Thursday, November 17, 2016

Pumped for Pumpkin

Pumpkin dip with gluten-free ginger molasses cookies:
Next best thing to Grandma's pumpkin pie!
Nothing says “Thanksgiving” like pumpkin pie. But if you have celiac disease, pumpkin pie, at least the kind that Grandma makes, is out of the question. Sure, you can make your own gluten-free pumpkin pie crusts or you can even purchase pre-made GF crusts in the frozen foods section of your local health food stores. Somehow, those crusts never “pan out” for me.

I’ve stumbled upon a great work-around for pumpkin pie, though. I was in Mama Jean’s (a lovely health food store in Springfield, MO) a few weeks ago, and a young woman was handing out samples of pumpkin dip with WOW Baking Company’s Ginger Molasses Wheat & Gluten Free Cookies (and these are like the kind of cookies Grandma makes). Oh, sweet mother of pearl! I don’t know if I was starving to death at the time or what, but when I tasted that combo, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven! I’ve made the dip twice since then, the first time with the recipe she gave me and the second time from my memory of the recipe, which I seem to have misplaced. (Yes, I’ve misplaced both my memory and the recipe, so read it how you will.)

Anyway, here’s the approximation to her recipe (which turned out to be mighty tasty, if I say so myself):

Wow Cookies are good
even without the dip!
Pumpkin Dip

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat variety), softened
2 C. powdered sugar
1 15-oz. can of pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 T. cinnamon
1 T. pumpkin pie spice

Blend the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth. Gradually mix in the pumpkin. Then add the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice and mix well. (I like my dip with lots of spice, but don’t hesitate to cut back on the spices a bit, if you prefer.) Chill before serving (if you can wait that long). Serve with gluten-free ginger snap cookies or apple slices.

Enjoy! And have a Happy Thanksgiving!