PUMPKIN recipes!!!

 Fall is Love

Fall weather is upon us, and we all know what that means. PUMPKIN. College football Saturdays (UGA!) Warm lattes, halloween parties, and, PUMPKIN. I've been a pumpkin addict for some time now, and it feels just recently that everyone else came around to the pumpkin side, or maybe it's always been like this, either way... We all love it. I am also a baking addict. So pumpkin + baker = YUM and a healthier yum! Pumpkin is good for you! :) So here on this little blog of mine, I'm going to share recipes I have made in the past, post about recipes  I am making for the first time (I'll post the recipe & pictures of course) and I'll share recipe links to pumpkin recipes I run across that sound amazing (don't they all?) My blog is accessed even if you aren't a follower, so you can also share your own recipes on here under the "leave a comment".

1) My Favorite Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups shortening
• 2 cups white sugar 
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs (room temp!)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons butter (room temp!)
• 8 tablespoons milk (cold)
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar (sifted)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (use a quality vanilla for a better taste)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• Optional (I like it better personally with a few dashes  of pumpkin pie spice, just mix in the batter with the cinnamon !)

Directions

1. Cream shortening, white sugar and pumpkin (about 2 minutes). Add eggs and mix well (about 30 seconds each egg). Sift together the baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. (do not over mix!)
2. Drop from spoon to cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. To Make Frosting: Cook butter, milk, and brown sugar until dissolved. Cool and add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over warm cookies.        **** Note,  You have to sort of help the cookies take their shape. When you are dropping them on the baking sheet, their will be a pointy tip on each cookie that will still be there once they are baked. Just take the bottom of a clean spoon and gently press on the top of each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven. This will give the icing more of a surface to lay on****

2)Healthy Pumpkin Cookies 

Ingredients

2 Cups Flour 1 Cup Sugar 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Allspice 1 tsp Cinnamon 1/8 tsp Salt 1 Cup Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) 1/2 Cup Applesauce (unsweetened) 1 tsp Vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir in pumpkin, set aside. In another bowl combine flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice; stir into creamed mixture and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes.

I read alot of reviewers added oats, granola, flax, raisins, and subbed the sugar for splenda and the white flour for wheat flour.  Any of those sound good and healthy! 

I added a brown sugar glaze to them for my boyfriend & roommates. It's WONDERFUL.  (if you want it lighter- use a light butter , and skim milk will also work in place of evaporated, you could also probably use half brown sugar and half splenda but don't cut the sugar amount or the glaze will be too runny). 
Ingredients 

3/4 C brown sugar

2 table spoons of butter (room temp)

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 tea spoon pumpkin pie spice

1/3 C evaporated milk (HOT)

Directions

Place all ingredients in blender (make sure milk is hot) covering and processing on high until sugar is dissolved. Drizzle the glaze over warm cookies.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 48
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 38.4

• Total Fat: 0.1 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 36.8 mg
• Total Carbs: 8.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g
• Protein: 0.6 g