Fall Into Irresistible Pumpkin Desserts

There is no better way to celebrate the beginning of fall than to bring out your best pumpkin dessert recipes. There are many versions of pumpkin desserts, including pumpkin roll, chewy chocolate chip pumpkin cookies, and so many more that will tantalize everyone’s taste buds.

One of the most popular pumpkin desserts, and a favorite of mine is the pumpkin roll, which yields four cakes baked in 29 ounce coffee cans.  Many, including myself, love to add walnuts, and especially chocolate chips to this recipe.

Coffee Can Pumpkin Rolls

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoons allspice
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups extra fine granulated sugar
• 1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
• 1 cup oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
• You will also need 4 regular sized coffee cans for this recipe.

*Spoon & Sweep method:  Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup with flour until the required amount is obtained. Scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour bag will firmly pack flour, resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spray coffee cans with cooking spray.
3. Use a pastry brush to thoroughly coat grooves in the can.
4. Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.
5. Mix eggs and sugar.
6. Add pumpkin, oil, water, vanilla, orange zest, nuts and chocolate chips to egg and sugar.
7. Mix all together thoroughly.
8. Add dry ingredients to above.
9. Combine well
10. Fill 4 coffee cans 1/2 full with batter.
11. Place directly on the oven rack.
12. Bake for one hour at 350°F.
13. Remove from the oven and cool, in cans, 15 minutes or until bread turns loose from the can.
14. Invert on racks and cool completely.
15. Cut into round slices.
16. If available, an electric knife is the perfect tool for a neat, round slice.  If you prefer, spread with softened butter or your favorite cream cheese icing, or enjoy as is.

Prep Time: 1hour

Bake/Cook Time: 1hour

Yield: 4 loaves

Dreamy Chewy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

I discovered these delightful fall inspired cookies on the website

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/.  As much as I’d like to have thought up this recipe, I must admit that the credit goes to Sally McKenney, a professional food photographer, cookbook author, and outstanding baker. You won’t find perfect pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips like these, anywhere.  My family and I go crazy over them and look forward to fall, when I always bake up several batches thanks to Sally.

Follow these instructions for perfect results. 

Chill for 30 Minutes

This pumpkin chocolate chip cookie dough is a little sticky. Chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling into balls and baking. The cookies only spread slightly in the oven, so slightly flatten out the cookie dough balls with the back of a spoon before baking.

Pumpkin Puree Tip: Squeeze as much of the moisture out of the pumpkin puree as you can before adding it to the cookie dough. You can do this with paper towels. This will help produce a less cakey cookie. Less moisture is a good thing here! Measure 6 tablespoons AFTER the pumpkin has been squeezed/blotted.

Do not use pumpkin pie filling.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
• 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons pumpkin puree (see note)*
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus a few extra for the tops

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl until no brown sugar lumps remain.
2. Whisk in the vanilla and blotted pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. (The dough will be very soft.)
5. Fold in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. The chips may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to combine.
6. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes or up to 3 days. (Chilling the dough is imperative for this recipe.)
7. Remove dough from the refrigerator.
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
9. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
10. Scoop the dough, about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie, and roll each into balls.
11. Arrange cookie dough balls 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
12. Using the back of a spoon or the bottom of a cup/measuring cup, slightly flatten the tops of the dough balls. (Without doing so, the cookies may not spread.)
13. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until the edges appear set. The cookies will look very soft in the center.
14. Remove from the oven. (If you find that your cookies didn’t spread much at all, flatten them out with the back of a spoon when you take them out of the oven.)
15. If desired, press a few chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies. This is only for looks.
16. Cool cookies on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

The longer the cookies cool, the even better they taste!  Allow the cookies to sit for several hours before serving. Chewiness and pumpkin flavor are even stronger the next day.

Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.