By Michele E. Buttelman
Signal Staff Writer
For those of us who love pumpkin spice season the arrival of this joyous time of year can’t come too soon!
This year, add to your seasonal enjoyment by indulging in not just the commercial products offered with pumpkin spice flavoring and a daily pumpkin spice latte, but craft a few of your own treats to enjoy throughout the fall and winter months. When it comes to pumpkin spice, there are many options for easy and fun treats to make, bake and eat.
Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats
Everyone loves Rice Krispie treats, make them special by adding pumpkin pie spice.
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 8 cups mini marshmallows
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 8 cups Rice Krispie cereal
Melt butter in a large saucepan on medium-low heat, continue heating butter and stirring until butter starts to slightly brown. Be careful not to let butter burn.
Add mini marshmallows to melted butter. Stir marshmallows until completely covered in melted brown butter.
On medium-low heat, stir marshmallows continually until completely melted. As soon as marshmallows are melted, take pan off heat.
Add pumpkin pie spice to marshmallow mixture and mix well. Add Rice Krispies cereal.
Fold together until cereal is covered in brown butter marshmallow mixture.
Pour mixture into a buttered 9×13″ pan.
Lightly press mixture into pan. Smooth top with a spatula or butter your fingers and pat down top. Let Rice Krispie Treats cool, cut into squares.
Pumpkin Spice Ginger Cookies
These are the perfect cookies to enjoy while sipping your pumpkin spice latte.
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted and just warm
- 1/4 cup mild or full-flavored molasses
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
About 1/2 cup turbinado or granulated sugar for rolling
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Mix thoroughly with a whisk. Set aside.
Combine warm butter, molasses, white sugar, brown sugar and egg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add flour mixture and stir until well mixed.
Dough will be soft. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight, for best flavor and texture.
Form dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies puff up and crack on the surface and then begin to deflate in the oven. For chewier cookies, remove them from the oven when at least half or more of the cookies have begun to deflate; for crunchier edges with chewy centers, bake a minute or so longer.
Set pans on cooling racks. Cool cookies completely before storing. Cookies keep for several days in an airtight container.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
These cupcakes are tender and topped with a tasty cream cheese frosting that is not too sweet.
Cupcakes
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup buttermilk
Frosting
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
Add pumpkin. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well.
Fill 24 paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, move to wire racks.
To make frosting, in a large bowl beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers.
Pumpkin Spice Fluffy Cream Pie
This is an elegant, light and fluffy pie that is easy to make.
- 1 pre-made store bought graham cracker pie crust in pie tin
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 spray can whipped cream
Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixture until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in pumpkin puree until completely incorporated.
Fold whipped topping into pumpkin mixture; stir in nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice. Pour pumpkin mixture into graham cracker crust. Cover pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Remove plastic wrap and decorate with canned whipped cream.
Pumpkin Spice Dip
Great for parties and family get-togethers, this Pumpkin Spice Dip is a sweet treat everyone will enjoy.
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 (3.4-oz.) box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Ginger snap or shortbread cookies, marshmallows, apple slices, graham crackers for serving.
In a stand mixer, beat heavy cream and vanilla pudding mix until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and stir to combine, then chill one hour. Dip ginger snap or shortbread cookies, marshmallows, apple slices or graham crackers.
