Pumpkin Cookies with Vanilla Drizzle

By: Robin Asbell

Recipe Information
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 28 cookies

When Halloween passes and the winter holiday season approaches, the humble orange gourd that was once the star of the show transitions smoothly into a supporting role. Pumpkin purée provides all the moisture and binding power that cookies usually get from eggs and butter, making this recipe 100% plant-based and perfect for any setting.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

• 1/2 cup unbleached flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk

• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 3/4 cup pumpkin purée

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk, approximately

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, reserve. In a cup, stir the non-dairy milk with the flax seeds and let stand to thicken for about five minutes. In a medium bowl, stir the vegetable oil, maple syrup and pumpkin puree to mix well. Stir in the flax mixture. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until combined.

2. Use heaping tablespoons of dough to form cookies, and place them two inches apart on the sheet pans. Bake for 9 minutes, then switch the position of the pans between upper and lower oven racks and bake for 9-10 minutes longer, until the cookies are puffed, deep golden brown, and dry looking. Cool on racks for five minutes before transferring the cookies to the racks to finish cooling.

3. When the cookies are completely cool, put the powdered sugar in a 2-cup measure with a pouring spout or a medium bowl. Use a fork to stir in the non-dairy milk until a paste is formed. If necessary stir in a few drops to make it just pourable. Drizzle over the cookies and let dry on the racks. When dry, store in air-tight containers for up to a week.

Tips & Notes

Put the cooled cookies on racks on the baking sheets with the parchment still on them, so that any glaze that drips will fall on the parchment, where you can either re-use, or enjoy in the privacy of the kitchen.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

By: Robin Asbell

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes; 30 minutes active
Servings: 12

Pumpkin pie? Delicious. Cheesecake? Decadent. Both at once? Dare we say, the perfect autumn dessert? This elegant, flavorful pie is the perfect thing for guests looking for something new that still celebrates the flavors of the season. Plus, right now you can get pure pumpkin purée at a great discount, just $1.67 per can at the Co-op.

Ingredients

Crust

• butter for pan

• 2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs

• 2 tablespoons golden brown sugar (packed)

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick) melted

Filling

• 3 8-ounce packages neufchatel cheese, room temperature

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt, fat free

• 1 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar

• 1 15-ounce canned pumpkin

• 5 large eggs

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping

• 1/2 cup whipping cream

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

• cinnamon, to sprinkle

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Make the crust: Butter a 10-inch springform pan, and get a deep roasting pan that the springform fits in. Boil a pot of water.

3. In a food processor, grind the gingersnaps to fine crumbs, then add the butter and brown sugar and process to mix. Press in the bottom of buttered pan. Bake for 10 minutes, just to lightly toast the crust. Take out and let cool.

4. Make the filling: Wash the food processor and dry it. Add the neufchatel cheese and process until creamy, scraping down as needed. Then add the yogurt and sugar and process again, scraping down until well mixed and smooth. Add the pumpkin, eggs, flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt and vanilla. Process until smooth and well mixed, scraping down as needed. Pour the batter into the prepared crust and place in the roasting pan. Carefully pour the boiling water in the pan to come up an inch and a half up the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 1 hour and 30-40 minutes. When done cooking, the cake will be puffed around the edges and will not jiggle in the center when lightly shaken.

5. Remove the roasting pan and place it on a cooling rack with the cake still in it, for about 10 minutes, then remove the cake and discard the water. Cool the cheesecake on the rack until room temperature, then chill for at least two hours before cutting.

6. For topping, use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or an electric beater to blend the cream and vanilla, then beat to soft peaks. On each slice, dollop a couple tablespoons of whipped cream, sprinkle a few almond slices, and sprinkle cinnamon.