Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

It is fall, which means at my house it is time for all things fall. It is time to start making roasts and chili. It is time for warm apple cider and marshmallows on the bonfire. And, it is time for Pumpkin! Not that you would guess from the several pumpkin recipes that I have shared already or anything (find those treats here - this recipe will come up on the search too).

I'm always on the hunt for more ways to enjoy pumpkin flavors, so I decided to try a new cookie recipe - Pumpkin Snickerdoodles. I found the inspiration on Pinterest.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with white chocolate chips

1 cup butter melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup white chocolate chips

Yield: 64 cookies

Melt the butter in the microwave. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 3 tsp cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until combined. Fold in white chocolate chips. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll into balls. Mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Roll each of the dough balls generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and arrange on baking sheet. Slightly flatten the dough balls before baking.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes at 350. They will still be soft when you remove from the oven, you can flatten the cookies out a little more when you take them out of the oven. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Disclaimer

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

There is nothing that can quite compare to the smell of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. There is something so inviting about that warm smell of cinnamon filling the house. When we have company, or a breakfast gathering, one of my favorite treats to make is cinnamon rolls. They might sound overwhelming on the surface, but it really is quite easy to whip up a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls. This recipe takes about 75 minutes from start to ready to eat and the result is a wonderful, soft fragrant treat.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Servings 12

3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3 1/4 cups flour divided
2 1/4 tsps instant yeast (1 packet)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar packed
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup butter softened


Heat milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in butter, stir until melted. Let cool.
In a large bowl, combine 2 1/4 c flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add water, egg and milk mixture. Beat well. Add remaining flour 1/2 c at a time, stirring after each addition. When the dough starts to pull together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover dough with damp cloth and let rest 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into a 12x9 rectangle.

Spread the brown sugar mixture over the dough. Roll up dough and pinch seams to seal.

Cut into 12 rolls. Place in a lightly greased pan.

Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F.
Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve with frosting or plain. For ease, I find that a tub of frosting is quick and easy. It is best to apply warm so that it melts in.

Sometimes, to mix things up a bit, I will add thinly sliced apple pieces with the sugar mixture.

Then, you can roll it up and cook as above. I like the added touch of the apple flavor and a bit of crunch, too.

The cinnamon rolls keep well and stay soft. We always reheat them when we serve them later - another advantage of not frosting them all.

Disclaimer