Posted on by Opie

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Bourbon Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I recently had a coworker give me some homegrown pumpkin. I wasn’t about to let that go to waste and I was craving cinnamon rolls. So I did a little research and found some recipes I liked and then as is my want, I customized them to make them unique to me. Mostly the addition of bourdon to the frosting and I added some of my Herman starter to the mix. This made the dough a lot more flavorful and rich.

Pumpkin Dough

  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin*
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 Tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 envelope)
  • 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup Herman starter

Filling

  • 1 stick of unsalted butter, room temp (8Tbsp)
  • 3/4 cups brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

make the dough

Warm the milk and butter together until the butter is just melted. You want the mixture to be between 105° and 115°. In a bowl or stand mixer whisk the pumpkin, sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly add in the milk mixture, egg, yeast, and Herman starter. Slowly add in 1 cup of flour. Mix for at least 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add in the rest of the flour a 1/3 of a cup at a time and beat until smooth.

Kneed the dough for 5 minutes, this is much easier with a stand mixer. You’ll want to switch to a dough hook. If the dough is too sticky you may need to add a little more flour, do this 1/8 of a cup at the most. I had to do this because my pumpkin happened to be really “wet”. You want the dough to be smooth and elastic, a little tacky is good but not super sticky. If you add to much flour though it won’t be a delicate dough but tough instead.

Let dough rise in a lightly greased bowl for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Roll out the dough

Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it out to 10″x14″ rectangle. Let it rest for 10 mins. In the meantime grease your baking dish, you can use a 9″ round or 9″x13″ rectangle. Makes between 10-12 rolls.

This is also a good time to skip down to the filling recipe and put that together.

Spread the soften butter evenly on the dough. Combine the brown sugar and spices and sprinkle on top of the butter.

Roll up the dough from the long side (14″). Use a sharp knife or unflaroved dental floss but the log into 10 to 12 discs. Arrange them in the buttered backing pan. Cover the rolls with either plastic wrap or a light towel, let them rise for 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 350°.

Bake the rolls for about 30 mins, the tops should be nicely browned. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 mins.

Maple bourbon cream cheese frosting

  • 1 package (4oz) cream cheese, at room temp
  • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp Bourbon
  • 2/3 cup of powdered sugar

Beat the cream cheese until smooth and slightly fluffy. Slowly, I mean slowly, add it the maple syrup. If you do it too fast the cream cheese will start to chunk up and no one wants that! Once it’s again light and fluffy slowly add in the Bourbon and then beat in the sugar a little at a time. Once it’s all combined and smooth you can frost the rolls and enjoy!

Posted on by Opie · 1 Comment

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Gingersnap Streusel

It being fall, and I picked up a pack of canned pumpkin at Costco, has inspired me to work on quite a few pumpkin-based recipes lately. This one caught my eye because it has a streusel topping made from gingersnap cookies. I had picked up a tin of them at Trader Joe’s and also a bottle of brown sugar bourbon from Heritage Distilling co. (a local distiller)

So I decided to give this recipe a go. I did modify it quite a bit actually. The original had a lot of brown sugar in it. I cut that down and added some black-strap molasses instead. Oh and the brown sugar bourbon, of course. Enjoy!

 

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Gingersnap Streusel

Cake:

  • 2 stick unsalted butter
  • 3 cups flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 eggs, 2 whole and 1 yoke
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar bourbon
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 2 tbsp sour cream

Streusel:

  • 2 cups ground gingersnap cookies (about 9 oz)
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 stick butter, at room temp
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375°. Spray a 9″ x 13″ or two 8″ x 8″ cake pans.

To make the streusel, grind up the gingersnap cookies in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. In a medium bowl mix them with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Add in the butter and cut it in until it resembles a crumbly texture. I use my hands, it’s easier.

In a medium pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to brown and gives off a slightly nutty odor. Once it start to brown immediately take it off the heat and pour it into a heat-proof bowl, this will prevent it from burning.

In another medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and pumpkin spice. Mix in the brown sugar, making sure there are no lumps.

In a large bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, yolk, vanilla, and bourbon. Whisk in the butter until combined. Fold in the pumpkin and sour cream. Gently fold in the flour mixture until just combined. You don’t want to over mix it.

Spread the batter in your pan(s) and sprinkle with the streusel. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, longer if you’re using the large pan. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean when done.  Allow to cool and enjoy!

 

Posted on by Opie · 2 Comments

Chocolate Pumpkin Swirled Cupcakes

So a couple of my coworkers were lamenting the fact that almost all of the treats I bring into work are sweets. One is diabetic and the other is on a no-sugar diet. So I took that as a challenge and found this recipe, which is diabetic friendly and has no sugar. I did modify it slightly, as is my want, by adding a little brown sugar bourbon. Enjoy!

IMG_2276

Chocolate Pumpkin Swirled Cupcakes

  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup real maple syrup
  • 2 large eggs, at room temp
  • 1/4 cup milk (I used coconut milk as I had it on hand)
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar bourbon
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Dutch-processed, it’s the best)
  • 1/2 cup (or so) chocolate chips, divided

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners and spray the insides with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix together the pumpkin, syrup, eggs, milk, bourbon, and vanilla.

In another bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and fold in until just combined. Add the melted butter and stir until combined.

Now divide your batter in half. To one half add in the cocoa and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. Stir to combine. Now add it back into the other half and gently swirl them together. You don’t want them too mixed if you want to see a swirled pattern.

Scope into the lined muffin tin, filling about halfway. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and eat.

 

Posted on by Opie

Pumpkin Bars

So this recipe is really similar to the Bourbon Pumpkin cake recipe I posted earlier. The big difference is no Bourbon. Still super moist and flavorful though. I modified the original recipe that this is based on. It called for a few ingredients I didn’t want to use and I substituted ones I did want to use. Easy enough. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Bars

  • 4 large eggs, at room temp
  • 1 2/3 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Icing

  • 8 oz cream cheese, at room temp
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, at room temp
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. whole milk

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350°. Spay a 9″x13″ baking pan and line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl beat together the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until smooth. Combine the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder & soda, and salt. Gradually beat into the pumpkin mixture on low speed. Pout in to the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool. Once it’s cooled flip over onto a board or plate and remove the parchment. Flip it back into the baking pan.

For the icing, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and butter until smooth. Add in the vanilla and milk, beat until smooth again. Spread onto the bars, cut, and eat.

 

 

 

Posted on by Opie · 3 Comments

Bourbon Pumpkin cake

A few years ago I got a cookbook called Booze Cakes and this recipe is based off one from that book with a few modifications, of course. It’s perfect for the fall. It’s like a pumpkin pie, super moist. I was lucky enough to find a great Bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup at Costco. It enhanced the subtle Bourbon flavor. Enjoy!

Bourbon Pumpkin Cake

Cake:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp real vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 2 tbsp Grand Marnier

Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup good maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp pumpkin butter
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup Bourbon
  • 2 tbsp Grand Marnier

Frosting:

  • 16 oz cream cheese, at room temp
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp Bourbon

Direction:

Preheat your oven to 350°. Spray 2 round cake pans or 1 rectangle 9″x13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray. I line mine with parchment paper and spray the paper. It really makes getting the cake(s) out super easy.

In a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 mins. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until well combined.

In a medium bowl; sift together the flour, baking powder & soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add to the butter mixture with the milk in alternating additions until well combined. Add in the pumpkin, vanilla, bourbon and Grand Marnier. Pour into your cake pan(s) and cake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.

For the glaze; bring the maple syrup, butter, pumpkin butter, and salt to a boil. Lower and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add in the bourbon and Grand Marnier and simmer for 1 more minute. Allow to cool.

One the cake(s) have cooled slightly, take a skewer and poke a ton of holes in the top. Pour the glaze over the cake and allow it to soak in. Finish cooling the cake all the way.

For the frosting, in a medium bowl beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add in the bourbon and beat until combined and smooth. Frost your cake and eat.