Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoyed celebrating with family and friends. I sure did. In fact, I still am. I have the pleasure of spending the winter break with my kids. I don't have to go back to work until after the new year. One of the ways we have been celebrating is eating pumpkin pie. But, this isn't just any pumpkin pie. This is my hubby's Aunt Peg's pumpkin pie.
My husband has always loved this pumpkin pie recipe. I thought it was time to add it to my repertoire. After all, I don't bake anything that isn't gluten free anymore, so the only way he would get it is if I did. Aunt Peg's original recipe made 2+ pies (There was always filling left over.), but I only wanted to make one. So I cut the recipe in half and used gluten free crust of course.
This post is in honor of Aunt Peg. Sadly, Aunt Peg passed away in November of this year. She will be missed, but her pie recipe will fill our bellies with comfort for years to come. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.
What You Will Need:
Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
Silicone Mat or Clean Countertop
Rolling Pin
Pie Plate
Cooling Rack
Ingredients:
Pastry Dough (Posted on May 18, 2013)
2 1/4 cups Pumpkin Puree
1 cup Evaporated Milk
1 1/2 cups 1/2 & 1/2
4 Large Eggs
1/2 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 410° F.
Mix sugar and eggs together. Add pumpkin, spices and milk. Blend until well combined.
Roll out pastry dough and place in pie plate.
Pour pie filling into pastry dough.
Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° F and bake for an additional 60-70 minutes or until knife in center comes out clean.
Let cool on cooling rack until completely cool.
Serve with fresh whipped cream.
"The magic of Christmas is not in the presents, but in His presence."
After all, it is about His birth.
~Sheryl
I love the way pumpkin, caramel and pecans go together. The great thing about these cookies, besides the fact that they have pumpkin, caramel and pecans, is that the high content of brown sugar actually gives the cookies themselves a caramelly texture.
Try them, you will surely like them.
Makes 3 dozen cookies
What You Will Need:
KitchenAid Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Small Scoop
Silicone Lined Cookie Sheets
Cooling Rack Lined Baking Pan
Microwave Safe Bowl
Ingredients:
Cookies
1/4 cup Soy Flour
1/4 cup Potato Starch
1/4 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
1 teaspoon Cinnamon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg (optional)
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg
2 cups Steel Cut or Old Fashion Oats
1/2 cup Pecans, chopped
Caramel Topping
3/4 cup Kraft Caramel Bits
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons 2% or Whole Milk
Topping
1/2 cup Pecans, chopped
I didn't use the spices in my cookies. However, after making them, I think the spices would add a nice depth of flavor. Try them either way, I know you will like them.
Description:
Preheat oven to 350°F
In a small bowl, whisk together soy flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthum gum, sugar, salt & baking soda.
In KitchenAid Stand Mixer bowl with paddle attachment, beat together butter, pumpkin, vanilla and egg.
Add dry ingredients and mix.
Add oats and mix.
Add pecans and mix.
Scoop dough onto lined cookies sheet approximately 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 minutes, then gently press cookies.
Bake for another 5 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack lined baking sheet. Let cool completely.
In a small, microwave safe bowl, mix together caramel bits, butter and milk. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals until completely melted. Let cool.
Drizzle caramel on cooled cookies.
Sprinkle chopped pecans on cookies.
Mmmmm. Look how pretty they look all lined up like that! The good news is they taste really good too. They would be perfect as a little treat after your Thanksgiving feast.
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, his love endures forever."
~ Psalm 107:1
As you count your blessings and give thanks this Thanksgiving, don't forget to be thankful for God and all He has given you.
~Sheryl
As hard as I try, things don't always work out the way I plan. These cake balls are a prime example. They actually started as pumpkin cupcakes. Unfortunately, they were quite a bit too moist. But, I hate throwing away food, especially gluten free baked goods. What do you do with cake or cupcake that is either too dry or too moist? Make cake balls, of course. (In case you are wondering, you can also make cake balls with perfectly good cake.)
My husband and I thought white chocolate coating would work best with pumpkin. However, when my daughter and I went to the store to get the white chocolate, they only had one bag of white chocolate. Our other options were pink candy coating, milk chocolate or dark chocolate. We discussed the confusion that we would cause by putting pink with pumpkin, so we eventually decided to buy the milk chocolate.
The funny thing is that I didn't think that the milk chocolate would be very good, but my son actually preferred the milk chocolate over the white chocolate. It just goes to show you, that it pays to experiment, because you never know what people will like - everybody has different tastes.
Ingredients:
Cupcakes (This recipe has been adjusted to reduce the moisture.)
1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups Sugar
3 Large Eggs, room temperature
1 cup Soy Flour
1/2 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup Potato Starch
1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
2 cups Pumpkin Puree
Frosting
1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
Coating
2-3 bags of Wilton Candy Coating (white and milk chocolate)
2 teaspoons of Vegetable Oil per bag
Directions:
In Kitchen Aid mixer bowl with whisk attachment, beat butter until fluffy.
Add sugar and beat until well blended.
Add eggs one at a time blending for approximately one minute after each addition.
Add vanilla.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a separate bowl, whisk together soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthum gum, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend until mix completely.
Add pumpkin and blend until mixed.
Scoop into lined muffin tins.
Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool completely on cooling racks.
Crumble cupcakes into a large bowl.
Prepare frosting - mix all ingredients in KitchenAid mixer bowl with whisk attachment.
Add frosting and mix well.
Use small scoop to scoop cake mixture into your hand. Roll into a ball and place on parchment/wax paper lined cookie sheet.
Freeze cake balls for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. If you want, you can place them in a zip-top bag and keep them for up to six months. (They are actually really good frozen as a little snack, so I doubt they would last that long.)
Melt chocolate and vegetable oil in microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted.
Dip frozen cake balls in chocolate, lift with a fork, let excess chocolate drip off, place on a wax paper/parchment lined cookie sheet to set.
Store cake balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Looking good! You know you want to try them. Go ahead. I think you will love them.
"Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy."
This can be a tall order. Sometimes it is so easy to think/determine that someone isn't worthy of our love. If they are worthy of God's love (and everybody is), then how can they not be worthy of ours?
Sheryl
I've been promising for a few weeks that I would share amazing pumpkin recipes. I like to make good on my promises, so here is the first installment. These pumpkin cookies are soft (almost like cake), and have a subtle pumpkin flavor. The sugary glaze adds just enough sweetness to make them irresistible.
I've been dying to make these cookies for some time. I haven't had them since before I was diagnosed with Celiacs, and I just couldn't wait to see how they would turn out. I'm super excited to tell you that they are even better than I remember them.
Are you anxious to get started? OK, here goes. . .
What You Will Need:
KitchenAid Mixer with Whisk Attachment
Medium Bowl
Whisk
Cookie Sheet(s) lined with Silicone Mat
Cooling Rack(s)
Small Bowl
Ingredients:
Cookies
1 cup Soy Flour
1/2 cup Potato Starch
1/2 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup Corn Starch
1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 cup Pure Pumpkin
1 large Egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Glaze
2 cups Powdered Sugar
3 Tablespoons Milk
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter, melted
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together soy flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, corn starch, xanthum gum, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In KitchenAid mixer with whisk attachment, beat together butter and sugar until well blended.
Add pumpkin.
Add egg.
Add vanilla, and mix until smooth.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Slowly add flour mixture.
Drop dough onto lined cookie sheets with medium scoop.
Bake for 17-19 minutes or until edges are firm.
Let cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
While cookies are cooling, make glaze. In a small bowl, mix together glaze ingredients until smooth. If glaze doesn't drizzle, add more milk one teaspoon at a time. Drizzle over cookies.
Try them out, and let me know what you think.
"It is not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy."
Remember to be thankful for all of the blessings in your life - big and small.
Sheryl
