Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients:

2 and 1/4 cups AP flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup half & half
1/4 cup cinnamon sugar

Procedures:

Prepare a cast iron scone pan.
Preheat convection oven to 375˚ F
In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda
Cut in butter until it has course, pea-sized crumbles
In a separate bowl, whisk egg, pumpkin and half & half
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Combine until moistened
Knead 10 to 12 times, then press dough portions into cast iron pan and top with a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon sugar
Place wedges on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 375˚F degrees for 18 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside.
Cool 5 minutes, remove from pan and serve warm with butter.

No Bake Nutty Banana Protein Bars

Ingredients:

• ½ cup pitted Medjool dates, packed
• ½ cup mashed very ripe banana, almost completely black
• 1 tsp natural vanilla
• 2 tsp honey
• ½ cup pecans
• ½ cup cashews
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3 tbsp ground flax seed
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup chocolate protein powder
• ½ cup Semi Sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper cut to fit and set aside.
2. Blend dates, banana, vanilla and honey in a food processor for about 2 minutes until smooth. Add pecans, cashews, 1 cup of the oats, flax seed, cinnamon and salt and blend for another minute or two, or until fairly smooth.
3. Scrape down the sides and add in protein powder. Process for another minute until the mixture is well combined. It will be very thick with sticky consistency so use a very sturdy spoon to stir in chocolate chips.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. With wet hands, flatten in pan until evenly spread in pan.
5. Place pan in freezer for at least 3 hours to harden then remove from freezer and slice into 8-10 bars. Store bars in freezer–they are best eaten directly from the freezer.

Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts

I worked on this recipe, trying several variations until I hit upon the key ingredients.  By mixing pumpkin pie filling and straight pumpkin you get intense flavor and you build it even more with the addition of pumpkin oil.  I suggest spraying the doughnut pans with an oil/flour mixture or wiping them with oil and dusting with flour before using and between each batch.  If you don’t have oat flour and whole wheat pastry flour you can substitute all-purpose flour, just use a high quality flour and don’t pat it down when measuring.

Ingredients-

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 – 15oz can pumpkin pie filling
• 1 – 15oz can pumpkin
• 1 tsp. pumpkin seed oil
• 1-1/2 tsps. pumpkin pie spice
• 1-1/2 tsps. salt
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 cup oat flour
• 2-2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
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• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
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• 1 cup butter melted

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚ degrees.
2. Lightly grease 2 – 12 count nonstick metal doughnut pans.
3. Beat together the oil, eggs, 3 cups sugar, pumpkin, 1 tsp. pumpkin seed oil, 1 1/2 tsps. pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking powder until smooth.
4. Combine flours, gently add into mixture and stir just until smooth.
5. Fill large pastry bag with pumpkin mixture and pipe into donut pans until 3/4 full.
6. Bake the donuts for 14-16 mins or until they are lightly browned.
7. Remove the donuts from the oven and set aside; after 5 minutes gently removed from pan and transfer them to cooling rack.
8. Melt butter in a small saucepan.
9. In a separate small, wide bowl combine 2 cups sugar and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice and ½ tsp. cinnamon.
10. Brush donuts lightly with butter, but not drenched and then toss in sugar & spice mixture to coat evenly.