Pumpkin Ginger Snaps

Um, yeah, anything with pumpkin (except pumpkin pie but that's a texture issue) usually tastes pretty darn good to me.  Andrew actually liked these because he couldn't taste the pumpkin...go figure!

Pumpkin Ginger Snaps

2 T butter, softened

2 T pumpkin, or pureed squash

1 egg

1/3 c brown sugar

1/4 c molasses

1/2 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp water

1 tsp each cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, salt

2 c gluten-free flour blend

1. Combine the butter, pumpkin, egg, brown sugar, and molasses in your mixer.  Mix until smooth and creamy.

2. Dissolve the baking soda in the water and then add to the butter mixture.

3. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  

4. Roll out as thin as possible.  I divide the dough up into about thirds and roll out between gallon Ziplocs.  Transfer to greased cookie sheet.  Use a pizza cutter to cut to the desired size.  

5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Be sure to do them thin and they will crisp up quite nicely when you remove them from the oven.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

You must try this...immediately!  I adapted Straight From the Farm's Pumpkin Bread to be gluten-free.  Then, we took her suggestion and made French toast out of it yesterday.  Andrew didn't think it would be that great but even he thought it was pretty good.  I thought it was fantastic...and I could usually care less about French toast.  I made a few changes to this recipe because I was lazy ;)  Worked out well.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

8.75 oz gluten-free flour blend (approx. 1 3/4 c.)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 T cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp allspice

1/3 c olive oil

2/3 c brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c pumpkin puree

1 T vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease one large or two small loaf pans.  Set aside.

Mix flour, baking powder, xanathan gum, baking soda, salt, and spices.

Mix together olive oil and sugar.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add a third of the dry ingredient mix, then a third of the pumpkin.  Continue to alternate these two until all is just combined in the batter. 

Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake for an hour or until golden brown and springy to the touch.




For more yummies...check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesday over at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free or Wheatless Wednesday at Naturally Knocked Up!

GF Pumpkin Biscuits

Not bad for a first try. I might try a little less sweet rice flour or no xanthan gum next time but otherwise these were pretty good.  I adapted the Spiced Pumpkin Biscuits recipe from Cooking Light.

GF/CF Pumpkin Biscuits

1/3 c rice flour

1/3 c white teff flour

1/3 c tapioca starch flour 

1/3 c sweet rice flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 c shortening

1/3 c coconut milk, full fat

3/4 c canned pumpkin

3 T honey (I actually did about 1 T honey and 2 T agave syrup since I ran out of honey)

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a large bowl; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill 10 minutes.

3. Combine coconut milk and honey, stirring with a whisk until well blended; add canned pumpkin. Add coconut milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist and all of the flour has been incorporated.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (tapioca starch flour); knead lightly 4 times or until you can pat it out to about 3/4" thick. Cut into biscuits.  Place biscuits, 1 inch apart, on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 400° for 14 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan; cool 2 minutes on wire racks. Serve warm.

Submitted to Slightly Indulgent Mondays at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free.

High Taste Low Fat Pumpkin Bars

It's that time of year again...the time of year when I become obsessed with all things pumpkin. Or at least that's what Andy thinks.

However, I hate pumpkin pie. It's not because of the pumpkin though. It's the texture. Until a couple of years ago, I still thought it was the pumpkin. Once I realized how wonderful pumpkin muffins, scones, pancakes, waffles, and lattes were, there was no looking back.

Now, realize I am a seasonal girl! I don't want pumpkin muffins or lattes in July. I want them from October through December. Well guess what, it's that time of year again.

Canned pumpkin lends itself well to low fat recipes - it moist and flavorful. So, while I plan to share a recipe below that's easy and tasty, I thought I'd share a little information about pumpkins. Or, rather, about Libby's canned pumpkin.

Did you know that this product first appeared on store shelves in 1929? And for those not in the know, canned pumpkin is not that little jack o' lantern you carve at Halloween! You would do better to use squash than those things (the others are watery and stringy). Libby's uses a special variety they call the Dickinson Select. About 5,000 acres of these little jewels are grown each year around Morton, Illinois. And, they can them the same day they're harvested. I like to do things by hand or from scratch, but pumpkin puree is just not worth it.

Ok, let's get to that recipe. I'm calling it High Taste Low Fat Pumpkin Bars. I adapted the recipe from one on a blog I read, called A Veggie Venture. Go check her out! She has a ton of recipes -all with veggies. If you can't find something new to try than you have a problem! Anyways, this recipe is adapted to low fat and no wheat. They are amazing and easy. Even Andy admitted they were good after teasing me about, "Are they pumpkin?"

Note: If you don't need wheat-free just use wheat flour, preferably whole wheat!

High Taste Low Fat Pumpkin Bars

• 1/4 cup canned sweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup corn flour (not corn meal)
  
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp Sugar in the Raw Turbinado Sugar from Natural Cane

Whisk brown sugar, applesauce and egg together in large bowl. Add vanilla and pumpkin. Combine well.

In separate bowl, mix flours, baking powder, baking soda, and spices together. Add to liquid ingredients. Combine well. Pour into greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Spread evenly. Sprinkle raw sugar on top.

Bake about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. I had to do let mine cook a little longer. Just cook until the center is set up. The raw sugar will stay a little crunchy on top (Duh, that's why it's tasty!).

This makes 9 servings at 1 WW point/serving or 2.5 WW points/serving.