Gluten Free Stuffed Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

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OH YEAH BABY. Just look at those cookies! Are you drooling yet? Well, trust me, they are drool worthy. I’m not kidding here, these are totally worth every single calorie in them!
While these tasty nuggets of pumpkin, spice, and everything nice, are fantastic anytime, they would also be a massive hit on your Thanksgiving Dessert Buffet. Why not think ahead? Santa would be happy to down a couple of these before dropping off presents! Do you have an upcoming Christmas Cookie Exchange? Well, these taste amazing, are a wonderful gluten free option, and probably due to the pumpkin, keep extremely well, getting softer over time. So feel free to pre-bake and take, knowing they will be even better a day later!

Gluten Free Stuffed Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

For the cookie dough:
3 3/4 cups Gluten Free Flour blend. (I always use Pamela’s Artisan Flour)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cream of Tarter
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1/4 tsp Nutmeg, ground
1/2 tsp Ginger, dried ground
1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened *see note
1 cup Sugar, white (i use organic cane sugar)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, dark
1 Egg, large
3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
2 tsp Vanilla extract

For the stuffing:
8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup Sugar, white
2 tsp Vanilla extract

For rolling the cookies:
1/2 cup Cinnamon Maple Sugar *see photo below
1/2 tsp Ginger, ground
(If you cannot find Cinnamon Maple Sugar, simply add cinnamon and ginger to maple sugar OR mix together cinnamon, ginger and white sugar to taste. Approximately 1/2 cup sugar + 1 tsp Cinnamon and 1/2 tsp Ginger)

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Line baking sheets with a Silpat silicone liner or Parchment Paper

First, whisk together the dry ingredients: Flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
Then, in your stand mixer (or hand mixer) beat the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy, add egg, pumpkin puree and vanilla. Mix well.
(*Note: I don’t always remember to soften my butter. So I cheat: Dice up the butter, add part of your sugar, then begin to mix on low. Add the rest of the sugar and continue to beat. The sugar will ‘cut’ up the butter and soften it, along with the friction of the beaters. It’s not the ideal method, but it works in a pinch.)
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing well. (The flour has no gluten, so no worries about over mixing, they will remain tender)
Set these ingredients in the refrigerator while you make the stuffing.

In a clean bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla. Do not over mix this. You are not whipping it, just mixing it altogether.

Now is the tricky part, though not difficult. This dough is a little soft, but not super sticky, you’ll understand what I mean when you make them. They are softer than a traditional snickerdoodle, so if your kitchen is not cool, that little time in the fridge does wonders to firm up the dough a bit.

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Using a teaspoon or dough scoop (I use a small  muffin-cookie scoop which is kind of like an ice cream scooper), take 2 small wads of dough (a little under a tablespoon each) and slightly flatten. Then take a tsp of the cream cheese mix, lay it in-between the 2 pieces of dough and gently press/pinch the seams together to make a slightly flattened ball. My first batch, I rolled into a circular ball like I would a traditional snickerdoodle, and the cookies baked up too tall. When I used this flatten/pinch-to-seal technique, the end result was a more traditional looking cookie. Can you see the difference in the picture below? The one on the top was a wad of cheese that I wrapped the dough around. The flatter, more traditional cookies are a result of my modified technique.

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Roll (or flip) the dough ball in the maple cinnamon sugar. Place on your baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes. They may, or may not develop cracks. The cookie will be moist but not raw when done.

Remove to a cooking rack and let cool, if you can wait that long. Half were gone before I finished baking them all!

These cookies do not disappoint. I think how many you end up with, will depend on how big of a cookie you roll. I was able to end up with just under 2 dozen cookies.
Enjoy, and as always, I’d love to hear your feedback or answer any questions in the comment section!

Pumpkin Protein Shake

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I’ve been looking to increase my potassium to help combat some muscle fatigue and cramping I’ve been experiencing.
Bananas tend to be the ‘go-to’ source for potassium but also are high in fructose and calories, neither of which I want.
Looking for some natural alternatives, mushrooms and pumpkin caught my eye. While I’ve been adding mushrooms to my morning eggs, I’ve developed this post workout shake to not only keep my potassium levels high enough to help power me through my workouts, but also to increase my fiber, vitamin A, antioxidants and B vitamins.
And of course, with Progressive Weight Training, protein following your workout is critical to repairing and building the muscles you have broken down and stressed.
This shake is perfect year round but I love it for the fall/winter season. Not only is it good for you, but delicious!

Notes: In this Post Workout Protein Shake you can exchange the coconut water for a high protein nut or rice milk or skim milk.
You can also substitute pumpkin pie filling for the plain pumpkin if you don’t want to mess with spices. I like to fiddle with mine, adding lots of cinnamon for blood sugar and appetite control.
Also, I am hooked on the Melaleuca protein powders. The Pro-flex has 20g of protein, the Vitality has 30g. They are rich and yummy tasting as well as formulated, but use your own favorite brand.
You can add a shot of espresso, instant espresso power or instant coffee, or skip altogether.

8-10 oz of Coconut Water
2 scoops of Protein Powder (Vitality = 30grams)
2 tbsp Pumpkin
1 tsp decaf instant Coffee
5 grinds of Nutmeg on the grater
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Dash of Ginger
Small pinch Allspice
Large handful of Ice

Blend and enjoy!

Gluten Free Butterscotch Pumpkin Bread

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Fall finally gave way to the nudges of winter here in the arctic tundra. What better way to embrace the long, dreary winters here than to whip up a batch of tasty, moist, full of warming spices, gluten free quick bread? With my girls coming and going between college and work, its always nice to have a loaf on hand for them to a slice, grab and go. With the turning of the weather, I really wanted to be inspired by the fall/winter spices and comforting moisture of pumpkin. I modified a tried and true banana bread recipe given to me by my daughters Godmother, Auntie Barbara, who received it from her grandmother.

When my kids were born, we lived in a small neighborhood just on the outskirts of Portland. It was an older neighborhood with a wonderful mixture of small, entry level sized homes as well as some a bit larger and more established. We happened to one of the first families to move in as the neighborhood began to turn over. As a stay at home mom, I was blessed to have so many wonderful, loving retirees who absolutely doted on my children. That is how we met ‘Auntie’ Barbara and ‘Uncle’ Bruce. They took us under their wing, supported us, loved us and mentored us. They accepted the responsiblity to become my children’s GodParents. Every time I make this banana bread (which has been passed on to my own daughters) I reminisce over our shared times together. I think that is why I love to cook so much. I associate so many wonderful memories with food shared, the telling of the history behind precious recipes passed down, along with celebrations and holidays enjoyed. This recipe has sentimental meaning to me and my family. I hope that by making it, it will create wonderful memories of your own.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
(this recipe is so simple, don’t over think it!)

1/2 cup Butter (unsalted) melted
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Pumpkin (plain pumpkin, NOT pie mix)

2 Eggs slightly beaten

2 cups Gluten Free Flour (i recommend Pamelas Artisan Flour)
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
Spices : 1.5 tsp Cinnamon; 1/2 tsp Nutmeg; 1/4 tsp Allspice; 1 tsp Ginger; optional:1/4 tsp clove

1/2 cup Hot Water

Handful of Butterscotch Chips. (Hershey’s is Gluten Free. Nestles is NOT!)

Preheat the over to 350 degrees if using a metal bread loaf pan, or 325 for glass. Grease the pan with cooking spray or butter.

Mix melted butter together with the sugar, stir in the pumpkin with a wooden spoon. Lightly beat your eggs, then add in to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.

Mix dry ingredients together alternately with the hot water. Stir just to combine. Pour into prepared bread loaf pan and sprinkle the top with butterscotch chips.

Bake 1 hour 15 minutes. Check at 1 hour and continue to bake until a toothpick comes out clean in the center. A few moist bits may cling but it should not be raw.

****In the original recipe, replace 3 mashed bananas for the pumpkin and eliminate the spices. Optional add-in are your favorite nuts.
*******The original recipe does not call for vanilla but you can add 1 tsp if desired.