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In the Oven: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

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Keeping along with the Autumn theme, we’re diving in to pumpkin whoopie pies with a cream cheese filling. Posting date is November 18!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
 
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Ingredients
For the pumpkin whoopie cookies
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ginger
  • 1 tablespoon cloves
  • 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the cream cheese filling
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the pumpkin whoopie cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves together and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the brown sugar and oil together until combined. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
  4. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.
  5. Use a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the pan while you make the filling.
Make the Cream Cheese Filling
  1. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is completely smooth, with no visible lumps. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
  3. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat the filling, or it will lose structure.
Assemble the whoopie pies
  1. Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down (flat side facing up).
  2. Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of the cookie. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving.
Notes
The filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator. Let the filling soften at room temperature before using.The whoopie pies will keep for up to 3 days, on a parchment-lined baking sheet covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

 

In the Oven: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

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Our first recipe out of New Frontiers is a pumpkin loaf, to usher in the Fall for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere! Posting date is September 24.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf
 
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Yield: 2 (9x5x3") loaves
Ingredients
  • 3 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 3⁄4 cups (one 15-ounce can) pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1⁄2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pans, dust them with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In another large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and oil until combined. Add the sugar and whisk again. Whisk the eggs into the mixture, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Add 2\3 cup room-temperature water and whisk until combined. With a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Do not overmix.
  5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Gently knock the bottom of the pans against the countertop to even out the batter. Use the spatula to smooth the tops.
  6. Bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time.
  7. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Invert the loaves onto wire racks and cool completely before serving.
Notes
How to store: The loaves will keep for 3 days, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

 

In the Oven: Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Chocolate Brownies

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It’s officially Fall (at least, it is in the Northern Hemisphere), so we’re going to pumpkin-ize some brownies next. Posting date is October 9!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Chocolate Brownies
 
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Yield: 24 brownies
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl
  • 1 (8-ounce/226-g) package cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (170 g) solid pack pumpkin or pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
For the Brownie Layer
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (105 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 ounces (225 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 6 ounces (1½ sticks/170 g) unsalted butter, cut into
  • 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes, plus more for the pan
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (85 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy (it should almost look like frosting). Add the pumpkin, egg yolk, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger and whisk again until well blended. Cover and refrigerate while you make the brownie layer.
Make the Brownie Layer
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the center. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light-colored metal 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper with a 1-inch (2.5-cm) overhang on the long sides of the pan, and butter the parchment.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt.
  3. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water (double-boiler method, see page 19), stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted, smooth, and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add both sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be at room temperature. Add 2 eggs to the chocolate mixture and gently whisk until just combined. Add the remaining egg and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and whisk until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
  4. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula, fold them gently together until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.
  5. Pour two-thirds of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Pour the pumpkin cheesecake mixture over the brownies and smooth into an even layer with the back of an offset spatula. Drop the remaining one-third of the brownie batter by heaping tablespoons here and there over the pumpkin layer. Use a knife to gently pull through the batters to create a swirl. (The brownie batter is thick, so you might need to pull several times before you start to create the swirl.)
  6. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it, 30 to 40 minutes. Let the brownies cool almost completely.
  7. You can eat the brownies slightly warm or at room temperature, when they have a more pumpkin-y flavor. Or cover and refrigerate them for about 3 hours and enjoy them slightly chilled (this is our favorite). Either way, when you’re ready, release the brownies from the side of the pan with a small paring knife. Pull straight up on the parchment to remove them from the pan, place them on a cutting board, cut, and serve.
Notes
How to store: the brownies will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.