Using Up Every Last Bit of That Can of Pumpkin

I don' t know about you but I have found myself throwing away the left over pumpkin puree that my recipe didn't call for. This time I was determined to use it all up. I made 3 different recipes from one 15 oz can of pumpkin puree!! I was pretty excited...just ask my husband.

Recipe #1:

Neely's Whoopie Pumpkin Pies (from the FoodNetwork)

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 
  

Filling:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• 
  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Using a stand mixer, add the butter and sugar and beat together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, then the buttermilk and the vanilla. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients in increments to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Drop heaping tablespoons of the batter onto parchment lined sheet trays, leaving a 2-inch space between each cookie. Put in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on rack.

Beat together the cream cheese and butter, in a small bowl, until smooth. Slowly add in the confectioner’s sugar. Once smooth, add the pumpkin puree, the cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth and well mixed.

To assemble the cookie, spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling to the flat side of a cookie and sandwich with another. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

I would highly recommend putting these together just before serving as indicated. I however made them and left them at room temp. for about 3 hours. The cookie became too soft, but we had one the next day after it was refrigerated and it was way better!!

Recipe #2:

Pumpkin Pancakes

I got this recipe from a Krusteaz coupon, but I had bisquick at home so I just made the pancake recipe and added the brown sugar, spices, and pumpkin...it came out amazing!!!!

Ingredients

2 cups Krusteaz Buttermilk pancake mix
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Mix together and make the BEST pancakes you have ever had!!! I'm making these for Christmas morning this year for sure!

Also it suggests Maple Whipping Cream..yum I didn't have any heavy whipping cream at the time but I will next time:)

Maple Whipping Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp maple syrup
ground cinnamon

Recipe #3:

On this last one I didn't actually measure the pumpkin but it looked like a cup was left and they came out amazing!!!! I added some chocolate chips and I used dried cranberries instead, also I didn't have an orange so no zest (I wish I had cause I love orange zest in recipes).

Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cranberries
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp orange zest
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheets (I used parchment paper)

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, egg and pumpkin. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir into mixture until well blended. Cut the cranberries in half and stir into mixture along with the orange zest and walnuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 10-12 minutes.