Old Fashioned Pumpkin Penuche Recipes

EASY PENUCHE

Steps:

• Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a heavy bottomed 2 quart saucepan over medium-low heart, stirring as needed.
• Stir in the brown sugar and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Gently pour in the milk and stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil.
• Remove from heat and let cool for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the mixture is lukewarm or at room temperature.
• Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Stir in powdered sugar, one to one-half cup at a time, stirring until completely combined. Add powdered sugar just until the mixture is thick and has the consistency of fudge. (It wall harden as it chills.)
• Stir in coarsely chopped pecans.
• Spoon into the prepared loaf pan and top with additional pecans if desired.
• Cover and cool until firm.
• Cut into squares and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH PENUCHE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, cream together shortening, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and white sugar. Mix in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in walnuts. Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on wire racks.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the 3 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute, or until slightly thickened. Cool slightly, then stir in the milk, and beat until smooth. Gradually stir in 2 cups confectioners' sugar until frosting has reached desired consistency. Spread on cooled cookies.

OLD FASHIONED PENUCHE

Steps:

• 1. Combine first 5 ingredients in saucepan.
• 2. Stir over med. heat to dissolve sugar.
• 3. Cook to 234° or until a little dropped in cold water forms a soft ball. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat. PEGGI'S NOTE: This only took about 5 minutes to reach the soft ball stage for me,once it started to boil, which is 250° on my candy thermometer. I tested it at 234° & it still would not form a ball until 250°.
• 4. Add... butter.
• 5. Let stand without stirring until bottom of pan is lukewarm (120°). PEGGI'S NOTE: This took about an hour to cool to 120°. If forming into nut roll, add vanilla now & continue to cool until all the way cool & pliable enough to knead. This took me 2 hours of cooling total to form into somewhat of a log. Then I wraped in wax paper & froze for 30 minutes. Then rolled in nuts.
• 6. ADD...vanilla.
• 7. Beat until creamy.
• 8. Mix in ...1/2 cup chopped nuts. *Toast pecans or walnuts in 250° oven for 1 hour first.
• 9. Pour into greased 8 or 9" square pan. Cut into squares.
• 10. This is another way to prepare this as suggested in an old cook book. EASY NUT ROLL: Turn out cooled fudge onto buttered waxed paper. Knead or fold over several times. Shape into 12" roll. Place on waxed paper covered with cut-up nuts. Roll up in the paper. Chill. Slice.