Soft pumpkin cookies with caramel frosting

If you have a pumpkin recipe that you already love, you will be replacing it with this one. I promise! This is my all time favorite cookie. Hands down!!

Cookie
2 cups sugar
2 cups butter
1 16 oz can of pumpkin
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp allspice or cloves

Cream together sugar and margarine. Mix together rest of the ingredients. Bake at 350*f for 12-15 minutes on a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper. Frost when cooled.

Caramel icing
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Icing sugar

Bring margarine and brown sugar to a boil. Add rest of ingredients. Let cool then beat in icing sugar until desired consistency. Makes 66 cookies using 1TBSP - 130 calories
Or 3 dozen with an ice cream scoop

lemon ricotta cookies with lemon glaze

two thoughts:

1. parchment paper rocks my kitchen world. it is seriously the best kitchen invention ever & I'm not sure how I survived 31 years without it. it almost deserves an entire blog post, and no, it's not the same thing as waxed paper.

2. ricotta cheese & the whole reason for this post... I always buy ricotta cheese & then forget about it until it goes bad... or I don't use it all up in time. it almost happened again, so I googled ricotta cheese recipes & found this little gem; thanks, giada.
I just pulled them out of the oven, so I haven't glazed them yet or let them cool, but so far, so delicious! I'll bring some to book club on friday... if there are any left...

(photo by my iphone)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese (I used "part skim")
  
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 1 lemon, zested (I used dried orange peel)
  

Oven to 375º F.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (giada says "about 2 tablespoons for each cookie," I say "1TB or less for each cookie & leave some space, these babies spread.") onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

Christmas cookies

It's that time of year! Time to start baking Christmas cookies! I love baking cookies and every year I make my traditional favorites (such as these) and try some new recipes that I may or may not make again. Last year I made neopolitan cookies for the first time. I found this recipe in my William Sonoma cookie cookbook that I received as a wedding gift. I decided that the recipe was a keeper. I love how these cookies look. They remind me of neopolitan ice cream. Each color layer has a different flavor and together they make a great cookie! Here is the recipe for these fabulous cookies. What are your favorite holiday cookies?

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4teaspoon grated nutmeg (I grate it fresh)
1-2 drops red food coloring
1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar (I use the kitchen aide). Stir in the eggs and vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir into the creamed mixture. Divide dough equally into three small bowls. Add red food coloring to one portion; stir until thoroughly mixed. Mix chocolate and pecans or walnuts into second bowl, and nutmeg into the third bowl.

Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with waxed paper, and spread almond dough evenly in the bottom of the pan. Spread the walnut dough evenly over the almond layer, and top with chocolate dough layer. Cover layered dough with waxed paper, and place in the refrigerator until firm, about 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Turn out chilled dough by inverting pan; peel off waxed paper. With sharp knife, cut dough lengthwise in half. Slice each half of dough crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Place slices on cookie sheet one inch apart.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until light brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies

Merry Christmas!!

(for a twist you could color the layers red, green and white for Christmas!)

I submitted this recipe for the contest called "Eat Christmas Cookies" taking place here

Making whoopie pies

Here is a little history of the whoopie pie: It has sometimes been called a "gob" or "black-and-white." It is a traditional cookie of the Pennsylvania Dutch. My Aunt Vicky is from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and is a huge fan of whoopie pies. They bring back many childhood memories for her. For Christmas I have made a slightly different version of this cookie with peanut butter filling. Around Halloween time I also make pumpkin pie whoopies. These cookies would put a smile on anyone's face during these dark days of winter! my whoopie pies don't look as perfect as they do on epicurious, but they have character
For cakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar1 large egg


For filling

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

11/4 cups confectioners sugar

1 cup marshmallow cream such as Marshmallow Fluff

1 teaspoon vanilla


The step by step


Preheat oven to 350°F.
Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilkand vanilla in a small bowl. Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.
Spoon 1/4-cup mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 buttered large baking sheets. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.


Make filling: Beat together butter, confectioners sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Assemble pies: Spread a rounded tablespoon filling on flat sides of half of cakes and top with remaining cakes.

Cooks' notes: • Cakes can be made 3 days ahead and kept, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature. • Filling can be made 4 hours ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

I found this recipe on epicurious.com

Nutella Kisses

1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup nutella
sugar in the raw

preheat oven to 350. mix dry ingredients and set aside. cream butter and sugars. add egg and vanilla until smooth and then add in nutella. add dry ingredients slowly.

roll into balls and roll in raw sugar (any granular sugar will do). bake 8 min and remove from oven. top with chocolate kiss and back 3 more min.

afghan cookies

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200	g butter (14 Tb if I did my math right?)
1/2	cup sugar
1 1/2	cups plain flour
2	tablespoons cocoa powder
1	cup corn flakes, slightly crushed
1/2	cup flaked coconut

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, sift together flour and cocoa and mix into butter mix, then fold in cornflakes and coconut.
2. Put teaspoonful balls onto lightly greased or baking paper covered trays.
3. Bakes at 325 F for 15-20 minutes.
4. Makes about 40 little cookies
   

Sugar Cookies & Icing

We had these at Alanna's baby shower

1/2 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 3/4 Cups of Flour
1 Tablespoon Milk
1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Cookie Sheet

Preheat oven to 375°
If using a dark cookie sheet, reduce heat 25 degrees.

Cream Butter and Sugar
Add Egg and Mix
Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth
Refrigerate dough 2 hours

Roll out dough 1/8 inch think on lightly floured surface
Dip Cutters into lfour before each use.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet

Bake @ 375° for 9 mins or until lightly brown

Place on cooling rack for 15 minutes

Remove from sheet and cool

Makes 18 - 24 cookies.

These are from the Wilton Cookie Cutters.

Cool Completely and Frost

Recipe For ~ Royal Icing
3 Tablespoons of Meringue Powder
1 bl. (4 Cups) Confectioners’ Sugar (about 1 lb.)
6 Tablespoon of Warm Water
Food Coloring

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7 – 10 minutes at low speed with heavy duty mixer, 10 – 12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer).
For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water

Recipe makes 3 cups