Pumpkin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

It seems to me that the "pumpkin craze" grows more and more every year.  Trust me - I am not complaining - I jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon long before it was popular.  

Pumpkin coffee, pumpkin breads, pumpkin beer, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cakes, pumpkin cereal, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin everything.  It seems like pumpkin has made it's way into nearly every supermarket isle.  As much as I love pumpkin - even I will admit that there are some foods that you should NOT add pumpkin to.  (Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses???)

One place that I do not mind pumpkin though is desserts - cookies and cupcakes.  I love the flavor of pumpkin.  I like that it can be used in place of or to reduce the amount of fat that is added to baked goods.  I also appreciate the fact that it boosts the nutritional content - therefore justifying eating more. :)

Pumpkin-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups quick oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 1/3 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for 30 seconds, set aside.






In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy (occasionally stop and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl throughout entire mixing process).

Blend in egg then blend in vanilla extract and pumpkin puree.

With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Mix in pecans.











Let batter rest 5 - 10 minutes (this just gives the oats some time to absorb the liquids so batter isn't so sticky and cookies don't spread so much).
Scoop dough out 2 Tbsp at a time (I used a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop, which I recommend using for evenly shaped cookies and fill it heaping), and drop onto Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 2-inches apart.

Bake in preheated oven 12 - 14 minutes.  Allow to cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

As an added bonus - these yummy little cookies are lactose free! 

For those of you who are trying to avoid dairy during the holidays - these are a great option. 

Ciao!

Cream Filled Cupcakes

I am fairly certain that I was in college when I had my first hostess cupcake.  I had heard my friends talk about them as if they were a magnificently delicious treat but it wasn't something that my mom ever kept in the house so I didn't really have access to them until I moved away to college.  As it turned out - I really wasn't missing out on anything.  What I thought was going to be a tasty treat turned out to be a big disappointment. 

Even though I didn't like the hostess cupcake, I still like the idea of a moist, chocolaty cupcake filled with a pillowy, soft, buttery marshmallow cream.  (Who wouldn't?)  I found the idea for these cupcakes on Martha Stewart.com and I took her idea and ran with it.  I wanted to keep the frosting on these little treats to a minimum because really - most of the sweet frosting is in the middle of the cupcake.

Cream Filled Cupcakes

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 7 ounces marshmallow creme 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350. Butter two 6-cup (each with a 1-cup capacity) jumbo muffin pans; dust with cocoa powder to coat, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.  

 

 

 

 

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On low speed, add half the flour mixture, followed by sour cream, ending with remaining flour mixture; mix just until incorporated (do not overmix). 

 

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.  

 

 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Cool in pans, 5 minutes; remove cupcakes and cool, right side up, on a wire rack.

 

 

Meanwhile, prepare filling: In a medium bowl, whisk marshmallow creme and butter until smooth. Chill until slightly firm, 15 to 30 minutes. 

 

Transfer mixture to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag, and seal; cut off one corner of the bag to make a 1/8-inch opening. Using a small melon baller, scoop out center of each cupcake from the bottom, and reserve (you will use this to plug cupcake after filling). Hollow out each cupcake a bit more, discarding crumbs. 

 

Insert tip of plastic bag into each cavity, and squeeze to fill. 

 

 

Spread a layer of chocolate ganache on top of each cupcake.

 

Using remaining filling in plastic bag, decorate top of cupcakes. 

 

Even if you are a fan of the hostess cupcakes, I think that you will agree that these little gems are a step above the competition.   

Ciao!