Pumpkin cookies from a box mix – even for people with food allergies

My Sister-in-law wrote this for our craft blog. You can read more about her story HERE.

When Fall hits here in Arizona, I have to do things to help me put myself in the Fall mood. We were still in the hundreds today…I’m talking about the temperature! It is hard to remember it is Fall with heat like this. The first thing I usually do is adjust our menu to include more root vegetables, and baked chicken and even dip into pumpkin cookies. Oh yah. I’m talking about you Mr. Pumpkin. You are not just for carving faces into my friend.

Just like my 3 year old, I also have Eosinophilic Esophagitis. I try really hard to omit wheat /gluten, dairy, soy, beef, nuts, tree nuts, and really go easy on eggs too. I like to bake. I love the smell of some delish sugary confection baking in my oven. Heaven. As you could imagine, my EE doesn’t leave a lot of sweets in my diet. Well, not sweets that won’t make me sick.

I used to always make sure that I had at least one cake mix and one cookie mix on hand for those last minute play dates or childhood emergencies that would call for fresh baked cookies a.s.a.p.! Our paternal Grandma always has the best-tasting-really-bad-for-you- recipes in her baking arsenal. Years ago she sent us all a package with all kinds of fall recipes. You know, church ladies kind of recipes. Yah, you know what I’m talking about now. Recipes smothered in gravies and cheese and other items that should never really be considered a real food, but we still put it in our dinner-kind of recipes. (How is that for a sentence?!) Wowza. My favorite was Spice Cake Pumpkin Cookies. Oh yah! Now we are talking. You know, you take a box mix of Spice Cake, and a can of pumpkin and mix it into heavenly yumminess. But, oh how a regular cake mix would make my insides hurt for a good two weeks.

I don’t have to suffer anymore!! Enter Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix. Oh yah, a gluten free cake mix in a box at a regular grocery store! I’m sure you could do this with Pamela’s or Bob’s cake mixes the same way. But sometimes you just need convenience my friends.

Now don’t look away my non-allergy friends. You too can make this with regular processed and packaged goods. You go buy yourself a regular cake mix or a regular spice cake mix, a can of pumpkin and some chocolate chips. You make it just the same way. And you non-allergy friends have a less gummy cookie. Mmmm.

• 1 package spice cake mix (I used Betty Crocker’s gluten free)
• 1 (15 oz) can solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie stuff ‘cause that contains other stuff, yes I am getting technical on you here.)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I used 1/3 cup Enjoy Life chips which are dairy, soy and gluten free)
• 2 tablespoons of vanilla (I have homemade from liquor that I am not allergic to)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your cookie sheet.

Mix your cake mix, pumpkin and chocolate chips. drop onto the cookie sheet. I flaten mine with a fork and sprinkle some sugar on mine. If you have Turbinado or Raw Sugar (or even just regular ol sugar) sprinkle some of that on top. Who doesn’t love some crunch on top of their cookies? Wait, don’t answer that.

Bake for about 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

These are more cake like than just a hard cookie.

Other variations could be:

add 1/2 cup raisins

add about 1/2 tsp ground ginger and 1/3 cup molasses to make a more ginger-bready kind.

I did the first batch with some added pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. The second (darker two) batch, I added the molasses. Both were good in their own right.

Below is an option that is not for those on a Dairy free diet (not sure about gluten in kisses because we know they aren't dairy free we don't buy them). Katrina

Last year, I used regular ol’ spice cake mix and pumpkin. I scooped some of the dough into my mini muffin tin.

Then I added some of these babies.

I think it was called Pumpkin Spice something or other. I got them at Target. They had a white chocolate kind of inside to them. I made the cookies this way because I thought it was like a twist to the peanut butter cookies with a kiss in each. This was over the top creamy-ness. If I told you I didn’t eat a ton of them, I would be lying. I would also need to confess they made me really sick. Oh my allergy overload. I learned my lesson! But you non-allergy friends who like white chocolate would likely enjoy this.

Enjoy your fall and make some quick cookies! Gluten-free or regular cake mix is up to you! I like having options;)

Anjeanette

Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies..GF/DF

I have some cookie dough that I made and froze. When ever I make gluten/dairy free cookies, I never bake the whole batch. They are best when they are fresh. The batter does well in the freezer. I defrosted the container and make a sheet of cookies. This recipe is my own version made gluten free from a cookie recipe I loosely followed. I think the original cookie was suppose to have 3 different kinds of chips. It was from a gifts in a jar cook book. Since I was making a dozen of them at the time I wanted to cut costs down and only use chocolate chips. So what I did was add coco powder and made them into chocolate chocolate chip cookies. So really I use the recipe to give me measurements. I tend to do this a lot. See a recipe and change something if I don't have everything it calls for. The only thing is that rice flour tends to be grainy. These are made with a mix of 3 different flours but I think I will start playing around and see if I can improve the texture. Though I think I need to do more research into what a good sub for rice flour would be. Grainy texture aside these are really tasty. I can eat wheat but my son can't and I would happily eat these for a cookie fix.

At the moment, I am moving some of my food post from my personal blog to this one. So I will come back and add the recipe later. What that means is that I need to make these cookies again so I can tell you the amounts of everything I used. ;) For this batch I winged it...

Sugar Cookies

For those people who want to make cut out cookies but can't have Gluten or Dairy this is the recipe for you! These are great! You don't have to refrigerate the dough before rolling out. In fact if the dough is cold it has a tendency to not stay together while rolling out. I like to roll it out between two pieces of wax paper (it tends to stick to plastic wrap). Bake them on parchment paper and they will slide right off the cookie sheet with out being broken. Anyway here is the recipe... Which can be found in the "Gluten Free Gourmet revised edition" cook book by Bette Hagman.

1 cup rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (Be sure it is gluten free vanilla extract)
1/4 cup (or more) potato starch flour for kneading
colored sugars, sprinkles or frosting for decorating (optional)

preheat oven to 350 In a small bowl, whisk together the flours, cornstarch, xanthan gum, and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and shortening. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, mixing enough to combine. The dough should form a soft ball.

With your hands, knead in enough of the potato starch flour to make the dough easy to handle and roll out. Working with half at a time, place a piece of plastic wrap over the ball and roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness. (if you roll them out too thick they don't keep the shape as well). Cut into desired shapes and place on uncreased cookie sheet (use parchment paper you will thank me).

Decorate with colored sugars before baking or use frosting after baking to decorate. Ball up the scraps of dough and roll out again (till you have used all of the dough, it will not get tough.)

Bake for about 13 minutes (or less depending on how large your cookie is, mini cookie cutters will need a little less time). Cool very slightly before removing from cookie sheet. (if the cool on the cookie sheet you will have a hard time getting them off in one piece.)

The cool thing about parchment paper is that you can just slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheet (cookies and all) and slide on another piece that you have been busy filling with more cutouts. By the time the 2nd batch has finished baking you will have been able to remove the cookies from the 1st parchment paper and filled it up with more cookies. Another hint is to use a metal spatula or turner or pie or cake knife to pick up the cut outs to transfer them to the cookie sheet/parchment paper as they can tear easily depending on the shape.

This recipe makes 3 dozen 2 1/2 inch cookies.

I made these one time for my son's 1st Birthday. I cut them out in fish shapes. After they were baked and cooled I covered the tops with royal icing and let that dry. When it was time for the party I brought them out along with food coloring markers. Many of the kids there were cousins and much old. All of them got to decorate their fish and then eat them. They were quite good and I am sure none of the kids noticed that they were a little different than usual. We have made these cookies many times.

I also have a gingersnaps recipe. If you want it leave me a comment and I will post it.