Pumpkin Dip Birthday Cake (and Pie!)

Pumpkin dip, I think it's Eric's favorite dessert. I usually only make it once a year in the fall, but Eric begs for it all year long so I promised to make him a pumpkin dip cake for his birthday. Well, his birthday falls two days after Valentine's Day. I had made a strawberry and chocolate cake for Valentine's Day (plus we had two boxes of chocolates) so we decided to hold off on the pumpkin dip cake until now. When he got home from work, I had a pumpkin dip cake, pumpkin dip pie, and plain old pumpkin dip waiting for him.

So this isn't really a new recipe. But I always post Eric's birthday cakes and I wanted to carry on with tradition.

Mini Pumpkin Dip Cake

Single Serving Pumpkin Dip Pie

Pumpkin Dip and Cinnamon Sugar Pastry Sticks

Ingredients:
Pumpkin Dip
8 ounce brick of cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 8-ounce tub cool whip, thawed

Cinnamon Sugar Pastries
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
5 to 7 tablespoon cold water
cinnamon-sugar mix (1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon)


Directions:
Pumpkin Dip
Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until it's creamy. Add sugar, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice and mix well. Gently fold in cool whip. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

Cinnamon Sugar Pastries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening using two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the mixture is moist and can be pressed into a ball. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured board or work surface, roll the dough out so it has a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out shapes using small cookie cutters. Dredge the pastry shapes in cinnamon-sugar mix, shake off extra spices, and place on a cookie sheet. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly golden.

Enjoy!

~Krissy