Pumpkin Ravioli

There's good news and bad news about this dish. Good news: it is YUMMY. Bad news: it does not really make for good leftovers, and it's a bit tricky. More good news: it's worth it. The pumpkin is really the star - usually I'm only automatically on the bandwagon if it's made into something sweet, but this dish is really delicious with the cheese, and it's pretty low-calorie. Plus, pumpkin is on the list, remember?

Very few ingredients and good for you. What are you waiting for?

Please forgive the mediocre pictures lately. Utah winter time doesn't make it easy to shoot in natural light unless you're cooking around 4pm.

Pumpkin Ravioli

recipe from here

serves 4 (6 ravioli per serving)

1 cup pumpkin

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp table salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

24 wonton wrappers

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil (will change the flavor)

Chopped or dried parsley 

Combine first 4 ingredients and mix well. Place about 2 teaspoons of pumpkin mixture in the middle of a wonton wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water and bring the opposite sides together to form a triangle. Pinch the edges together firmly to seal.

Place ravioli in a large saucepan of boiling water with a pinch of salt, cook 7 minutes and drain in a colander. Put the chicken broth and butter in a separate saucepan and bring to a boil. Add ravioli, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

I'm in love. With a cookie. But what's new, you ask? This recipe is seriously incredible. Usually I'm a "this needs chocolate" type of girl, but these snickerdoodles were just as delicious (if not more) the next day as they were warm on Thanksgiving night. Please make these, they are totally worth it! The warm flavors of the pumpkin and cinnamon really shine through, but what is truly special is the fluffy yet dense texture. It was so amazing I can't do it justice with words.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

modified from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

2 sticks butter

1 large egg

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare cookie sheets with foil or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. 

In another bowl (use stand mixer if you have one), cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar (brown and white) until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, then pumpkin puree and beat until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined.

Stir together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp cinnamon in a shallow bowl for rolling dough. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough in mixture and place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking time, until cookies are just browning at the edges and the center is soft and puffy. Let cool about 5 minutes and transfer to wire rack. 

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Pumpkin Pasta Bake

serves 2

1 tsp olive oil

3.5 oz whole wheat uncooked pasta*

1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

2 Tbsp egg beaters

2 Tbsp plain non-fat greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon salt

black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2-1 tsp dried thyme

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan, divided

Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a small baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat, and add the pasta, turning the heat down to medium. Cook for a slightly shorter amount of time than specified by the package. (For instance, if the package specifies 10 to 12 minutes, cook for 9 to 10, or until just barely al dente.) Drain the pasta and toss lightly with olive oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, pureed pumpkin, egg beaters, and yogurt. Whisk in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir in the pasta and coat completely with the pumpkin mixture. Stir in the thyme and garlic. Stir in 1 Tbsp parmesan.

Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

*Make sure to use a pasta like penne, small shells, or rotini. Spaghetti would work, but won't gather the sauce as well. 

Pumpkin Cinnamon-Chip Cookies

 

Pumpkin Cinnamon-Chip Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 whole egg

½ cup sugar

¼ cup canola oil

½ cup canned pumpkin

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup cinnamon chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and butter (or spray with Pam) the paper.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.  On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended.  Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it.  Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. Use a thin spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 15 minutes.  Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide thin spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar.  The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Makes about 12 large cookies.

I'm just going to throw this out there: I think these may be the best cookies I have ever made and/or tasted. The cinnamon chips seriously put it over the edge. Our apartment smelled so incredible Cassie and I were both on our knees the last few minutes of baking time, just looking through the oven door and inhaling the delicious aroma.

I haven't been able to find cinnamon chips here in Salt Lake, although I'd imagine they are probably available somewhere in the valley that I haven't looked yet. You can order them online, but they're pretty expensive. Tori, my delightful and genius best friend at Stanford, kindly brought me a package she found in Palo Alto - bless her, my fellow cinnamon-loving friend.

Pumpkin and cinnamon. I can't talk enough about the magic that is contained within these cookies. It's like the best of homeyness, comfort, holiday novelty, warmth, and love wrapped up into one perfect treat.

I'm not exaggerating. 

I know - it just occurred to me that I might be missing something more significant in my life if I can talk about cookies like this. 

South African Pumpkin Fritters

Are they very pretty? Maybe not. Are they incredibly delicious? Yes. 

Really, what other criteria matters? Beauty has diminishing returns, anyway. I measured out the ingredients the night before so all I had to do was mix them together and cook in the morning - very fast and convenient, but more home-y than a pancake mix.

South African Pumpkin Fritters

modified from a Weight Watchers recipe

serves 3, two fritters per serving

1/4 cup all-purpose flour  

1 tsp baking powder  

1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste  

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon  

7.5 oz canned pumpkin  

1 large egg    

1 tsp olive oil, divided

2 tsp unpacked brown sugar  

In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In a larger mixing bowl, combine pumpkin with egg and sugar; mix until well-combined.

In batches, add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring after each addition.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium-low heat. Add half teaspoon oil; heat until oil shimmers and swirl around pan to coat. Drop large spoonfuls of batter (it's very thick) onto skillet to form three 3-inch fritters; cook until bubbles start to form along sides, about 2-3 minutes – it will take longer to cook through than you might think. Flip fritters and cook until lightly browned, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes more; remove fritters to a serving plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining half teaspoon oil and batter. Top with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and/or maple syrup and enjoy!

This was one of the best breakfasts I've had in a long time - usually I require at least one warm item to really make it seem like a filling meal, and a plate full of steaming pumpkin fritters certainly did the trick for me!

And used up some of that huge tupperware of canned pumpkin waiting for me in the fridge.