Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

With the gloomy weather yesterday and some canned pumpkin sitting on the shelf. I decided it was time to make some cookies I have been dreaming about: pumpkin sandwich cookies with cream cheese frosting.

I am not sure what made me crave them, but the result was a wonderful, cake-like cookie with a very tasty frosting center. 

I also thought on a gloomy day it would be a nice surprise for my husband when he got home from a long day of class.

Here is what I did:

Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

For Cookies:

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 c. milk

1/2 c. butter

1 egg

1 c. canned pumpkin

For Frosting:

4 oz cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp butter

 

cinnamon to taste

2 c. powder sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°

Cookies:

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in bowl and set aside. 

 Beat together brown sugar and softened butter.

 I used our mixture, but it can be done by hand.

Beat the sugar and butter until smoothly blended.

Add in pumpkin, egg, milk, and vanilla.

Beat until well blended. 

 Add flour mixture slowly into bowl and beat slowly until smooth. Consistency will be creamy and fluffy somewhat like cake batter.

Drop batter/dough by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 9-10 minutes (I checked after 9 and put in for an additional minute). Allow to cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet and transfer to cooling rack. 

**These cookies did not flatten or spread out so a flat edge cookie sheet worked fine.**

Frosting:

Combine cream cheese, vanilla, butter and cinnamon(to taste).

Beat until smooth.

Add powder sugar to cream cheese mixture.

Beat powder sugar and cream cheese mixture together until creamy.

**Add a pinch of salt if needed**

 Cookie Assemblage:

 Allow cookies to cool completely.

Frost bottom of one cookie and place another cookie bottom towards frosting on top.

 If desired sprinkle cookie sandwiches with powder sugar.

 Here is where I got just a little carried away taking pictures of the cookies...it was a good way of stopping myself from eating them all before Joel got home...

COOKIES!!!

Yum! These cake like cookies are a great fall treat and perfect with a glass of milk.

 Enjoy!!

Shrimp & Sweet Potato Cakes (Think Crab Cakes)

With sweet potatoes at home I wanted to find another way to use them besides sweet potato fries (I am afraid I will be very disappointed should I attempt them as they will probably taste nothing like the Trader Joe's ones). Last night I did a little searching and found the idea of shrimp & sweet potato cakes. I altered several different recipes I found, catering them to both our taste in food and what I had on hand. 

The result of this food experiment, was a delicious little cake that is very reminiscent of a crab cake, but also differently flavored. We topped them on spinach and baby cucumbers that were lightly seasoned with white balsamic vinegar. 

If not obvious already...I LOVE balsamic. 

These little guys would be great on there own as well though...or dipped in a garlic butter sauce. Mmmm butter. We went a little healthier than that option with our salad though.

So here's how to do it:

Shrimp & Sweet Potato Cakes

Ingredients:

shrimp (about 8 ounces)

2 sweet potatoes

1 clove garlic

cilantro (leaves from 5-10 stems - or to taste)

3 green onions

1tsp coriander seeds, black pepper (to taste), 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cumin 

1/2 c. cracker or bread crumbs

Method:

Thaw shrimp if frozen, remove tails and coarsely chop.

Pierce sweet potatoes and microwave for 5 minutes or until soft. Remove skins and mash in bowl.

 Saute minced garlic until fragrant with cilantro, then mash in with potatoes. 

 Crush coriander seeds and saute until fragrant with pepper and cumin. Add spices to sugar and salt and mix with crumbs.

Combine spices/crumbs, green onions, and shrimp with potato mixture.

 Preheat oven to 375°

 Form mixture into patties (I made 8 approx 2" patties)

Lightly coat patties in flour. 

 Heat 3 tbsp oil in pan and brown each patty for about 2 minutes per side.

 Add additional oil if needed. Patties will be golden on each side.

 

 Place on cookie sheet. If desired sprinkle with course salt. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before serving. Num!

Again we paired it with a spinach salad and balsamic, but they would be great alone too :)