Pumpkins Galore!
19:42
Since Halloween is here and pumpkins are everywhere it seemed apt that my first recipe had to involve them.
I had so many ideas running around in my head of what I could do I couldn't just pick one but after deliberating I managed to rule it down to two quite different bakes - pumpkin peanut truffles and pumpkin oreos.
Pumpkin Peanut Truffles
Ingredients:
For the truffle centre:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoons oat flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
For the chocolate coating:
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
Method:
1. First of all, for the truffle centre, combine the peanut butter and the pumpkin pie spice.
2. Add the maple syrup and stir until smooth.
3. Add the oat flour little by little until you get a firm cookie-like dough. (If it's too wet add more flour, if it's too dry add more maple syrup to stick the dough together.)
4. Roll into tablespoon sized balls, place on a lined baking tray and put in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
5. While the truffle centres are in the freezer, melt the coconut oil in a bowl and mix in the cacao powder, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice until you have a smooth chocolate mixture.
6. Once the truffles are ready to come out the freezer coat them in the chocolate mixture - I found dipping them in using two forks worked well.
7. Place them back in the freezer once all are coated to set.
8. Keep the truffles in the freezer until you want them. I'd recommend taking them out 10-15 minutes before you want one to allow them to come to room temperature, making the centre extra truffly and fudgy.
*For the pumpkin spice mix, mix together 4 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.
Pumpkin Oreos
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1 cup oat flour
8 pitted dates (soaked in warm water for 30 minutes)
1/4 cup cacao powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
For the pumpkin centre:
1/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup pumpkin puree**
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Method:
1. Place the oat flour, dates, cacao powder, coconut oil and maple syrup into a food processor or blender. Blitz until it has formed a rough paste.
2. On a piece of parchment paper roll out the mixture to the thickness you desire for your cookies. (I went for 1/4" thick.)
3. Using a circular cookie cutter cut out the cookies. Transfer to a lined baking tray or plate and put into the freezer.
4. Whilst the cookies are in the freezer get on with the pumpkin filling.
5. Using a food processor or blender, blend the the pecans until they form a smooth paste.
6. In a bowl, mix together the pecan butter, pumpkin puree, brown rice syrup, peanut butter and pumpkin pie spice mix.
7. Remove the cookies from the freezer. Peel the cookies off the paper and put into pairs.
8. Put a dollop of the filling on one side of the cookie - I used a piping bag to get an even measure.
9. Stick the cookies together and store in the freezer, taking out 15 minutes before you'd like to eat, to allow the cookie to come to room temperature.
** For the pumpkin puree, cut a pumpkin into chunks, place on a baking tray and drizzle with a little oil (I use rapeseed). Roast for 30 minutes until tender. Leave to cool before blitzing into a smooth puree in a blender or food processor.
In these recipes I use, for example, cacao where you could easily use cocoa powder in place, or brown rice syrup where maple syrup/honey/agave could be substituted. Feel free to play around with the ingredients to suit your preferences.
If you do attempt these let me know how it goes!
Happy baking!
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