Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple-Pecan-Brown Butter

I've been totally obsessed with brown butter lately. It turns out that almost anything is better with brown butter. (Which, to be fair, is not at all surprising. Browned, nutty, salty, fresh butter? How could that not be good?) I had some extra pumpkin after making these pumpkin cheesecakes, so I decided to make these too. It is a great way to use up some extra pumpkin and a fun way to spice up breakfast a little bit instead of the same things we always have. The pancakes were good, but the brown-butter syrup...that is heavenly. I'm sure it would be great on waffles, crepes, buttermilk pancakes, french toast, a spoon...

Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple-Pecan-Brown Butter
adapted from Taste of Home Magazine, October/November 2010


Maple-Pecan-Brown Butter
1/2 cup butter, cubed (I used salted)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tb. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1. In small saucepan, cook butter until golden brown (about 8 - 10 minutes). Stir occasionally, and don't walk away. Once it starts to brown, it browns very quickly! Remove from heat and add the maple syrup, cinnamon, and pecans.
2. To make pancakes, whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin, and yogurt. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined (batter will be lumpy; don't over mix). Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot greased griddle. Cook for about 3-4 minutes (until bubble form on top and keep their shape), flip and cook about 2 more minutes. Continue with remaining batter. Serve pancakes with warm maple-pecan-brown butter and fresh whipped cream.

Ridiculously Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love pumpkin. Whether it's in pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin gingerbread waffles, pumpkin cake, or these cookies, it always seems to hit the spot. I'll freely admit that I eat pumpkin treats all year round, but once fall hits and Halloween starts inching closer I can't think about much else (I only wish I was exaggerating). When a pumpkin craving hits and I don't have time to make anything labor-intensive, I like to whip these cookies up. There are 3 ingredients, and they can be mixed and in the oven in less than 5 minutes. This is the easiest, most fool-proof recipe I've ever made, and they couldn't be more delicious: moist, cakey, chocolatey and perfect every single time.

This time I even mixed things up and made some with cinnamon chips and butterscotch chips, as well as some with chocolate chips. They were all delicious and you better believe that I will be making these several times before winter comes!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just plain old pumpkin puree)
1 (18.25 oz) spice cake mix
1 - 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or your favorite flavor)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients (adjusting the amount of chocolate chips based on your personal taste). Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased baking pan, flatten slightly with back of spoon or fingers (otherwise they will be very round and puffy). Bake for 10 - 15 minutes (I used my 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop and baked for 13 minutes and they were absolutely perfect). Enjoy!

Gingerbread Waffles

A few years ago Mica found a gingerbread waffle mix at Williams-Sonoma. We made them all together as a family and they were about the most delicious things I've ever eaten. And eat we did. Probably about 10 waffles each. It was out of control, but in a good way. I never bought them myself because I couldn't handle the price tag of $10 a box, but this year I convinced myself I would buy some since they were so good and I was craving them. So we went to Williams-Sonoma only to find out that they didn't make them this year! A tragedy! So I did what I always do when confronted with such a dilemma: google it and try to find my own recipe. I found a recipe on the food network website and modified it. They are delicious, easy and cheap, 3 of my very favorite things!

Gingerbread Waffles
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup milk
3 Tb. molasses
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
Bananas, whipped cream, caramel topping and/or maple syrup for topping

1. Preheat waffle iron. In large bowl beat eggs and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add pumpkin, milk, molasses, butter, and vanilla.
3. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Do not over mix.
4. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour batter onto waffle iron and cook until done (2 - 5 minute depending on the waffle iron). Top with syrup or caramel, sliced bananas and whipped cream.

Serves 4 - 6.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

It's not Christmas without a pumpkin cake roll. There's something amazing about the creamy cheesecake filling and the spicy pumpkin cake that just sends me through the roof. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Unfortunately I didn't get a good picture of it...I guess I'll just have to make it again to get a better picture.
Pumpkin Cake Roll
Adapted from Kraft Foods

1 cup powdered sugar, divided
3/4 cup flour
1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 - 1 cup chopped walnuts
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 1/4 cups whipped topping

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease jelly-roll pan (15x10x1). Line with wax paper or parchment. Grease wax or parchment paper.
2. Beat eggs, sugar, and Splenda in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed for 3 minutes. Add pumpkin and mix well. Add flour, spice, baking powder, and salt. Beat until just blended. Spread evenly into greased pan and sprinkle with walnuts.
3. Bake 15 minutes or until cake springs back when touched. Immediately invert cake onto kitchen towel sprinkled with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Carefully peel off wax or parchment paper. Roll up cake and towel (starting with one of the short ends). Move to wire rack and cool completely.
4. Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup powdered sugar with electric mixer until well blended. Add whipped topping and mix well. Carefully unroll cake and remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake and reroll. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Pumpkin Bars

Ok, friends. I've been holding out on you. I made these for my holiday party last weekend and they were my very favorite thing that I made. How favorite? Well...let's just say that I like them so much that I didn't put them all out...or send leftovers home. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do!

Praline-Pumpkin Dessert
(from Betty Crocker)

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
3/4 cup butter, melted
fresh, sweetened whipped cream

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 9 x 13 pan.
2. Beat pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl with shisk until smooth. Pour into pan.
3. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with pecans. Pour melted butter evenly over top of dessert.
4. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly. Cut into bars and serve warm with whipped cream. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Mini Pumpkin Turtle Cheesecakes

Stop whatever you're doing, print this recipe, and go make it. Seriously. I don't think I've ever tasted anything so amazing in my life. How good is it? Let's just say that I ate 3 of these for dinner...and then had to follow it up with some veggies so I could feel a little better about myself. I just couldn't stop, they are way too good. If you're never made cheesecake before, this is a great place to start. The mini cheesecakes are much more forgiving than the larger variety, take less time, and you can cover any cracks with the topping and it still looks perfect.

Mini Pumpkin Turtle Cheesecakes

Crust

13 ginger snaps

1/4 cup pecans

2 Tb. butter, melted

Filling

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Neufchatel 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Topping
18 pecan halves
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 18 regular size muffin cups with papers (or, if using mini cheesecake pans, spray lightly with butter flavored cooking spray).
2. Put ginger snaps and pecans in food processor or small chopper. Process until fine crumbs, about 1 minute. Mix crumbs with melted butter and divide evenly among muffin cups. Press firmly with shot glass or fingers.
3. Bake crusts for 10 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 300°F.
4. Beat cream cheese, 3/8 cup of the sugar and the vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Reserve 3/4 cup of plain batter in small bowl. Stir remaining 1/8 cup sugar, the pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon half of the pumpkin batter evenly among muffin cups; top with spoonfuls of half of reserved plain batter. Top with remaining pumpkin batter. Cut through batter several times with knife to swirl.
5. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes. Move to refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours before serving. Just before serving top each mini cheesecake with one pecan half and drizzle with caramel topping.

Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip Cupcakes

These cupcakes are so moist and delicious, and they smell just like pumpkin pie when they are baking. Also, they make a great breakfast? How was I to resist?

Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip Cupcakes
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix (dry)
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ginger (depending on how spicy you like it. I used closer to 1/2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 - 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional, but I recommend them if you want an extra- special treat. The cupcakes are still great without them, but they're over-the-top wonderful with them. You could also use cinnamon chips, white chocolate chips, or caramel bites if you prefer).

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 - 30 muffin cups with papers or spray well with cooking spray.
2. Beat pumpkin, butter, sour cream, and sugars with electric mixer until well blended and creamy. Add eggs and mix well.
3. Add dry ingredients, except chocolate chips. Mix 2 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips (if desired).
4. Pour into prepared muffin cups (you should use 1/4 - 1/3 cup batter in each muffin cup), until muffin cups are 2/3 full. Make sure not to overfill or it will create a mess!
5. Bake 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
6. Cool completely and frost with your favorite frosting (I used cream cheese frosting and it was great) or drizzle with melted caramel.