Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Pin It

Fall is here!!!  My favorite season just lifts my spirits and makes me so happy.  I love the smells, the food, the decor, the holidays, the cooler weather, and just everything about fall. 
Sorry it has taken so long for me to post!  School started, which for me, means that I started work again as a PE teacher at my kids' elementary school.  It's only 14.5 hours a week but I am still adjusting to getting things at home done and working outside the home.  I absolutely love my job though, and feel so blessed that it is mine! 
These simple, pumpkin cookies are just perfect for this time of year.  When my son ate one he said, "Mom these taste like Halloween!" It was so cute! 

ICED PUMPKIN COOKIES

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 C white sugar
1 C canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
------------------------------
2 C confectioner's sugar
3 TB milk
1 TB melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 C butter and white sugar.  Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 tsp vanilla to butter mixture, beat until creamy.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls. 

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until edges are slightly browned.  

For the glaze, combine confectioner's sugar, milk, 1 TB melted butter, and 1 tsp vanilla.  Add milk as needed to achieve drizzling consistency.

Once cookies are mostly cooled, drizzle the icing over them with a fork. 

Makes 3 dozen.

Milk Chocolate Gingersnaps

Pin It

Excuse the "brown on brown" picture here but this was taken right before my desserts class started and I was in a hurry.  I am so excited, though, because I have asked for a really cool light for Christmas to help with my food photography.  Can't wait to take some much better pictures! 

I have to tell you a funny story about these cookies.  These have become a must when baking for friends and family during the holidays.  They are fantastic!  Last weekend I was a baking fool and spent all of Saturday and Sunday within the confines of my kitchen.  My plan was to double this recipe which would make about 60 cookies.  So I whipped them up and when I went to scoop and roll them in the sugar I could tell the consistency was not right.  I double checked the recipe and I had QUADRUPLED the BUTTER.  What?!?!  By the time I started on these Sunday afternoon I think I had lost my mind a little reading "a cup of this, a teaspoon of that, etc" all weekend!  So I got out my gigantic plastic pop-up Pampered Chef bowl that Ben said I'd never need and put all the dough in that :) Then just doubled everything but the butter and added that to the bowl.  There was so much that I just had to use my hands to mix it all up.  So instead of 60 cookies I made 120!  It turned out to be a good thing, though, because I just put them in the freezer and have been adding them to plates for friends AND the kids and Ben have been able to eat them without me slapping their hands and saying "These are for our friends and family not us!"  :) 

Check out the site http://www.recipegirl.com/ because it is really great.  She has so many holiday cookie recipes that I want to try!

MILK CHOCOLATE GINGERSNAPS

http://www.reipegirl.com/

2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp ground ginger
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup molasses
1½ cups (about 9 ounces) milk chocolate chips
¼ cup granulated sugar

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Add egg and molasses and mix until blended. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate. Mix in the chocolate chips.

3. Spread granulated sugar on a large piece of wax or parchment paper. Roll a rounded Tablespoon of dough between the palms of your hands into a 1¼-inch ball. Roll ball in sugar. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake cookies one sheet at a time until they feel firm on top but soft in the center and have several cracks, about 14 minutes.

4. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Use a wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: About 30 cookies

Cooking Tips
*Cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
**Finished cookies may also be frozen until ready to place on cookie platters.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pin It

Anything with the word chocolate twice in the title HAS to be good right?  That's what I thought when I found this recipe.  It definitely delivered!  Very very good.  Almost like a brownie cookie.  If you are a chocolate lover like me then you will be adding this recipe to your favorites!

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

(http://www.allrecipes.com/)

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Pin It

Sorry I've been a little M.I.A. this week from my blog but my little sis, Farrah, is here visiting and we've been busy busy busy. We mainly have been busy EATING! Why is it that when I have visitors most of the visit is centered around what we eat, where we eat, when we eat, and what we are going to cook? Farrah is a foodie like me and I am scared to weigh myself after this week is over! One time when she visited me years ago and I lived in San Antonio, we made these cookies together and they were amazing. I had totally forgotten about them until I was browsing recipes trying to figure out what we could make together. They came out perfectly and we had fun making them! How did I ever forget these??? They are also called Homemade Oreos but I like to name them something more generic I guess. They are best after they chill in the fridge and I think they would freeze well. They never last long enough in my house to make it to the freezer though! We frosted these thick and still had frosting leftover so I think next time I'll either half the frosting or double the cookies. You might like the frosting even thicker so follow this recipe as is if you like. Don't you love the little plate they're on? I saw it at Anthropologie and had to have it. Luckily it was on super sale at only $3! Oh, and it's not my fault if you gain 5 lbs eating all of them yourself or if you get a tummy ache because you can't stop eating them!

CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES


1 Devil's Food cake mix
3/4 C shortening
1/2 C butter
2 eggs
8 oz package cream cheese
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix cake mix, shortening, and eggs. Dough will be thick. Roll into balls and smash to desired size. Bake at 350 for 5-8 minutes. Don't overbake! Completely cool cookies. Mix remaining ingredients together and frost between 2 cookies.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pin It
This recipe is from my favorite recipe finder website www.allrecipes.com. It said "High Altitude" Banana Chocolate Chip cookies but it says for a lower elevation to "increase baking powder to two teaspoons, and reduce flour to three and one quarter cups." They are cakey and soft and delicious! My kids absolutely love these too! Be careful not to overcook these or they will get dry really fast. You only want the edges to be a very light golden brown. The top doesn't need to brown.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed banana
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and mashed banana. Mix in the dry ingredients until just blended, then fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
3.Bake for 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven or until edges are just barely light brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.