Pumpkin Drop Crackle Cookies

473.  Here is a sweet, soft pumpkin cookie that is great for sharing.  

You will come back to this cookie year after year.

"I am falling in love with autumn, the smell of warm cider, the orange color leaves, pumpkins everywhere, and the crips breeze."

~ Charmaine J. Forde

Sugar Cookies

462. Sugar Cookies decorated with royal icing is an art.  I am amazed when I watch experienced bakers apply royal icing with finesse and skill to handmade sugar cookies.  And their cookie decorations are phenomenally beautiful.

Now, baking is a joy of mine and this was a great challenge to tackle. At Christmas I have made decorated sugar cookies but the cookies I would need to make were Winnie the Pooh themed.  We looked on-line and locally but the cost was astronomical.  So...this became my task to create Pooh cookies and challenge myself to a new level.

I researched so many pictures, cookie ideas and sites to gain a perspective and plan.  Here is my pictorial process.

 

I loved these piping bags and rubber loops that secured the bags so very well.

There were so many great tutorials on-line with step-by-step processes and suggestions.  If you google or search on YouTube or Instagram it is incredible how many great bakers and artisans are lending their creativity and advise.

Several products that were suggested include Pooh Cookie Cutters; Ann Clark Bright White Food Coloring Gel; Judee's Complete Meringue Powder Mix; LorAnn Butter Vanilla Bakery Emulsion; 122 Pieces Tipless Piping Bags;3pcs Black Food Coloring Markers (edible) and of course, powder sugar and food coloring. 

Cost-wise, this may have spent my time but not my wallet.  And, the fulfillment of the finished product is priceless.

Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies

459. It is PSL Season!  And any time of the year is the perfect time for a Snicker Doodle cookie.  But since it is that season of pumpkin spice everything, I took my cookies to a different flavor level.

This is a basic cookie with a superb flavor and they are fail-proof.

“The pumpkin is a uniquely American plant, widely regarded as one of the most magical plants in all the world."

~Seth Adam Smith

Cinnamon Crunch Coffee Cake Muffins

457.  Coffee cake is a classic pairing with coffee or tea for an afternoon teatime or dessert after a meal.  This Cinnamon Crunch Muffin recipe creates the perfect individual coffee cake bite but you could also make a coffee cake with this same recipe.

"Coffee and cake, the most perfect combination."

~ Anonymous

Family Circle's Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies

455.  A peanut butter cookie remains a favorite of mine for years.  I have since limited my intake of peanut butter because, I just feel better when I don't eat it every day.  I switched to pistachios and walnuts for my plant protein but they don't tick that box like peanut butter does for me.

When I was newly married, I would purchase the Family Circle Magazine for all the great recipes and articles.  That is where I first discovered this recipe and its one I return to each time I bake peanut butter cookies.  To me, it is the perfect cookie; soft in the center, crispy on the edges, and it melts in your mouth.

It is also one of the recipes that is taped to the inside of my kitchen cabinet door.  Not many recipes make it to the kitchen cabinet door but only the tried-and-true, go-to recipes that I love.  I learned this from my mom :).  It just works for me.

Here is my copy directly from the magazine:

I have adjusted the temperature to 370, don't "grease" the cookie sheet but use parchment paper, gently roll  pieces of dough into a ball but flatten slightly and then tap the top of the cookie in sugar.  I place my fork in water before pressing it on the top of each cookie before baking and, bake for 9 minutes.  I make my cookies larger and it yields about 18 cookies.  If you actually followed this recipe and made the tinier cookies at this high temp for 12 minutes, you would end up with over-baked cookies.  And, you wouldn't want to make this mistake.

After cookies come out of the oven I slide the parchment paper onto a cool surface carefully then place new parchment paper on the cookie sheet.   The cookies are very delicate right out of the oven and will break apart and crumble if you try to move them with a spatula.  And, letting them stand on the hot cookie sheet for 5 minutes just continues the baking process on the hot sheet pan.

Once the cookies cool, they are more sturdy and you can move them easily.

I have also added chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanuts, peanut chips in the past and they make the cookie more substantial.

This is a winner for sure.  

"I'm going to take this God-given gift of being funny, and I'm going to spread it out like peanut butter on everything I do."

~ Steve Harvey

Shaker Pumpkin Sweet Bread

450.  Pumpkin is a great source of beta-carotene and nutrients that protect and support the heart such as vitamins A, B1, B6, and C, copper, fiber, folate, and manganese.  It is best to obtain these nutrients from food like pumpkin and not from supplements, because it may help lower your risk of heart disease.

This great recipe has been at the top of my list of favorites for many years and I know you will find it a favorite as well.  It is Shaker Pumpkin Loaves found in one of my most favorite cookbooks,  The American Country Inn and Bed and Breakfast Cookbook by Kitty and Lucian Maynard.

I love, love, love these cookbooks and rarely are disappointed with any recipe.

Here is my version of the Shaker Pumpkin Sweet Bread:

I love to pull frozen pumpkin from the freezer all year long and make these sweet loaves.  The recipe always turns out perfect.  

"Every skilled baker was first an amateur."

~ Chris Geiger

Breville Mixer

 449.  This past Christmas I was gifted with a new kitchen mixer.  I have used a Kitchenaid for 30 years and it was my right hand tool for baking.  Before the mixer, I would use a food processor, Sears brand that really did a great job but could over-mix batters or doughs if not careful.

My new kitchen appliance is a beautiful, Champagne colored Breville Stand Mixer.

This stand mixer is a game changer in my baking.  The model is lighter to pick up and the top does not move around when transporting from closet to counter.  The glass mixing bowl is significantly larger and 12 cups, wider and easier to add ingredients during mixing.  Initially, it took a few attempts to get use to the control being on the side of the stand but you adjust quickly.  There is a timer if you need to follow exact timing directions for whipping or frothing or, anything!

I think my favorite feature is the lower mix speed.  You dial the speed up or down as you need to and your flour or other ingredients do not fly out of the bowl.  My Kitchenaid speed was always so fast initially, I would turn the mixer off and on quickly just to gently mix anything.

There is a button at the top of the mixer to push down and release the mixing arm.  This was also an adjustment but I found it to be an easy adjustment over the lever toggle on the side.

Not only is it a sleek machine but is beautiful as well.  And I love the paddle attachment.  My Kitchenaid paddle rubber piece would always rip away or, the paint would rub off over time. 

When researching stand mixers, the Breville seemed to be the best all around mixer for a home baker but used by pros.  Once the choice was made what brand to choose, my final struggle was choosing the best color for my kitchen.  It was a toss up between Sea Salt White and Champagne.  The paint is not matte or gloss but a lovely finish that is easy to wipe clean.  It also arrived with glass and stainless steel mixing bowls.  Hello!!!   How many times I have wished for a second bowl without having to pay an additional $100?  Also, a cover was included to place over the glass bowl if refrigeration is needed and 4 attachments with a flour cover.

I just love it!!  Breville you have won me over!  This is a pro machine and has made my baking game so much better.  I'm so glad I stepped up in quality and the price is comparable if not better than the Kitchenaid in this size.

"If baking is any labor at all, it's a labor of love.  A love that gets passed from generation to generation."

~Regina Brett

Christmas Holiday Baking

435.  This year's baking extravaganza was so enjoyable! This blog post is filled with pictures.

Hope your holidays are filled with good food, lots of joy, fun with families and a Happy New Year!

Mini Peach Pies

434.  Personal sized pies are a perfect treat any time.  These little beauties are filled with fresh peaches and a hint of cinnamon.  I follow directions for any two crust pie but divide the dough perfectly between 6 muffin tins.

I divide the dough into 8 equal pieces reserving 2 pieces for the lattice top.

Once I fill and place the lattice tops on, I brush with water and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the pies.

Bake as you would for a pie but reduce the time till you see the filling bubbling.

"If I'm going to have something rich and yummy, I'm not reaching for prepackaged brownies.  I'm going to make a pie from scratch."

~Marisa Miller

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

420.  So let's talk about biscuits; hot, flakey, buttery.  But, add cheese and garlic and you have elevated them to a brand new flavor profile.  If you have a favorite recipe, simply add a cup of shredded cheddar and garlic salt.  Or you may add chives, parsley, Parmesan Cheese, Old Bay Seasoning, or any dried spice you desire.  A simple cheese biscuit is perfectly paired with a hot bowl of soup.

Here is my recipe:

Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits are similar and there are so many knock-off recipes.  But making your own biscuits is so very simple and you know what the ingredients are.  And that makes them even better.

Enjoy!

"Baking is Life.  So when you describe what you're making, you must describe life.  Do you see?  It's not just recipes."

~ J Colgan