Mini Pumpkin Pies

Okay so these are the easiest desserts and are super cute for holiday parties or just for your friends or family. Use your favorite pumpkin recipe or you can just use Libby's (the back of the pie can), however much effort you want to put into it. You can make your own pie crust or just take the easy way out and buy pie crusts from the store :)

Since I didn't have a unique recipe... and since making a pumpkin pie is one of the easiest I thought you could handle it. It's literally mixing the dry things together (sugar and cinnamon etc) in one bowl; and beating the eggs and pie in a can mix in the other. Then adding the dry mix into the wet mix, and stirring in the evaporated milk. I put the whole pumpkin mixture into a measuring cup so that it was easy to pour...

To make them MINI!!!
If you have a pumpkin cookie cutter or just a cup with a wide mouth, use that to cut out circles of your dough.

 

Put them in a muffin pan!

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the muffin pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes - really keep an eye on them. To test it you can put a clean finger in the center of a pie and make sure it's not still liquid.

And there you have it - cute mini pies! Add some whipped cream and you're done!  This will make about a 18 mini pies.

I shared them with friends, and they loved the little treat! Hope you can do the same! 

If you liked this recipe check out the pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting they've been quite a hit! Pumpkin Cookies!

~Melissa

Pumpkin Spice Latte
MORE PUMPKIN STUFF! 
I had seen this recipe for a pumpkin spice latte using a crockpot; and I've recently become obsessed with my crockpot so I was actually super excited. I was going to post how to make it and everything for you but... after making it... I was totally unimpressed. So I didn't give up, I used another pumpkin spice latte directions - no crockpot but same ingredients - and got way different results!

So my post is late, only because I would never tell ya'll to make something and say it's good without making it and tasting it myself. So my first advice - keep that crockpot in the pantry, use it for some other delicious meal.

Ingredients
2 cups of milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
1 – 2 tablespoons sugar (or sugar substitute like stevia or splenda)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1-4 shots espresso or very strong coffee (If you get a bold or xbold coffee and use double amount of grounds per cup you'll get the coffee to be very "espresso like")
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I couldn't find pumpkin pie spice... so if you find it let me know where it is! BUT you can use 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg 1/8 a teaspoon of cloves 1/4 a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of ground ginger)
Whipped Cream (optional)

Directions
First brew the coffee - either espresso or just strong coffee. You do not have to buy espresso beans, buy a bold or xbold flavor that you would like to drink even after you make this drink! That way, no waste!

Then add milk - soy, 2%, skim, whatever kind you prefer - pumpkin puree, sugar, and the pumpkin spices in a small saucepan. Mix them together in a sauce pan. Heat the sauce pan about medium heat, so that it gets very hot, but not boiling.

Once it's very hot, remove from heat and add the vanilla extract.

 

Okay the pictures are kind of boring and not super helpful... so I just have one of the saucepan!

Transfer saucepan contents to blender or milk frother and blend/froth until the liquid becomes a little thicker or "frothy".

I'm not sure how big your mug is so you can pour about one cup or 3/4ths of the mug full with the pumpkin milk mixture and add your espresso (1 to 4 "shots"). If you don't like the taste of coffee that much, add more of the pumpkin milk mixture and less of the coffee, if you like it stronger, do the opposite! I added whipped cream and put a little bit of cinnamon on top.

This recipe makes two smaller mugs or one and a half bigger mugs. If you would like to make more just double or triple the recipe ingredients!

This would be a fun thing to have for a halloween get together or just a special treat when spending time with family and friends! Enjoy! I know I did!!

Did you notice the mug is a Coca Cola mug... what can I say SHE is from Atlanta!!! :)

Until Next Week!! ~ Melissa