Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Dulce De Leche Filling

Welcome to Autumn! This morning I had my first hot apple cider, which is what makes the season a reality for me. Apples, pumpkin, cinnamon, cranberries. They all scream Fall to me! I'm sure you've noticed that your Pinterest board is full of pumpkin-flavored recipes. I'm about to add another one to the pile.

Today I'm happy to partner with Dorie Greenspan and OXO to bring you my first Fall-related recipe of the year! Dorie Greenspan is set to release her first ever cookie cookbook this October and several bloggers across the internet are working together to Bake a Difference for Cookies for Kids' Cancer. For each blog post, OXO is donating $100 to the Cookies for Kids' Cancer Foundation, with a possible donation of $100,000!

Today I'm featuring Dorie's Pumpkin whoopie pies with dulce de leche filling. The recipe came together super fast with a few new OXO additions to my kitchen. I used the new On Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer from OXO to make the cookie dough. I haven't owned a hand mixer in probably six years, but this one is so cool! The controls are digital and the mixer has its own light, you can make cookies in the dark! Additionally, the mixer comes with its own on-board storage system for the beaters and the cord wraps neatly around the base. A quick turn of the dough with a spatula and the dough was ready to go.

I quickly scooped out the perfect amount of cookie dough with the 2-tablespoon (medium) cookie scoop. Using a cookie scoop ensures that all of your cookies are the same size and that they bake evenly. I have all three sizes! Side note - the large size is perfect for making cupcakes. The cookie dough for these whoopie pies is a little loose, so using a muffin pan to bake the cookies is the perfect solution. OXO sent along their non-stick Pro 12 Cup Muffin Pan to bake the cookies. This is the most heavy duty muffin pan that I have even owned! It's ceramic-reinforced, two-layer construction with a commercial-grade coating. The cookies popped right out!

With the cookies baked, the dulce de leche filling was incredibly easy to whip up. Just five ingredients and you've got tasty filling in under five minutes. After filling the cookies with the frosting, I may have eaten a good portion of the leftover frosting...

If you too want to get into the Autumnal spirit, head to the store and pickup some pumpkin puree and frozen cranberries. Your house will be smelling of cinnamon in no time! Get yourself a pumpkin spice latte, throw on your fuzzy pants and get ready for the cooler temperatures!

Pumpkin Mallomars

With the return of the fall weather, something else is returning to our lives - Mallomars! Mallomars are too delicate and meltable to ship to grocery stores in the summer, so we always see the return of these sweet treats right around Labor day. Seeing them on the grocery store shelves made me want to whip up another batch myself.

If you've been a long time reader of WITK, you may remember that I made pumpkin mallomars several years ago. I think it was three years ago... Feel free to go back into the archives and check those out too, they're totally different from these pumpkin mallomars. The old recipe has a pumpkin marshmallo, vanilla cookie and they're coated in white chocolate.

Rather than getting fancy with the marshmallow, I stayed super traditional with a vanilla marshmallow. Where the pumpkin comes in is the cookie! A pumpkin cut-out cookie? How did I not think of this years ago? Adding pumpkin to a cookie recipe is so much easier than trying to balance the flavors and texture of a candy. These cookies came out of the oven smelling like Fall and so delectable, even without the marshmallow topping.

The marshmallow on top really brings these cookies to a whole new level. Actually, they taste just like pumpkin pie. Seriously! The delicate flavors of the pumpkin cookie and vanilla marshmallow taste just like you popped some vanilla whipped cream on top of your pumpkin pie.

Of course these aren't exactly like a traditional mallomar. Most importantly, they aren't covered in chocolate. I coated my first few mallomar recipes in chocolate. I came to realize that the chocolate flavor was covering up the mild flavors I was infusing into the marshmallow or cookie. Therefore, we will call these "Naked Mallomars" from here on out.

Also, don't let the homemade marshmallow scare you off. Personally I've made marshmallows at least two dozen times. It gets easier and easier each time you put a batch together. This vanilla recipe is simple, quick and takes no more than 15-20 minutes to go from ingredients to piping bag. Have marshmallow questions? Leave them in the comment section and I'll try to be of assistance!

One Year Ago: Watermelon Mallomars
Two Years Ago: Pumpkin-frosted, caramel-filled, vanilla cupcakes
Three Years Ago:Ramen Vegetable Soup
Four Years Ago: Pomegranate Ice Cream
Five Years Ago: Apple cake with Brown sugar icing

Restaurant Wars 2014 - Red Mango

Happy Halloween everyone!  Have you picked out your costume, bought bite sized candy bars for the trick-or-treaters and spookified your house?  Personally, I haven't done any of those things...  Living in an apartment really takes me out of the whole - dress up and have a wild and crazy Halloween - thing.  But I have been making lots of treats because I really do love this holiday.  It's the beginning of all the holiday fun!

Today we are going to celebrate Halloween and continue with Restaurant Wars 2013!  I meant to complete this challenge in the summer, because that's when you eat frozen yogurt, but I got side-tracked with unemployment!  Instead of making you a summer frozen yogurt, I decided to mimic the Red Mango fall favorite - Pumpkin spice!

The first time I had Red Mango frozen yogurt, it was probably two years ago.  The Boyfriend and I went in and each got a big bowl and topped it with chocolate sauce.  We each took a bite and were shocked with the flavor.  It was not what we were expecting!  The yogurty flavor screams out from the vanilla Red Mango and it was such a surprise.  We both wondered what was wrong with the ice cream!

I've come to love the unique flavor of their frozen yogurt, but the BF insists on going to the place just down the street that has a more neutral flavor base.  Last week I headed to Red Mango, twice, just to be sure I got the flavors right. Personally, my favorite flavor combination is the classic frozen yogurt topped with raspberries and chocolate sauce.  I also had their pumpkin spice topped with caramel.

So before you put your ice cream maker away for the winter, whip up a batch of pumpkin spice frozen yogurt.  You'll be so happy that you did!

One Year Ago: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Two Years Ago: Pumpkin Raisin Muffins
Three Years Ago: Pear Cake with Pine Nuts

Pumpkin Spice Frozen Yogurt

A Wilde Original

32 ounces plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all ingredients together.

For a smooth frozen yogurt, freeze in an ice cream maker for about 10-15 minutes.  Eat right away for a soft serve feel.  Freeze for 1 hour for a harder frozen yogurt.

For a more icy frozen yogurt, place mixture in an air-tight container and place in the freezer.

Gingerbread Truffles for Halloween!

I posed a question a few weeks ago, asking what candy reminds everyone most of Halloween.  The overwhelming response was candy corn, candy corn, candy corn! There seems to be two camps when it comes to the stuff.  Love it or hate it.  Personally, I'm not a fan.  The reason? I don't know what it's supposed to taste like.

I don't like things that don't have a distinct flavor. This is the reason that I don't like Coke or Pepsi, what are they trying to taste like?  Don't answer cola.  That's not a sufficient answer for me.  Oddly enough I really like Dr Pepper, which is basically cherry coke.  I know, I'm strange.

So, candy corn. Right. I went to the grocery store and even bought myself a bag of the classic treat.  I had a few pieces and put the bag away.  The only flavor detectable in a piece of candy corn is sugar.  And a little wax.  I wanted to make some candy Halloween, but I didn't want to make something with no flavor just for the sake of cuteness.  I wanted something with flavor and holiday cheer.

Enter these truffles.  They make look simple and unassuming, but they are packed with flavor.  They taste like Halloween in a bite.  The chocolate center is rich and smooth, with a hint of pumpkin spice and the outside is crunchy and oh so festive.  You won't need more than one of these truffles to satisfy your chocolate and Halloween cravings.

One Year Ago: Homemade Almond Milk
Two Years Ago: Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Three Years Ago: Acorn Squash Ravioli with Cranberry-Walnut Sauce

Gingerbread Truffles

Adapted from Making Artisan Chocolates

I used my scale and measured the chocolate in grams.  It was much more specific than relying on the markings on the chocolate bars.  You can do it either way, a few fractions of an ounce more of one chocolate or another won't change the flavor too much!

The fridge will be your best friend during this recipe.  If you find that your chocolates are getting too soft at any point, just pop them in the fridge for 5 minutes.

2 ounces (56g) 64% bittersweet chocolate
2 ounces (56g) 84% dark chocolate
3/4 ounce (21g)  milk chocolate
7 1/2 tablespoons (105g)  heavy cream
2 teaspoons (14g) light corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons (7g) butter, cubed, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup puffed rice cereal
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound white chocolate

Chop all chocolates and place in a large bowl.  Combine heavy cream and corn syrup in a small pot.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Once the cream comes to a rolling boil, pour over chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.  Stir with a silicone spatula until smooth.  Using a candy thermometer, let chocolate sit until cooled to 95 ºF.  Add butter and spices and stir until butter is all melted.  Let ganache cool for about 40 minutes and transfer to a piping bag.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Pipe small blobs of chocolate ganache onto the parchment paper.  If the ganache is too loose and won't form balls, place the piping bag in the fridge for 2 minutes. Roll the blobs of chocolate in your hands until round.

Preheat oven to 350 ºF.  Place puffed rice cereal and remaining spices in a 9x9-inch baking pan.  Toast cereal for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse 5-6 times, or until cereal is mostly broken up.  You don't want it all to be dust.  Return to the baking pan.

Melt white chocolate in a double boiler (Or bowl set over a simmering pot of water).  Dip truffles one at a time.  Tap off excess chocolate and drop in the cereal crumbles.  Sprinkle top with more cereal and roll around truffle to coat completely.  Let truffles sit in the baking pan until the chocolate is completely set.

Store truffles in the fridge, but bring to room temperature before enjoying!

Linking up at Tasty Tuesdays

OXO Good Cupcake - Pumpkin & Caramel

First - remember to enter my Fall picnic giveaway!  Last day to enter!!!

With the official start of Fall this past Sunday, I'm ready to break out the apples, pumpkins and fennel.  While at the grocery store this week I decided to stock up on canned pumpkin for the inevitable pumpkin recipes that I want to make.  And believe me, I've got a list of sweets and savories that I want to whip up before everyone gets fed up with pumpkin.  My first pumpkin-filled treat is for the OXO Cookies for Kids' Cancer - Bake a Difference campaign!

Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chunks

Things around here are slowly getting back to normal. Yes, I've only been to work two days out of the past seven. Sure, my train line was washed out and will take weeks to fix. And yeah, BF had to wait in a long line this morning to get gas (it's an odd day, so he could fill up today). I can't complain because so many others are so much worse off.

Since I live in New Jersey and work on Long Island, I wasn't able to get to work last week. The one day I tried it took me four and a half hours to get there in the morning and five and a half hours to get home. Not a recipe for a happy girl. I was forced to work from home. Which, if you're a lab scientist, is very difficult to do. You run out of things to do rather quickly. I spent some of my work hours baking and working out. Between thinking about science and reading literature of course.

I made it to work yesterday in a record breaking tree hours. I have since taken a friend up on their offer to stay at their place on the island until train service becomes tolerable. I've been told that it's okay and encouraged for me to bake while at their house.

It's kind offers like these that I've seen throughout this disaster. Friends, neighbors and strangers helping each other. Humanity really shines when times are tough and people in the tri-state area are looking pretty bright. Stay tough everyone out there, things aren't great right now, but they'll get better.

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

Okay now, be honest.  Are you still all sugared up from last night?  Did you eat more Halloween candy than you gave out?  Or did you "check" your kids candy and take out all of the delicious treats for yourself?  C'mon, fess up!  Well, even if you might not want to admit it, I'm sure you need a little candy detox.

Growing up, we never had the problem of eating more candy than we gave out.  The reason for this?  In all the years that my parents have lived at their house, not a single trick-or-treater ever came to the door.  Did that stop my dad from buying five bags of candy every year?  No.  When asked why he was putting all those bags of candy in the grocery cart, the answer was always "for the trick-or-treaters."  Big ole liar.  Dad likes candy, plain and simple.  We always ate more candy than we gave out, always.

Even now I can say that I've never answered the door of my own home to a trick-or-treater.  Since moving away from my parents home, I've lived in apartments.  Boyfriend, on the other hand, grew up in a classic suburban subdivision.  He has many memories of costume-clad children ringing the doorbell and screaming for candy.  He describes it as "annoying."  I guess when you're trying to get stuff done, going to the door every two minutes might get a bit old. 

So, for now I have continued my trick-or-treaterless existance.  Perhaps boyfriend and I will buy a house, then we'll have ghosts, pirates and pixies ringing our doorbell on October 31st.  Until then, I'll keep buying the candy, just in case.

Pumpkin Cookies

Halloween is definitely one of my favorite holidays. I loved to carve pumpkins, decorate the house and throw Halloween parties. I went trick-or-treating until I was a freshman in high school. I love the haunted houses, spooky corn mazes and Halloween hay rides. But most of all, I love those tiny candies. I suppose that these days I love the day after Halloween.

This is the day when all the ‘fun size’ candies go on sale! I head to the super market and stock up. It will be several months before ‘fun-size’ chocolate bars are available again (I can’t wait until Easter for more!). Bags and bags of candy will make their way to my freezer, where I will enjoy them for months to come.

Now, those of you in the know are probably asking “Well, did you riot in the Madison State Street Halloween party?” The answer is no. In my five years in Madison, I never actually went to Freakfest. This might mean that I’ve grown boring over the years. I like to think that it means that I’ve gotten smarter. I decided that I would be better off at my house, than avoiding the riots and teargas that always accompanied Freakfest.

I realize that over the past few years the Madison police department has taken control of the festivities, but when I was in grad school, Freakfest meant riots. I’m talking window-smashing, alcohol-fueled, tear-gas dispersed, riots. Not my cup of tea. What I like to do these days is stay home, and make some tasty treats, while grazing on my miniature chocolate bars. Boring? Maybe. Delicious? Definitely.

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

In the past I have been kind of indifferent to gourd-based food items. I’m talking about pumpkins, squash, etc. At thanksgiving I usually went for my grandmothers cherry pie, total pass on the pumpkin pie. I prefer my risotto to be filled with basil and cheese, rather than butternut squash. However, I have recently undergone gourd conversion. I have embraced pumpkins with open arms and taken a liking to peeling chopping and roasting squash.

This week I celebrate fall with you, mostly because today was a beautiful, sunny fall day. Rather than a gross, cold, dreary fall day. Today we celebrate with pumpkins! I have always been a fan of carving pumpkins, just ask my roommates. Every year I would insist on having a pumpkin carving party. If you have never had a pumpkin carving party, then call your friends. Tell them to bring a pancake and you’ll furnish the drop cloths.

You can also run out and get a few of those pumpkin carving kits. You know what I’m talking about. They come with books of crazy patterns and tiny knives. Just be sure to get the real knives, not the childproof ones. The childproof ones are also pumpkin proof, and they will do nothing but bruise up your pumpkin. And be sure to invite one brave soul to wield the giant knife. Someone needs to open up the top of your pumpkin! Another plus to having a pumpkin carving party? Hundreds and hundreds of pumpkin seeds! Salt them up and toss them in the oven, mmmm.

My pumpkin conversion came this week from not a pie, but from pancakes. Really, you shouldn’t be surprised. I have written about pancakes twice already in three months. I love pancakes, and I really love these pancakes. The combination of spices will have you thinking you are eating a slice of pumpkin pie, except with a lot less calories! Pour on a little real maple syrup and you’ve got the perfect breakfast.