I love fall and PUMPKIN season!  This year I wasn't able to grow any pumpkins myself but I did make it to a great local farm with be near our place with beautiful pie pumpkins.  We got 3 little guys so my husband could have his yearly pumpkin pie fix but after that I still had some leftover pumpkin... such a problem!  
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My pumpkin inspiration was lacking so I wandered the local library and this cute little book jumped out at me.  Of course I headed to the dessert chapters and found an excellent solution to use up the rest of my pumpkin. 

The recipe calls for canned pumpkin but fresh roasted pumpkin worked well.  This had some kind of nutty taste that boggled the mind as there are no nuts in here.  These will definitely be in the seasonal rotation; easy to make but so good!

Oatmeal-Chocolate Crisps
"The Pumpkin Cookbook" by Deedee Stovel

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

​1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat the sugars and butters together with a hand mixer until well blended and fluffy.  Add the pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into the mixture and continue beating at low speed until well blended.  Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

4. Drop by tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

5. Cool each baking sheet on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing the cookies.  Cool them completely on wire racks and store in an airtight container.  Enjoy!

Yield: 8 dozen

Notes: Variation:  If available, substitute some of the flour with whole-wheat pastry flour. This is a low-gluten flour that adds nutrition but not the heaviness of whole-wheat bread flour.  It is a wonderful product to use in pastries and baked goods where you want the nutrition of whole wheat, but not the heaviness.

Banana Chocolate Shake

​2 cups water
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cacao
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 sprinkle cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts
3 bananas, frozen

​Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Everyday Almond Cake
from "Sweet Vegan Treats" by Hannah Kaminsky

​Makes 10-12 Servings
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For a more decadent rendition, she suggests to double the recipe for both cake and ganache and create a double-decker layer cake by sandwiching extra ganache between the two rounds!  Served that way at Nourish Cafe in San Francisco.

ALMOND CAKE:
1/2 cup almond meal
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup nondairy milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
whole almonds, for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350 F and generally grease one 8" cake pan.

Combine the almond meal, both flours, baking power, baking soda and salt.  Stir to combine and set aside.

Separately, whisk together the oil, nondairy milk, maple syrup, and vinegar vigorously until the mixture is slightly frothy and bubbly on the surface.  Incorporate the two extracts.  Slowly add in the dry mixture, whisking just until everything is combined.  Don't be alarmed if the batter seems thin, almost like crepe batter rather than your traditional cake.  That means you've done it right!

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool for at least 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.  Make sure it's completely cool before decorating.

To make your ganache, heat the chocolate, coconut milk, and maple syrup together in a medium saucepan over very low heat, stirring well until completely smooth.  Pour generously over the top of the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.  Use a flat spatula to smooth over any gaps until it's fully covered.  Place whole almonds decoratively around the border, if desired.  Let the ganache cool and set completely before serving.
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I've made a few attempts at pudding from scratch but this was one of the best!  The rich chocolate creamy flavor is worth the work.  This also makes great pudding pops; make as instructed and put in popsicle molds.

Top of my places I miss in Milwaukee is Outpost Foods coop.  I loved grabbing lunch there and a sweet treat.  Luckily, they published some of these recipes in their magazine....  (still haven't seen Little Oatie recipe though!) and this Sheba Bar is a great one!

Sheba Bars
Outpost Food's Secret Recipe, Milwaukee, WI
Makes 40 bars

​1 cup Sucanat
2 3/4 cups brown rice syrup, divided
1/2 pound earth balance buttery sticks (2 sticks)
1 1/4 cups smooth peanut butter, divided
1 tablespoon egg replacer  (or sub 1/2 cup applesauce)
1/8 cup water
1 cup quick rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
11 ounces brown rice crisp cereal
3 1/3 cups semi sweet vegan chocolate chips
1/8 cup canola oil

​1. Preheat oven to 375.  Combine Sucanat, 2 cups brown rice syrup, buttery sticks and 3/4 cup peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and melt.  Stir until smooth.

2. In a large bowl, combine egg replacer and water and whisk to combine.  Add oats, baking soda, salt, brown rice cereal.  Pour in peanut butter mixture from step one, stirring carefully, in order not to crush the cereal.

3. Spread mixture into full sheet tray coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Bars puff up while cooking and may drip over tray, so watch carefully or place another sheet tray on the bottom rack to catch.  Remove and allow bars to cool.

4. While bars are cooling, melt chocolate chips and oil in microwave, stir until smooth, then spread over cooled bars.

5. Melt remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter and 3/4 cup brown rice syrup in microwave.  Drizzle over cooled bars and with a paring knife, pull through the mixture to swirl.  Cool in refrigerator until ready to serve.
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I've got a new favorite Christmas cookie....  that happens to be vegan by my idol Isa Chandra Moskowitz. 

I'm not a huge peppermint candy fan but it works here.  I didn't have peppermint chocolate that the recipe calls for but I did get a gift of candy canes I crushed up in the food processor and had some Enjoy Life mega chunks in the cupboard. 
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They are not overly sweet or minty, they are the perfect dark fudgy chocolate that I respect in a cookie!  

Candy Cane Fudge Cookies
The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook byIsa Chandra Moskowitz

1/2 cup refined coconut oil, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk), at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 oz peppermint chocolate bars, chopped up
4 candy canes, crushed up (in pieces no bigger than 1/2"

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease 2 rimmed baking sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together the oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the applesauce and milk and mix gently; it might make the oil clump up and firm up a bit, but that's okay. Mix in the vanilla.

Add 1 cup of the flour along with the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix well.  Mix in the chocolate peppermint chunks and then the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it firms up. You might need to use your hands to get it fully incorporated. 

Place twelve 1 1/2 tablespoon scoops of dough on each baking sheet, a few inches apart. Flatten slightly with your hand. Place a pinch of crushed candy cane in the center of each and press gently into the surface.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooking rack to cool completely. 

Chocolate Strawberry Trail Mix in a Jar

1 Batch each of the following recipes - cooled:
Martha Stewart's Maple Toasted Nuts with Coconut
​Vegetarian Times Cocoa-dusted Glazed Almonds

2 Cups Pretzels, broken
2 Cups Chocolate Covered Freeze Dried Strawberries, chopped

Mix and put in a jar!

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Gram's Banana Cake
​Penzey's Spices

CAKE
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups ripe bananas, mashed

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease and flour 3 9" cake pans and set aside. 

2. Mash the bananas and place in a measuring cup.  Cream the butter and sugar together until well mixed.  Add the eggs and beat well.  Mix in the sour cream.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda.  Add to creamed mixture and beat well. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla and mix well.

3. Divide evenly among the prepared cake pans.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool a few minutes and remove from pans.  Cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING
5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
2-4 tablespoons brewed black coffee
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Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa together into a large bowl.  Add the softened butter and mix on very low speed until they are incorporated.  Add the coffee starting with 2 tablespoons and mix until it reaches your desired spreading consistency.​

​I ended up adding too much coffee and added Xanthan gum to thicken it back up.  Again, I am not a fan of powdered sugar/random liquid based frostings!...  help.

I love making granola bars.  Here's one from Vegetarian Times.  I found it a little on the sweet side but others I served too find it just right.  Next time I'd reduce the amount of sugar.  They are a little sticky so to store for on the go I wrapped in tin foil.

​Chocolate Coconut Oat Bars
Vegetarian Times

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup almond meal
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

​1. Preheat oven to 275.  Combine oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, and cocoa powder in a large bowl.  Mix well.
2. Combine coconut oil, agave nectar, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot (not boiling).  Pour over oat mixture and stir until well mixed and cooled slightly.  Stir in chocolate chips, quickly but thoroughly.
3. Press the mixture into an ungreased 8x8" pan and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Cut into small squares.

I love to try new things...  updates on classics like the Chocolate Chip Cookie top that list.  This winner comes from Mary Jane Farm magazine's favorite things Feb-Mar 2010 and I agree!  The addition of coconut and oats along with the chocoate and peanut butter chip combo really upgrades this classic!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mary Jane Farm

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup coconut shreds
2 cups semisweet chocolate chip
1 cup peanut butter chips

​1. Preheat oven to 375.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
3. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars; mix until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.
4. Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir just until combined.  Stir in oats, coconut and chips.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoon 2" apart on prepared sheets.  Bake for 10 minutes.