Pumpkin Pie Cookies - 4 Ingredients - Simple Saturday and Gluten Free

My teen son named these "Pumpkin Pie Cookies" because they taste just like a slice of Pumpkin Pie (without the pastry.) They're spongy and light, just like the custard filling in a creamy Pumpkin Pie. They couldn't be easier to make and they pair really well with a cup of hot tea, cocoa or (for the adults) a quick shot of cozy brandy. This recipe uses only 4 ingredients: Pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs and pumpkin pie spice with salt.
They're naturally gluten free and packed with the vitamins of pure pumpkin and cage free eggs.
Feel free to try other spice blends with them, too. I loved them with a sprinkle of Garam Masala. Because they're so light and small, they make easy "pop-in-your-mouth" Pumpkin Whoopie pies using Cinnamon Cream Cheese filling for the middle. It's like a slice of pumpkin pie, without the need of a pie shell, and in a take-along shape. They may remind you of my Easiest Nutella Cookies - 2 ingredients (here.)

I hope you enjoy baking and eating these Pumpkin Pie Cookies. Thanks for stopping by.

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Cookies - 4 Ingredients

3/4 cup Organic Pumpkin Puree
2 eggs
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice and a Dash of Salt
(or make your own spice blend of 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves and a dash of salt)

1) Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together rapidly for about a minute to fully incorporate the eggs and pumpkin blend.

2) Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a silpat (or parchment paper) covered baking sheet.

3) Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 13-15 minutes. Turn the pan about half-way through the baking time for even heating. Let cool on the pan and remove with a spatula.

**Optional - garnish with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar icing.

Recipe: Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

3 oz. Cream Cheese (soft)
1-2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon

1) In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, cinnamon and 1 cup of powdered sugar.
2) Add more powdered sugar as needed for taste and spreading.

Kaboucha Squash Soup with Cilantro Chili Drizzle

Today was one of those days; Southern California forgot I moved here years ago for the weather and work. The sky poured water and the work went dry. Usually, I would just sit down and...eat a chocolate bar, but it's February and I'm still working on that New Year's commitment to lose extra pounds. So, I decided to cozy-up my day by making this creamy, sunny "looking" bowl of Kaboucha Soup. If winter was going to drive me crazy, I may as well turn into the skid.

Kaboucha Soup with Cilantro Chili Drizzle

Now, I'm feeling healthy (which always helps my outlook), and I'm proud that I took action, changed my state-of-being, and I actually left a little for the rest of the family :D


If you've never eaten Kaboucha Pumpkin Squash before, give it a try. It is packed with Vitamins A,B,C and tons of fiber. Kaboucha is a Japanese winter squash that you can usually find around late Fall and is getting ready to say goodbye in just a few weeks. It will be out of season by Spring, but you can make some really good Kaboucha chutney or even freeze some right now. Pick one up next time you're at the market. When you get home, wash it off - cut it in half, rub it with oil, salt and pepper and turn it over on a lined baking sheet. Throw it into a preheated 350F oven for about 45 minutes until it's fork tender inside. Scoop out the seeds and then there are many things you can do with that buttery squash center. * You could slice it into wedges like a cantaloupe, sprinkle with brown sugar and roast it again until bubbly.

* You could spoon it out into a saucepan, add a little butter and stock and whip it up like mashed potatoes.

* You could scoop it out, add it to quinoa, or wild rice, or edamame with chopped dried fruit, nuts or both - then return it to the Kaboucha half for serving.


* You could make this mood altering, good for your body and your spirits soup:

RECIPE: Kaboucha Squash Soup with Cilantro Chili Drizzle

1 Kaboucha Squash

1 Onion, sliced long ways and caramelized in butter


2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

1 cup milk

Pinch of Dried Sage and Thyme

salt/pepper

1) Cut the Kaboucha Squash in half, rub with oil, salt and pepper.

2) Place cut side down onto a lined baking sheet and roast in 350F oven until fork tender inside (about 45-60 minutes)

3) Remove seeds, then scoop out Squash into a large saucepan. Add the caramelized onions, chicken stock, milk, salt, pepper and seasonings. Cook together on low/med for 15 minutes.
4) Using an Immersion Blender, carefully puree the soup (or do this in a blender).

5) Continue to cook until flavors have concentrated. Use more stock if too thick for you.

Serve with a drizzle of Cilantro Chili Oil or a shot of Sriracha.Cilantro Chili Drizzle

1 small bunch fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove
1/2 chili pepper (serrano, or jalapeno)
salt/pepper
2-3 guzzles of Olive Oil

In a food processor, add all the ingredients EXCEPT the olive oil. Puree, then continue to pulse as you add the olive oil a little at a time until you get the consistency you want for your drizzle.

Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Pumpkin Spice Orzo Pasta

This Acorn Squash was so beautiful, I just wanted to bake and stuff it right away.

Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed w/Pumpkin Spice Orzo Pasta

The other day, I was dashing through my local Farmer's Market happy to grab the few things I needed just before the tents were going down. With my favorite Honey B canvas bag filled with Autumn produce (Acorn Squash, apples, California Fuyu Persimmons), I had every intention of breaking rank and just sliding through between two of the stalls for a clever short-cut back to my car. It was one of those times when your mind and eyes register words and colors, but it takes a minute for your brain to catch up. I stopped mid-escape, realizing I had just seen a multitude of fall colored pastas. Pastas? Multi-colored? At the farmers market artisanal section? How could I, a giant nerd-ball Italophile obsessed with making homemade pasta, not pull a personal u-turn and check that out?
Even now, after way too many platefuls of golden roasted Acorn squash filled with Harvest Pumpkin and Spice Orzo (simmered in toasted pine nuts, apples and sage) I'm wishing for more.
I am honestly so happy I took that pasta-pause and purchased pumpkin orzo from these wonderful folks: Pappardelles Pasta (say THAT sentence twice, fast.)
Orzo means "barley" in Italian and is called that more for it's shape than anything else. A lot of Italian pasta has a name based on its shape or story behind how it was formed.
Orzo is used in a lot of Mediterranean dishes and served as a warm dish and also in cold pasta salads. I spoke with Kyle Crocker, a really friendly and knowledgeable guy, about how the Pappardelle artisan pasta company makes all its pasta in small batches, by hand or hand machines and air dried in rooms according to the best choice for each pasta shape. This is a company I could love. There were so many different sizes, shapes and flavors I could hardly hold back my Italy-style tears of over dramatic joy.

RECIPE: Roasted Acorn Squash stuffed with Pumpkin Spice Orzo Risotto

1 Acorn Squash
3 oz. butter
1 oz. olive oil (plus more for pan and rubbing squash)
1 shallot (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 cups Orzo (Pappardelles Autumn Harvest)
6 cups Vegetable stock
1 med. apple (peeled, cored, chopped)
dash of ground cinnamon and fresh nutmeg
salt/pepper to taste
Pinch of fresh thyme leaves, fresh chopped parsley, and fresh chopped sage leaves
3 Tbls. pine nuts (toasted)

Preheat oven to 350F
Grease large sheet pan

1) Cut Acorn squash in half and scrape out all seeds and filling. Rub insides of squash halves with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, place cut side down on prepared baking sheet and roast in oven for about 1 1/2 hours til inside is tender, but not mushy.

2) In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil together and saute shallot and garlic on low/med heat until tender (about 5-10 minutes) In the last minute, add apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir to mix well.

3) Add Orzo and stir, coating all the grains and heating for about 8 minutes.

4) Gradually pour in Vegetable stock, stirring constantly and incorporating all the flavors.

5) Cook, stirring, for about 15-20 minutes until Orzo has almost doubled in volume and is al dente (or tender to the bite.)

6) Stir in herbs, pine nuts and adjust seasonings.

Serve by filling the acorn squash with the Orzo Risotto and garnish with fresh sage leaves. When plating, scoop a nice serving of Roasted Acorn Squash with each serving of Pumpkin Spice Orzo Risotto, too.

This serves 4-6 with good portions, but could serve more if used as a side dish in a large meal (ie. Thanksgiving or Holiday menus). It's easy to give thanks for this golden toasty, crunchy autumn awesomeness! Happy stuffing.

PAPER CHEF#44 - (#1 for me)

This is my first Paper Chef challenge. I stumbled upon this challenge while enjoying Deeba's Blog who coincidentally is the judge for this challenge. Evidently the Paper Chef challenge is one of the oldest running food challenges and it seems truly fun and wide open for imagination. For the 44th event, we were given the ingredients of: Ricotta, Dark Chocolate, Ginger and a theme of Fall to be worked in seasonally. We can use other ingredients (ala Iron Chef rules), but the ones chosen are an absolute.
I created - Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes w/ Chocolate & Candied Ginger syrup.
The stack used in my picture didn't make it back into the kitchen from my little photo shoot before my husband ate them. The rest I saved as they make great "toast yourself" breakfast goodies for my teen-age son.
The recipe is fairly classic and easy, hope you try them:

PUMPKIN/RICOTTA PANCAKES w/Chocolate, Candied Ginger Syrup

1 cup AP Flour
1 TBL. Baking powder
2 TBL. cane sugar
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup Ricotta
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup Pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, ricotta, pumpkin, milk and zest. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until mixed well. Heat butter in a skillet on Med. and add 1/3 cup of pancake batter for each pancake. Flip each when the edges bubble, heat til cooked through and hold on a warm plate until ready to serve.

Chocolate/Candied Ginger syrup

4 oz. Dark chocolate pieces
6 oz. Cream, soy milk, or coconut milk
1 TBL. Chopped candied ginger
In a saucepan, heat the cream, soy milk or coconut milk til just simmer. Pour the heated liquid over the chocolate pieces and candied ginger in a bowl. Stir to melt and add more cream to your liking. Keep warm for serving.Garnish with more chopped Candied Ginger.

These are also delish with whipped cream or maple syrup. Also, try whipping a TBL. of chilled pumpkin puree into your whipped cream for color and extra pumpkin zing.