Sweet Treats

Pumpkin Cookies

by
Pumpkin Cookies Iced

The sun is lower in the sky, the days are shorter, and the harvest has come and gone. That means it’s time to put pumpkin in just about anything you can imagine. Until recently I didn’t have much of a taste for pumpkin, but doing a little experimenting has changed my mind about that fall gourd.

I came up with a quick and simple (just the way I like recipes) cake mix pumpkin cookie recipe that is sure to become one of your winter favorites.

Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients

This is very simple to mix together using a hand mixer. 

Mixing Pumpkin Cookies

 Mix the cake mix, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and eggs together. 

Then stir in the chocolate and/or cinnamon chips with a firm rubber spatula or spoon.

I have had a difficult time finding cinnamon chips, but they are well worth using. I have resorted to ordering them on Amazon. I have ordered them from a couple different suppliers on Amazon. One supplier I received the packages of chips and they appeared to have melted and solidified into a solid chunk. That particular company would not refund money. I have ordered Hersey’s Cinnamon Baking Chips from this supplier on Amazon and have not had an issue. Plus this company will issue a refund if there is a problem.

If you order from Nuts.com, I have seen them on that site as well.

They are ready to scoop and bake.

I bought a small, inexpensive scooper from Walmart specifically for scooping cookie dough, but you could use a spoon to scoop the batter out and the back of a second spoon to push the batter off the first spoon onto the pan.

Pumpkin Cookies Baked

Sometimes I bake 1 tray at a time on the middle rack of my oven, but I often don’t want to deal with baking 4 trays separately. In that case I will try to center the oven racks as much as possible and put both cookie trays in and rotate from top to bottom and bottom to top half way through the cooking process.

Make sure when they are done to let them cool on the cookie tray for about 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Pumpkin Cookies Iced

While the cookies are cooling I make my frosting with softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and a little bit of milk to thin it out slightly to make the frosting easier to spread.

These cake mix pumpkin cookies have become my new favorite cookie that I make whenever I get that pumpkin craving.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cookies Iced
Print Recipe

Pumpkin Cookies

Use a cake mix and canned pumpkin for a quick, delicious fall cookie.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time14 minutes
Total Time19 minutes
Course: Dessert, Sweet Treats
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cookies, Fall Cookies, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Cookies, Sweet Treats
Servings: 48 cookies
Calories: 63kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • 1 Large bowl and hand mixer Stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • 2 cookie trays
  • 1 rubber spatula
  • 1 cookie scoop 2 spoons

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 15 ounce can pumpkin
  • 2 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 2 each eggs

Stir in:

  • 1/3 cup cinnamon baking chips
  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Frosting

  • 2 cups powder sugar
  • 3 tbsp cream cheese softened
  • 2 tbsp milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Using a stand mixer or hand beaters, mix together cake mix, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and eggs.
  • Stir in the cinnamon and chocolate chips.
  • Scoop out onto parchment lined sheet tray about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until firm and slightly brown.
  • Let sit on cookie tray for about 5 minutes before removing from pan to a rack to cool.
  • Whisk together frosting ingredients. May need to add a little more milk to reach a spreadable frosting.
  • Frost cooled cookies.

Notes

Don't overbake cookies. They will still be slightly soft when done. If you're not sure, stick a toothpick in them and if it comes out clean, they are done.
Before frosting, make sure cookies are completely cool. You can refrigerate them first before frosting, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1393IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Toffee Bars

by
Toffee Bars

I recently came across a Toffee Square recipe that I kept from my Home Ec class back in Junior High. I remembered them being very good, so I decided to give them a try again.

I changed the recipe a bit and updated it as well, and came up with these delicious, easy to make, bars.

Toffee Bar Ingredients

There isn’t much to putting this together, just make sure your butter is at room temperature.

I mix the salt in with the flour,

Toffee Bar Batter

Mix the butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla together first to get a nice creamy batter. No need for a stand mixer, hand beater work just fine for this.

Using a wooden spoon or firm rubber spatula, mix in the flour, salt, and half of the package of toffee bits. The result will be a crumbly batter.

Toffee Bars Ready to Bake

Make sure to spray you pan with cooking spray before adding the batter. I find it is just as easy to press the batter down with my hands as it is a wooden spoon. The crumbly batter will press together to form the bars.

Bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, no more. The bars will be soft but a toothpick will come out clean. As the bars cool, they will firm up.

Remove the bars from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips and the rest of the toffee bits over the top. Put it back in the oven for a minute or 2 to melt the chocolate.

Remove from the oven and spread the chocolate out over the top.

Let them cool for about 1/2 hour before cutting to allow the bars to firm up a bit and the chocolate to solidify a bit. 

These are great warm or cold. I eating one topped with vanilla bean ice cream.

Enjoy!

Toffee Bars
Print Recipe

Toffee Bars

This is a very quick and easy to make sweet treat with heath toffee bits mixed throughout.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert, Sweet Treats
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Bars, Sweet Treats, Toffee, Toffee Bars
Servings: 20 bars
Calories: 199kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Large bowl and mixer
  • Medium bowl
  • Wooden spoon or firm rubber spatula
  • 9 x 13” pan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter softened at room temperature
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 each egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ½ pkg heath toffee bits

Topping:

  • ½ pkg heath toffee bits
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a stand mixer or bowl, mix butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Scrape down sides.
  • Mix in flour, salt, and toffee bits (dough will appear crumbly).
  • Spray a 9 x 13 in pan with cooking spray. Spoon dough into pan, level and smooth top. It may be easier to use your hands or the back of a wooden spoon.
  • Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Bars will be soft, but a toothpick should come out clean.
  • Remove from oven and sprinkle on chocolate chips and the rest of the toffee bits.
  • Turn off oven and put bars back in oven for a minute or 2 to melt the chocolate.
  • Remove from oven and smooth chocolate over top of bars with a spatula.
  • Allow to cool for about 1/2 hour before cutting.
  • Cut into 20 bars.

Notes

These freeze well.

Nutrition

Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Peanut Butter Brookies

by
Peanut Butter Brookies

I love the smell of brownies and cookies baking and how it lingers in the house for several hours after. These brookies combine both scents with a little bit of peanut butter added in.

Need to make them gluten-free? I’ve tried it using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour and they turn out great. 

I use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment, but if you don’t have one, beaters will work. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the batter, start by mixing the sugars, peanut butter, and butter together until well blended.

Then mix in the eggs and vanilla until just incorporated.

Then mix in the oats, chocolate chips, walnuts, and coconut flakes, if using.

Combine the flour and baking soda in a separate bowl.

Mix in the flour and baking soda. The dough has the consistency of a sticky cookie dough.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and press batter into pan, spreading out evenly.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean of batter.

Now is the time to test your patience. The smells are amazing, but you need to wait to cut into them. I put them on a raised wire rack to cool. I recommend cooling for about 60 minutes, but I have been known to cut into them after about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Brookies
Print Recipe

Peanut Butter Brookies

This is a chewy, chocolatey brownie cookie that is rich and delicious warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cooling Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Dessert, Sweet Treats
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Bars, Brownies, Chocolate, Cookies, Peanut Butter
Servings: 15 bars
Calories: 329kcal
Author: Eating With Deb

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl and paddle attachment or beaters
  • 9 x 13 glass baking dish

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter temp room, 1 stick
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
  • ½ cup peanut butter creamy or chunky
  • 2 each eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup oats
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes optional
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts optional
  • 1 cup white flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
  • Using a paddle attachment on a stand mixer or electric beaters, combine butter, sugars and peanut butter until the sugar is thoroughly mixed in.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until just blended in.
  • Add the oats, chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts (if using) and mix until just blended.
  • In a separate bowl combine the baking soda with the flour then add to the wet mixture and mix until combined. The dough is thick, like cookie dough.
  • Spray a 9 x 13” pan with cooking spray. Scrap dough into pan and smooth out.
  • Bake for 22 – 25 minutes until brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Bars should still be soft to the touch.
  • Let cool for 60 minutes before cutting.
  • Store in an air-tight container.

Notes

I like using the mini dark chocolate chips, but the larger milk or semi-sweet also work.
I have used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-free Baking Flour instead of regular flour and it works great.

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 193IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg