the brown sugar, pecans, and butter until combined. Remove foil. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over top of pie. Bake for 20 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and topping is golden and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES!!!

It's cold, it's raining and I feel as if I'm in the middle of winter, so what better way to start the morning, than with some pumpkin pancakes. If you've never had them, you're in for a treat :)

You can use canned or fresh pumpkin for these. I actually found this recipe online a couple years ago, they even suggested for Halloween, sprinkling on that orange-colored sugar, how fun is that?

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

* 2 cups flour
* 2 tbs granulated sugar
* 4 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1 cup pumpkin puree
* 4 eggs -- separated
* 1/4 cup melted butter

Sift together dry ingredients. Combine milk, egg yolks, butter and pumpkin puree. Stir into dry ingredients until just blended. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter. Pour onto hot, oiled griddle, about 1/3 cup at a time.

Cook until tops bubble and turn and cook other side.