Saturday, September 26, 2009

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

gluten free pumpkin cookies

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.

gluten free pumpkin cookies from a mix

  • 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.

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

pumpkin cookies

Then I added some of these babies.

pumpkin for cookies

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


Falling for Fall

11 comments:

RootsAndWingsCo said...

AMEN TO OPTIONS!!!! I am so glad you tried this. I wonder if I could get my kids to eat cookies with pumpkin in them. Maybe I will make some and not tell them. ;)

I end up making so many gluten and dairy free foods myself just so that we can have the options. I could go on and on on this subject...but I won't. ;)

Lovely Anjeanette, just lovely.
Katrina

mommabear said...

Oh, these are sooo good! I made these in muffin tins for my son's first birthday a few years ago with an organic vanilla cake mix and a can of organic pumpkin. They made the abolute best muffins...which I frosted to be cupcakes! If you didn't already know, these freeze extremely well, just microwave to defrost, YUM!

CitricSugar said...

Perfect timing - I have been craving pumpkin for about a week now and finally have the time to do something about it. You've inspired me!

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Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality said...

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LollyChops said...

I never even knew they had pumpkin spice kisses!!! I steer clear of that isle in the grocery. Toooo dangerous!

me said...

Oh my gosh I could kiss ya! I am a preschool teacher that likes to incorporate cooking skills. I have 5 epipens in my class for all the food allergies. My families are fantastic but I had no idea betty made gluten free products! I too have food sensitivity. Can't wait to try.

Ladybug said...

I could just hug you. I cannot wait to try these!!!

phasejumper said...

Yum- I knew about this recipe as muffins, but not as a cookie...I like butterscotch chips in mine!

Missy said...

I love your pumpkin twist on a classic Peanut Butter Blossom, especially since peanut butter and I are not friends...darn allergies. I must try these cookies. Thanks for all the great tips in your awesome blog, I will frequent often!