Happy Autumn!

Last Autumn when Lydia was 8 months old, now she is 18 months old!!

"Life starts all over again 

when it gets crisp in the fall."

                       -F. Scott Fitzgerald 

For as long as I can remember autumn has always been my favorite season, and I'm pretty proud of being born around this time of year! I love when the weather slowly begins to cool down and the leaves start changing shades of color. The smell of the air is crisp, and cinnamon sugar becomes the signature scent of my home. Everything just feels cozier. I'll be able to start wearing my fall uniform: a chunky sweater or flannel, jeans and boots. I cannot wait til I can wear boots again!! Food seems to taste better this time of year too. Winter squashes are at their peak, and boy do they taste mighty fine roasted, sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and served over kale. I also like pumpkin pie, pumpkin oatmeal, and pumpkin smoothies heavy on the spices.

There's a lot to love about this season. It seems to always inspire people to get together more whether it's to watch football (not me, I'm just there for the food), go to harvest festivals, host seasonal parties, go apple picking, etc. There's really no solid reason not to fellowship with your people when autumn is here! I am most looking forward to starting traditions with my family. I think Lydia will love jumping in freshly raked leaves, going to our towns harvest festival and helping me bake lots of delicious treats in the kitchen.

What are you most looking forward to this autumn? 

Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodle [Coconut Milk] Ice Cream

In my dreams, I own an eclectic little cafe where I spend most of my time pouring my heart into making delicious food and sharing the fruits of my labor with new friends everyday. On occasion, I serve my customers frozen treats with flavors that are inspired by my fondest memories, and because I adore the fall season, I would absolutely serve an ice cream that represents this season. I don't know when this dream will come true so in the meantime, I will just use this corner of the internet and share the recipes that inspire me most and hope to myself that you'll enjoy it!

The recipe I'm sharing with you all is a Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodle ice cream using coconut milk and arrowroot starch instead of heavy cream, milk and egg yolks, making this recipe dairy and egg-free. It is an excellent alternative for those with dietary restrictions or if you are simply wanting to try something new! The base is laced with cinnamon and just a kiss of cardamom while the cookies added bring along cloves, ginger and all-spice to the party. I find that these are coziest of flavors during this time of year and also like to think of this as an autumn inspired cookies and cream. With that said, let's get this ice cream cooking! Side note: isn't it fascinating that ice cream is cooked before it's chilled?

Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodle Ice Cream

2 cans full-fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/3 cup cane sugar
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon arrowroot
1 tablespoon bourbon or vodka (an essential ingredient to help prevent the ice cream from becoming rock hard)
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup chopped Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodle's

Directions:

·        Freeze your ice cream maker bowl for at least 24 hours before starting this recipe.  

·        Prepare an ice bath: using two large heat-safe (preferably stainless steel) mixing bowls that can nest together. Fill the larger of the two bowls with about 1/3 full of ice and about a cup of water.

·        Place the smaller bowl on top. Set aside. Empty entire contents of both coconut milk cans into a medium-sized pot.

·        Remove about a few tablespoons of the coconut milk liquid and place in a small bowl along with the arrowroot. Whisk thoroughly until combined. Pour starch mixture into the pot along with the brown rice syrup, cane sugar and spices.

·        Heat over medium and whisk the ingredients until fully combined. Allow mixture to boil about 1 ½ minutes and slowly stir with whisk. Remove from heat and pour mixture into the top bowl of your ice bath.

·        Whisk in the bourbon and vanilla, and let the mixture sit until ice cold, whisking every so often. It usually takes about an hour to an hour and a half to fully chill. The colder the mixture the better!  Patience is a virtue here my friends.

·         Once cold, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and turn on. Follow manufacturer’s instructions, when ice cream is almost done (it’ll be struggling and have the consistency of a thick soft-serve), add in the chopped cookies.

·        Remove ice cream into an 8x4” bread pan or a silicon ice cream container once complete. I have the Cuisinart brand and for me it takes about 35 minutes to get a soft serve-like consistency.

·        Pack ice cream into container/bread pan and spread evenly. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on the surface of the ice cream and press lightly so it’s fully stuck to the top.

·        Freeze ice cream at least 4 hours before serving. (Again, patience is a virtue my friends!!) Let ice cream sit for a few minutes then scoop, serve, and devour. Before placing ice cream back in the freezer, make sure you place the parchment paper securely on the surface of the ice cream to help avoid ice crystals forming.

Recipe adapted from here. 

Pumpkin Chai Snickerdoodles

This recipe adapted from a year of cozy's chewy chai snickerdoodles (which I think you all should check it out if you haven't already!)

ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cardamom

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ cup sugar

2/3 cup coconut oil, slightly melted

¾ cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of cardamom

directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, allspice and pepper.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and coconut oil. Beat until

In the bowl of your electric mixer, add the sugar, pumpkin puree and coconut oil. Beat until combined and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the flour in two additions, scraping down the sides with spatula if needed and beating until just combined.

Mix together the topping ingredients in a bowl. Using a cookie scoop, divide the dough into 36 equal pieces, rolling each into a smooth bowl. Roll each cookie ball into topping and place it on a baking sheet, keeping the cookies about 2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to gently press the cookie balls into flattened pieces of dough.

Bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool before serving.

...stay tuned for my dairy-free pumpkin chai snickerdoodle ice cream recipe that uses these cookies! 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cake-like cookies are a delicious little treat to enjoy with ginger tea, coffee or a spiced hot chocolate. (I could drink hot beverages all year long!) I absolutely love how pumpkin both moistens and binds these cookies without the use of extra fat and eggs. In fact, I believe bananas, pureed pumpkin and unsweetened applesauce are wonderful staples for any health conscious person’s kitchen! Recipe adapted from here.

• 1 cup spelt  flour
• ½ cup old fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup coconut sugar + ¼ cup maple syrup (or 1 cup raw sugar)
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon whole flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• ½ cup raisins

 

the piggy cookie jar Michael gave me!

Preheat oven 350° F. Stir flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and sea salt in a mixing bowl. In another bowl mix pumpkin, sugar, coconut oil, flaxseeds and vanilla. Combine wet and dry ingredients, and fold in raisins until fully incorporated. Using a tablespoon or ice cream scoop, drop batter onto a parchment lined or greased baking sheet.  Press down each cookie with hands or a spoon, keeping them at least one inch apart from each other. Bake for 11 minutes and let cool for 2 minutes before transferring. Enjoy :)