Drunken Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

These are not your grandma's snickerdoodles!  Our cocktail twist on an old fashioned favorite: Drunken Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.  You've seen my "Old Fashioned" Snickerdoodles from a few years ago.  This time around, I used the same vintage cocktail flavors and brought them more modern and swingin' with the addition of that fall baking favorite, Pumpkin.  

Jacqueline shared some snickerdoodles with me last week and I loved how her addition of applesauce made them soft and not thin and crumbly like in some snickerdoodle recipes.  The apple was so subtle, but just a nice nuance.  I have wanted to make a pumpkin version of my "old fashioned" snickerdoodles, so the time was right with the cooler temperatures and the age-old hankerin' for the smell of cinnamon and pumpkin in the kitchen.  

These are light and fluffy and almost cakey.  If you like your snickerdoodles more chewy, you can reduce the number of eggs.  There are lots pumpkin snickerdoodle recipes on the Internet that have no eggs and the result is very chewy.  Also, as these have less cream of tartar than more traditional snickerdoodles, they won't have that distinctive taste...Something for which I was down graded on my entry to last year's state fair.  The judges just didn't get my play on words, either, noting the name "Old Fashioned" meaning my twist on cocktail meets cookie.

A combination that's sure to please both young and young at heart...The addition of the pumpkin makes them almost feel 'healthy,' while the addition of the white chocolate chips makes them a bit more elegant. 

Who doesn't enjoy a good oldie but goody, right?

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Spiced Rum Pumpkin Poppers

I made these awhile ago. Actually, I think I made them in September, the very moment the temperature dropped below 90, giving me the courage to fire up my oven. The novelty of the fall season and the brisk 80 degree weather inspired me to bake something with pumpkin, as you do in the fall. I don't really have a good reason for why it's taken me so long to post these, but I feel like my timing is actually impeccable. It seems like a huge chunk of our population needs a reminder: it's still fall! 

It's the first week of November, and we're (still!) in the middle of my favorite season. Even though we're in California, the weather is decidedly crisp, and someone wisely had the foresight to plant lots of Chinese Pistache, Liquid Ambers, and Maple trees so my neighborhood is (still!) awash in brilliant color. The days are getting shorter, but I'm just not in a hurry to rush right into the Christmas season. Holiday decorations are already popping up everywhere, the State Capitol's tree was delivered today, and I'll admit that I got a peppermint mocha, in a cute red cup, from Starbucks today. Technically, red is also a fall color, so I told myself I was celebrating FALL. I love Christmas, but fall is SO very lovely - can't we just enjoy it awhile longer?

Will these convince you?

Spiced rum pumpkin poppers. Sit down & stay awhile.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Buttered Rum Frosting

Even though my thermometer read 88 degrees today, and Macy's seems to think it's Christmas already, fall is in the air. The leaves on my Chinese Pistache tree are just beginning to turn red, and the mornings are crisp and cool. This is my favorite time of year, and I'm so excited that the weather is finally cooling off -- I don't feel as though I'm taking my life in my hands every time I turn on the oven to bake!

So, to get into the spirit of the season (yes, Macy's. Fall is a season. Remember fall??) I whipped up these cupcakes to celebrate fall's arrival.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Buttered Rum Frosting

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Caramel Pumpkin Bourbon Cake

  

Amazingly moist with just the right splash of bourbon for a cold or rainy January day.
Bottoms Up!

I found the basis for this recipe on My Mother's Apron Strings, a wonderful baking blog created by my friend, Susan.  I met Susan through her blog and the gift of her friendship has been one of the highlights of last year for me.  I used Susan's recipe for Caramel Pumpkin Pound Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce as my inspiration for this BIWB, bourbon-infused pound cake.   Friends in Baking: an amazing gift.

I changed Susan's recipe a bit and made a modification on the use of the sauce.  I decided that I wanted to make a bourbon-soaked cake, so I used the same recipe for soaking sauce as in my Almost Tortuga Rum Cake.  I also switched things up and used vanilla bean paste, again one of the BIWB secret ingredients.  I love this stuff! 

Thankfully, the Old Crow is almost gone...

On to the "real" stuff: Jim Beam!! 

Sharing this recipe over at Cake of the Week's Baking with Spirit Challenge for October: Autumnal!  Check out all the creative and boozy Baking with Spirit Challenges!