Pumpkin coconut pie

Now that Thanksgiving has come and went, I'm having a hard time believing it's December and Christmas is so very close!

Despite the increasingly cold weather and darker evenings, I can't help but love winter in the Midwest around Christmastime. The snow, hot beverages, cuddling up in warm blankets, a cozy fire, yummy food, etc. One such ingredient of the season being pumpkin!

I made this pumpkin coconut pie for Thanksgiving and we both liked it so much I'm definitely going to be making it more throughout the holiday season!

I don't typically enjoy pumpkin pie all that much but the addition of coconut milk really gave it an extra punch that made me love this version.

Pumpkin Coconut Pie

Ingredients:

• pie crust of choice
• 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
• 3/4 cup coconut milk, stirred (the full fat kind in a can)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Place all ingredients into a large mixer or bowl and mix well
3. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust
4. Bake for about 45 minutes or until pie is set up and slightly jiggly in the middle 
5. Let pie completely cool before serving

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

And the weekend is over. Don’t they always go by way too fast? Yes, I think so too!

We enjoyed absolutely beautiful weather here in Kansas City this weekend, and it looks like it’ll continue for a little longer into the week. I’m loving it!

But despite how good the sunshine feels, fall is still here and warmer temperatures are not here to stay. What does that call for? A delicious, creamy hot beverage.  Add some pumpkin, and we’re golden!

 

Note: I made this hot chocolate and brought it to an E.T. fall movie night, keeping it warm in a large crockpot. This recipe makes a large batch (using a full gallon of milk) so it’s perfect for a large group, but you can easily cut the recipe in half or thirds, etc for a smaller group!

 

Pumpkin Hot Chocolate                                                                                                               *Yield: A little over a gallon
*Adapted from Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon milk (I used Kalona Super Natural whole milk to make it extra creamy – bonus: their milk is organic, non-homogenized, cream top, and from grass fed cows)
• 4 cups pure pumpkin puree
• 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 16 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chocolate bar, chopped)
• 1 cup brown sugar

Instructions:

• Pour milk into a large stock pot and place on stovetop over low heat, until warm. (Be sure to keep checking it, as you don’t want your milk to burn).
• Stir in pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and sugar. Whisk until smooth.
• Add chocolate and let melt for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• To remove excess lumps, place hot chocolate through a blender (alternatively, you can pour the hot chocolate through a fine mesh strainer). I prefer the blender method, as it makes the hot chocolate nice and frothy!

Feel free to keep the mixture refrigerated in the stock pot and reheat as desired or keep the hot chocolate warm at a party by pouring it into a crock pot on low heat!

I was slightly skeptical at first of the actual pumpkin puree in this recipe but found it to be exceptionally delicious!  You could definitely taste it but it was subtle, and even friends who said they typically don’t like pumpkin flavored things really enjoyed it.  Yum!

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Hello pumpkin season!

I can’t help but get caught up in the wonderful seasonal foods this time of year; apples, cider, soup, and my favorite lately … pumpkin. So let’s just get right to it. Pumpkin whoopie pies. Oh yes.

I seem to be seeing these around the web a lot these past few weeks, but I could not help  myself, I just had to whip up my own. The cookies are light, airy and delicious with just the right amount of pumpkin flavor and the cream cheese filling is fluffy and fabulous.

 

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies                                                        *makes about 3 dozen mini pies                         
 -lightly adapted from Cooks.com

COOKIES
Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/4 cups cane sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup plain pumpkin puree (I used Farmers Market Organic brand)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
• In a large mixer bowl, beat together butter and sugar for about two minutes. Add eggs, beating well. Add milk, pumpkin and vanilla and beat until mixture is smooth.
• Stir in the flour mixture until combined. Drop heaping teaspoon sized pieces of batter on baking sheets. This recipe should make about 72 mini cookies. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes. Remove, and let cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING
Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

• Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy

Now it’s time to combine them!! Spread a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the flat side of one cookie, and top with a second cookie to make the completed whoopie pie. Repeat with remaining cookies, and store in air tight container in refrigerator.

These are especially perfect to bring to a fall get together - they’re mini so they go a long ways, and everyone will love them!

That is all.