Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Maple Icing

I'm not really sure how long all this pumpkin hoopla is supposed to last, but it's showing no signs of slowing down in my neck of the woods. So far this month I've made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (twice), pumpkin pie filled donuts, pumpkin cannoli and one insanely good pumpkin sage lasagna...I could really go for a slice right about now.

That's a whole lotta pumpkin, isn't it? Now before you go making up your mind about me that I'm some sort of pumpkin-obsessed freak, it's not my fault. Hear me out: most of the time these pumpkin recipes call for something like half a cup of canned pumpkin, leaving you with another two thirds of the can to go through. What else am I to do but come up with another pumpkin recipe to use up the rest? 

See? Not a pumpkin freak, just persistent in my refusal to let anything go to waste (which is an entirely  different breed of freak).

These cookies were simply the result of me trying to finish up another partial can of pumpkin, and when rummaging through my pantry I dug up some oats and golden raisins that needed to be used up too. Hooray, pumpkin oatmeal cookies are happening!

In an effort to jazz them up a little, I made a simple maple icing to drizzle over the cookies. Drool.

These cookies contain very little sugar- only 1/4 cup- so feel free to add more if you like a sweeter cookie, but I prefer to keep the sweetness on the subtler side to let the flavor of the spices stand out and to balance out the sugary kick of the icing. 

These cookies are dense, chewy and full of Fall flavor. And the best part is they come together in about 20 minutes start to finish! In short, they are the perfect thing to make with your leftover pumpkin that's sitting in the fridge. They're even worth running to the store for to buy more pumpkin only to use half a cup. Besides, the leftovers will give you an excuse to make more pumpkin things.

makes 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients

for the cookie dough:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 cup golden raisins

for the maple icing:

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 Tbsp. milk

1/4 tsp. maple syrup

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pumpkin puree, egg vegetable oil and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix until combined. Set aside. Mix together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing with a wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in golden raisins.

2. Scoop cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks to cool.
3. To make the maple icing, whisk together confectioners sugar, milk and maple syrup in a bowl. If icing is too thick, gradually add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time. If icing is too runny, gradually add more confectioners sugar until desired consistency is reached.
4. When cookies have cooled completely, drizzle cookies with icing and set aside for a few minutes to allow icing to harden.

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Vegan Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Ah, mac and cheese. I could sing thy praises for a lifetime. You are the chunky knit sweater of foods. Your warm, chewy, cheesy goodness is like a warm hug for my insides, and you have always been there to provide sustenance after many a drunken night.

I shall never tire of you, but alas, your excessive caloric composition prevents me from enjoying you as often as I desire. 

Oh, what's that you say now? A vegan version? With an autumnally appropriate butternut squash sauce? And a crispy, golden panko-sage topping? 

Sign me up. 

Whatever it takes to keep me enjoying this classic comfort food whenever the mood strikes and with a guilt free conscience is fine by me.

Ok, weird ode to mac and cheese over. But seriously, this vegan recipe is currently floating around in my top three favorite mac and cheese preparations (trailing by a hair behind truffle/garlic/fontina mac and lobster mac), and once you try it I suspect it will sit high up on your list, too. A rich, silky sauce comprised of pureed butternut squash and a base of cashew béchamel- which is my new favorite thing to use in like, everything- is tossed with pasta, topped with an aromatic panko and crispy sage breadcrumb topping (swoon) and baked to perfection.

Side note- how cute are the pasta noodles I used?! Technically the shape is called Tirale, but in this house they will be affectionately referred to as Mohawk Macaroni:

                           

serves 4-6
Ingredients

for the panko-sage crust:
1 Tbsp. Earth Balance or other vegan butter substitute
1 clove garlic, smashed
8-10 sage leaves
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

for the macaroni:
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1 lb. dried pasta
1/4 cup cashews
1 1/2 cups plain almond milk
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance or other vegan butter substitute
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2-3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 clove garlic, grated
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. ground mustard

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place squash in a steamer basket set over boiling water and cover. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor and blend until completely smooth. Pass through a mesh strainer to remove any remaining lumps.
2. Boil pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. To make the panko sage breadcrumbs, melt 1 tablespoon of Earth Balance in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add sage and smashed garlic, cooking until sage is crisp on both sides, about 1-2 minutes. Remove sage leaves and drain on paper towels. Add panko to skillet and stir to combine. Cook until breadcrumbs are golden and toasted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and crumble sage leaves back into pan. Reserve mixture for later use.
4. To make the cashew béchamel, blend cashews and 1/2 cup of almond milk in a food processor or high speed blender until smooth. Melt Earth Balance in a medium saucepan and add flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until flour is cooked through and mixture has turned golden brown, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the remaining cup of almond milk and all remaining ingredients, stirring to combine, and cook until mixture has thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
5. Remove bechamel from heat and fold in butternut squash puree until completely incorporated. Add pasta to pot and combine with sauce. Spoon into greased individual ramekins or a 9x9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle generously with breadcrumb mixture and bake for about 20 minutes.

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Roasted Apple Bourbon Praline Ice Cream

Who has two thumbs and is really excited about the onset of Fall (even though she spent all last weekend at the beach)? This gal!

Overused phrases aside, I've been wanting to make this ice cream for ages but had to wait until the temperature dipped below 80 degrees to justify turning on the oven. #CaliProbs

This week my prayers for cooler weather were answered and I was finally able to roast up a delightful spiced apple concoction to swirl into my boozy bourbon ice cream. Boozy ice creams are the best for a couple of reasons:

1. They have booze in them! 

2. Alcohol doesn't freeze, so adding a bit of booze ensures a luxurious, velvety smooth and easily scoop-able texture to your ice cream (I always add about a tablespoon or so of vodka to my sorbets for this same reason). Just be sparing, lest you wind up with a melty, un-freezable mess on your hands. Less is more.

A smattering of chopped candied pecans rounds out the recipe perfectly. I tend to enjoy my ice creams without a lot of bits and bobs; call me a purist but normally I'm of the belief that ice cream should not need to be chewed. Rather, it should melt languidly in your mouth, you know? But in this case the pecans add a lovely toasted note that I would miss otherwise, and the finished product is the stuff that Fall inspired ice cream dreams are made of.

A little part of me thinks that I should lock up this recipe in a vault, package it and sell it for $11 a pint and build an ice cream empire on the foundation of this Roasted Apple Bourbon Praline Ice Cream - it's that good. But honestly, it's too yummy not to share, so here you go, my friends. Have at it. I suppose my dreams of world domination via ice cream can wait...

makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

for the roasted apple:

1 large or 2 medium sized apples, peeled cored and finely diced

1 Tbsp. bourbon

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

for the ice cream:

2 cups half and half

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cinnamon stick

Pinch of salt

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

3-4 Tbsp. bourbon

1/4 cup candied pecans, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add diced apple, bourbon, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice in a medium sized bowl and mix to combine. Transfer to a small baking dish and roast for about 45 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring mixture once or twice throughout cooking process. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a small food processor and puree until smooth but slightly chunky in texture. Set aside.

2. Bring half and half, vanilla extract, cinnamon stick and salt to a simmer in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and allow to steep for 20 minutes.

3. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a medium sized bowl until pale and fluffy. Gradually whisk warm cream mixture into yolk mixture, then transfer mixture back into saucepan. Heat over medium low heat, stirring often, until custard thickens and temperature reaches about 170 degrees. Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick and stir in heavy cream and bourbon. Transfer into a bowl set over an ice bath or place in the refrigerator for a few hours to chill.

4. Freeze in an ice ream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. After about 10 minutes or when ice cream has partially frozen, gradually add roasted apple mixture and candied pecans, little by little, for a swirl effect. Transfer to a container and freeze until solid.

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