Two MUST-TRY Pumpkin Recipes

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There is something about the fall season, the Thanksgiving holiday, and the cool weather that makes me whip up recipes left and right in my home. Especially when they involve the word pumpkin in them.

One thing that I like to focus on when I am cooking, whether it's dinner or dessert, is substituting some of the ingredients in a recipe with healthier versions.

For instance, we do not eat butter at our home. I don't even remember the last time I tasted it {except maybe at a restaurant}. What do we use? Always? Country Crock. With 70% less saturated fat, and 30% less calories, it's an easy winner for us. Plus? It tastes great! I always buy the large tubs of it, and it lasts us for quite some time.

Country crock is also gluten free!

And with Thanksgiving around the corner, I am always looking for new recipes to try, perfect, and make as "family favorites" for he holidays. I decided to try two new recipes this weekend and they were the pumpkin cookies and the pumpkin cream cheese swirl bars {recipes below}. And as you guessed it, both dessert.

I'm usually not a fan of anything pumpkin besides pumpkin pie, but the recipes that I have tried lately have made me completely change my mind. They're both easy. Delicious. And definitely a great unique treat to bring over to grandma's house come Thanksgiving day.

I keep trying new recipes so I can pick my favorites, and I think the pumpkin cookies are definitely at the top of the list, as well as the pumpkin bars. Anyone have any go-to recipes that they make on Thanksgiving day? Anything besides dessert? Do share!

Pumpkin Cookies

•       2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup country crock, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon melted country crock 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of country crock and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon country crock, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.
5. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

Recipe Source: ALLrecipes.com

Elliana stole the whole batch ;)

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Bars

Author: Cookie Madness

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons melted Country Crock
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (288 grams)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (240 grams)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (220 grams)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Swirl:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (48 grams)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 15×10 inch pan with non-stick foil or just spray with cooking spray.
2. Pumpkin Batter: Mix together the Country Crock and sugar. With a mixing spoon or whisk, beat in eggs, pumpkin, and water until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg together; stir into batter. Spread all but a few tablespoons batter evenly in prepared pan. Reserve the few tablespoons of batter
3. Swirl: In a second bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add egg and beat just until it’s mixed in. Drop tablespoons of cheese mixture over pumpkin batter, then drag a knife through to make marbles. Drop reserved tablespoons of pumpkin batter over top. The reason for this is, there’s a lot of white batter, so putting a few tablespoons of pumpkin batter on top gives more of a contrast.
4. Bake on center rack until pumpkin batter springs back when touched, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, then chill for an hour or more. Cut into 24 bars.

Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member ofClever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.