Triple Chocolate Pudding Cookies

Pudding Cookies? Yes, Please! These cookies are chocolatey, chewy, rich bites of heaven. This is one chocolate cookie you must try! Plus, they are so simple to make.

 Triple Chocolate Pudding Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (5.7 ounce) package of chocolate pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate, diced (opt)*

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. Drop cookies in rounded balls on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies may feel soft, but will continue to cook once out of the oven.

* I like smaller bits of white chocolate in my cookies instead of whole chips. The white chocolate bits add a little sweetness without being overpowering.

Salte Butter Caramel Ice Cream

Every once in a while, a dessert comes along that is truly delicious and makes you pause and take notice. The kind of dessert that everyone is impressed by and just raves about. This Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream is one of those desserts. The rich, distinct flavor of this ice cream is addicting and the creamy texture just melts in your mouth. It definitely beats out a majority of gourmet ice creams I've tried from fancy ice cream shops.

I've made many flavors of ice cream over the past year including; chocolate, vanilla, fresh mint chocolate chip, chocolate cookie dough, strawberry, blueberry, honey lavender, peanut butter cup and dark chocolate raspberry. And, this ice cream is probably my favorite. It's amazing just plain with no extras like chips or nuts.

This recipe comes from Annies-Eats.com.

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream
Yield: about 1 quart

INGREDIENTS
1½ cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream, warmed
4 tbsp. salted butter*, at room temperature
½ tsp. sea salt
2 cups whole milk, divided
5 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Add the sugar to a medium saucepan in an even layer. Heat over medium until the sugar at the edges of the pan begins to melt. Use a heatproof spatula to stir the melted sugar from the bottom and the edges to the center, until all the sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel reaches an amber color. When the caramel reaches the correct color, immediately remove it from the heat. (Be vigilant here! Caramel can go from perfectly cooked to burnt in seconds – it is no fun when that happens, trust me!)


Add a bit of the cream in a slow drizzle down the inside edge of the pan, whisking to incorporate before adding more. If done slowly enough with warm cream, this can help prevent the mixture from seizing. Whisk in the butter. If the mixture has seized, don’t worry – just return the pan to the burner over low heat and stir gently, breaking up lumps as well as you can. If you can’t get rid of them all, it’s okay. Whisk in the salt and 1 cup of the milk.


Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup and whisk to blend. Slowly pour a bit of the warm caramel mixture into the bowl with the eggs, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Continue until most of the caramel has been mixed in. Return the custard to the saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent burning, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon (about 170˚-175˚ F).


Pour the custard through the mesh strainer into a bowl or storage container. Stir in remaining 1 cup of milk and the vanilla. Let cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate until completely chilled. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

*If using unsalted butter, increase the sea salt to ¾ tsp.

My Notes: My caramel mixture turned out really lumpy. As soon as I started to stir the melting sugar, big sugar lumps formed. I just kept stirring and breaking up the lumps. I strained this caramel mixture (with the butter, cream, milk and salt) before adding in the egg mixture. I strained it again into a bowl before chilling completely. So, if your mixture is lumpy, don't worry! You can strain it and you will still get an amazing caramel flavor and smooth texture.

Dried White Peach and Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

This is my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe. It's soft, chewy and scented with heavenly spices. I've used this basic recipe to make Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Glazed White Chocolate Cherry Cookies. All delicious.

I had some lovely bags of dried white peaches and dried apricots sitting on the counter and with a temperature of -11 degrees outside, I thought it would be a good day for baking. The dried fruit caught my attention and I figured it would make a yummy substitute for raisins in these oatmeal cookies. The cookies turned out delicious and when I went to enjoy one this morning with my coffee, they were all gone! I guess my family loved them too. Luckily, I have some cookie dough balls in the freezer so I can always bake some more (if my husband and kids don't find them first!)

I used a combination of dried white peaches and dried apricots. You can use whatever dried fruit you like. 

This made a really yummy cookie dough. All the spices and brown sugar and bits of fruit were sooo good. I added a few extra spices, nutmeg and ground ginger, and a splash of almond extract to play up all the flavors.

If you like Oatmeal raisin cookies, give this dried fruit version a try!

White Peach and Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar

1 Tablespoon honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Good pinch ground ginger and nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, white sugar and honey. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Beat until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and chopped dried fruit. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light and golden. Do not overbake. Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely. Store in airtight container. 

Crispy Pretzel Chicken

This pretzel chicken is a delicious twist on your average chicken finger (which I always have to have a bite of when my kids order it). I love the extra crispy texture and boost of flavor from the crushed pretzels. The simple, two ingredient dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment. Pair this with a simple salad for a great dinner.

Source: blogher

Crispy Pretzel Chicken 

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

Flour for dredging 

2 eggs, whisked
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper

2 cups pretzels, ground in the food processor

Vegetable oil for frying

Sauce

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard

Combine mustard and honey for sauce. Mix well and set aside. How easy is that!

In a large pan, preheat oil to 350 degrees. Combine eggs with spices and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl and mix well. Pat chicken strips dry with a paper towel. Dip chicken in flour to coat and shake off excess flour. Dip into egg mixture. Allow extra egg to drip off. Add to pretzel crumbs and turn to coat evenly. Sprinkle coated chicken with a little salt. When oil is hot, add chicken in batches to oil and fry until deep golden brown. Chicken should be firm and have an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Place on paper towels or cooling rack after removing from oil.

Serve hot with dipping sauce

Raspberry Coconut Macaroons

Here is another fun and tasty cookie recipe that would be great for giving or taking to your next get together! Use fresh raspberries and don't over mix the coconut 'batter'. 

Fresh, in-season raspberries work best here. I made these in December and they turned out quite runny with out-of-season berries. If you notice your mixture is liquidy (is that a word?), make sure to strain the coconut raspberry mixture and pat dry before you scoop into balls.

These dainty macaroons are truly addicting! They're sweet and chewy from the coconut with tart bits of fresh raspberry throughout. It's a unique and delicious combination of flavors that's sure to have you coming back for more!

Not only are these cute and yummy, they're super simple to make. Gotta love that!

Here's how to whip them up: 

Start with sweetened shredded coconut

 Blend it in a food processor with granulated sugar until light and fluffy

 Add in egg whites, almond extract and salt. 

Pulse, Pulse, Pulse!

 Gently fold in fresh raspberries

Do quick pulses until the raspberries are roughly chopped. You want good size pieces of raspberry to remain. You also want a mix of white and pink coconut. So, DON'T over blend this!

Shape into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. I didn't use parchment and these stuck like crazy! So, use parchment or a silpat.

 I love the bits of fresh raspberry!

 Bake for 25-30 minutes @ 325.

Don't be afraid to let these brown all over. It helps them maintain their shape and stay together. It's also give them a nice crispy exterior giving way to a soft, chewy center.

These would be yummy with the bottoms dipped in dark chocolate or white chocolate!

Recipe Source: Smitten Kitchen

Raspberry Coconut Macaroons

Makes 50ish 1 1/4-inch cookies

14 ounces (400 grams) sweetened, flaked coconut
2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
Heaped 1/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt or level 1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 pint (6 ounces, 170 grams or 1 1/4 cups) fresh raspberries (if washed, patted very dry)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor, blend the coconut for a minute. Add sugar, blend another minute. Add egg whites, salt and almond extract and blend for another minute. Add raspberries and pulse machine on and off in short bursts until they are largely, but not fully, broken down. (I counted 13 pulses. I might have been a little obsessive, what with the counting.) Some visible flecks of raspberry here and there are great. When you open the machine, you’ll see some parts of the batter that are still fully white while others are fully pink. Resist stirring them together.

With a tablespoon measure or cookie scoop (I used a #70), scoop batter into 1-inch mounds. You can arrange the cookies fairly close together as they don’t spread, just puff a bit. Scooping a little of the pink batter and a little of the white batter together makes them look extra marble-y and pretty.

Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes, until they look a little toasted on top. Let them rest on the tray for 10 minutes after baking (or you can let them fully cool in place, if you’re not in a rush to use the tray again), as they’ll be hard to move right out of the oven. They’ll firm up as they cool, but still remain softer and less dry inside than traditional macaroons. 

Recipe: Smittenkitchen

Fresh Cranberry Lemon Cookies

With all the holiday parties and cookie exchanges coming up, I had to repost one of my favorite holiday cookies! These soft, cakey cranberry lemon cookies are delicious!

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These cookies are scrumptious! The combination of bright lemon and fresh cranberries are wonderful together. There's a great pop of flavor in every bite! If you're looking for a fun and delicious cookie to bring to a cookie exchange or for something different to give to the neighbors and friends, try these delightful cranberry cookies, you won't be disappointed! Plus, how often do you find a tasty recipe using fresh cranberries?

There's fresh bits of cranberry in every soft, cakey bite of these cookies. I added a little coarse sugar on top of the dough for sparkle and to round out the tart flavors. Don't be scared of the lemon though! It truly is delicious paired with the cranberries. I thought about making these with orange zest (and a pinch of nutmeg), which would be yummy too, but I'm glad I stuck with lemon. 

My family and the ladies at my book club loved these! I'll be making these again soon!

Fresh Cranberry Lemon Cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, diced

Lemon Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
directions:

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until moist and fragrant. Add the butter to the lemon sugar and beat until light and fluffy – 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Add in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the cranberries by hand. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350. Gently form the dough into balls and bake for 13-15 minutes on parchment lined cookie sheets. Let the cookies cool slightly before moving them to a rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice together, and drizzle over the fully-cooled cookies.

Inspired by: What Megan's Making

Thanksgiving Sides

Cooking Club: October 2013
Theme: Thanksgiving Side Dishes

I've been attending a local Cooking Club for three years now and our October cooking soiree was one of the most fun and tastiest ones I've been to! Sometimes with cooking clubs, you never know what array of dishes will show up, but this time everyone brought something different and delicious and we had a full Thanksgiving spread. It was hard to choose a winner as all the dishes were really good and tasted great together. In the end, a traditional Thanksgiving vegetable beat out the competition.

Winning Dish

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions

A lot of ladies weren't big fans of Brussels sprouts, so they were very pleasantly surprised when they tasted these and really liked them. Of course bacon makes everything taste better, but these didn't have an overwhelming bacon flavor. I think what made these special was the splash of red wine vinegar at the end that balanced out all the flavors and gave them a nice zing.

2nd Place

Green Beans with Ham

This was just a really tasty pairing. Green beans are pretty mild so the bits of salty, succulent ham made them stand out.

3rd Place

Brie En Croute

It's hard not to love soft, melty brie cheese topped with jam and wrapped up in a buttery pastry. Served with crackers and you've got a great appetizer or side.

Spinach and Cheese Casserole

This casserole was a family tradition for one of the ladies and their Thanksgiving dinner wouldn't be complete without it. This could become one of your family favorites too!

Broccoli Cheddar Casserole

I loved this dish. The crispy tender broccoli covered in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce and top with a crunchy bread topping, I went back for seconds. 

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese w/ Herb Topping

Bacon...Mac N' Cheese...Crispy Bread Crumb Topping...Nough' said.

Pumpkin Bread with Cranberries and Walnuts

This wasn't your typical pumpkin bread. It had loads of spices and a great pumpkin flavor. The cranberries and walnuts made it really something special and had you going back for more.

2-Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies

Beside the vanilla frosting, the brownies actually contained only two ingredient, pumpkin puree and brownie mix.  No eggs or water or oil. Just pumpkin puree and brownie mix, mixed together. They were moist with hint of pumpkin flavor. A little cinnamon and nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice sprinkled on the frosting would be perfect.

And what Thanksgiving feast would be complete without turkey? We had that too. The only 'traditional' thing I can think of that was missing was sweet potatoes, but really, we didn't miss them.

Happy November and Happy Cooking!

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions 

2 ½ lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed

4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 sprigs thyme or savory, plus 2 tsp leaves, divided

1 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. If sprouts are very small, cut in half; otherwise cut into quarters. Cook the sprouts until barely tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until brown but not crisp, 3-6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel. Pour out all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan.

Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft but not browned, reducing the heat if necessary, about 4 minutes. Stir in thyme (or savory) sprigs, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high, add the Brussels sprouts, and cook, tossing or stirring occasionally, until tender and warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove the herb sprigs. Add the bacon, thyme (or savory) leaves and lemon juice, if using, and toss.

Spinach Cheese Casserole 

2 (10-oz) packages frozen chopped spinach, drained dry 

1 (16-oz) tub of sour cream 

1 small onion, chopped 

8 oz Chicuahua cheese, grated 

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated 

2 T butter 

Parmesan cheese 

cracker crumbs 

Cook spinach and drain very dry. Mix with sour cream, onion, and Chicuahua and cheddar cheeses. Pour into 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dot with butter. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30-35 minutes. 

Brie en Croute 

1 puff pastry sheet 

flour 

5- or 6-inch brie 

about ¼ - 1/3 of a jar of good preserves 

toasted almonds, pecans, or walnuts (optional) 

1 egg 

Thaw pastry sheet about 30-45 minutes. Roll out sheet on a lightly floured surface. Place the brie wheel (with rind on) 2-3 inches from the top of the sheet and 2-3 inches from the side of the sheet. Generously spread preserves over the top of the brie. Sprinkle toasted nuts over top of preserves, if desired. Then trim the other two sides 2-3 inches from the edge of the wheel so the brie wheel is in the middle of a square. Fold the edges of the pastry onto the top of the brie; press edges to seal. Brush a lightly beaten egg over all the pastry (except bottom). Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve alone, with crostini, crackers, etc. 

Pumpkin Brownies 

1 box (family size) brownie mix 

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree 

Combine the dry brownie mix with the pumpkin puree and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Adorn each brownie with a dolop of cream cheese topping if you like 

Bacon Mac N' Cheese

Recipe Inspired by America's Test Kitchen

Bread Crumb Topping:

6 Slices Bread, torn in pieces

3 Tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder 

Pinch Paprika

Pulse bread, butter, and garlic powder and paprika together in a food processor until a fine crumb forms.

Noodles, Cheese and Bacon

1 pound elbow macaroni

salt

5 Tablespoons butter

6 Tablesppons flour

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (opt)

5 Cups milk

8 ounces Monterey cheese, shredded (2 cups)

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)

6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

For the bread-crumb topping: Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are about 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.

For the pasta and cheese: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt. Cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.

In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken).

Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Stir in bacon. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes. This allows the noodles to absorb all the yummy cheese flavor.

Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 13x9 inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning.

Cool about 5 minutes, then serve.

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

2 bunches of broccoli (chopped)

1 stick of butter, divided

8 oz Velveeta

22 Ritz crackers

1) Steam chopped broccoli

2) Melt 4 oz (1/2 stick) of butter with velveeta in microwave until fully melted

3) Mix broccoli with cheese mixture

4) Crush Ritz crackers

5) Melt remaining 1/2 stick of butter and mix with crackers

6) Pour broccoli cheese mixture into casserole dish and top with crackers

7) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

This recipe can easily be doubled for Thanksgiving.

Mini Loaded Potato Bites

These mini potato bites are everything you love about a loaded baked potato, but in a delicious pop-able bite! They make for a great appetizer or a fun side dish to go with grilled meat. These are like a good salty potato chip, you can't stop at just one!

Cut new potatoes in half and then trim off small piece from rounded bottom so they stand up.

Toss trimmed potatoes with olive oil to coat and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. In the last 6-7 minutes, you can flip the potatoes and sprinkle cheese on the 'presentation' side of each potato and bake until cheese is melted.

Cool slightly. Place on platter and top with chive and onion cream cheese, crumbled bacon and chives. These are best served warm.

Inspired by: Kraft.com

Mini Loaded Potato Bites
12-15 new potatoes, cut in half and cut small piece from rounded bottom so they stand-up
1 container Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
4 slices Bacon, cooked, crumbled
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Two option for cooking the potatoes:

1.) Cook potatoes in boiling water for 15 min. or until tender o
or

2.) Toss potatoes with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika and toss until evenly coated. Place potatoes presentation side down on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Potatoes will be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.*

Place 1/2 container of chive and onion cream cheese mixture in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. You could also use a plastic ziploc bag with a corner cut out or just spoon the cream cheese mixture on. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cool potatoes slightly. Place, bottom sides down, on platter; top with cream cheese mixture, bacon and chives. Sprinkle with a little black pepper if desired. Best enjoyed warm.

* Opt. The last 6-7 minutes, flip over the potatoes so they are all 'presentation' side up. Sprinkle a small amount of cheddar cheese on top of each and continue to bake until cheese is melted and potatoes are tender.

I used Philadelphia chive and onion cream cheese. It had great flavor and I didn't have to make my own cream cheese mixture.

Chicken Cesar Pasta Salad

This is a tasty and addictive little salad. I love the addition of the pasta in this. It makes it more hearty and can be served as a complete meal.

Chicken Cesar Pasta Salad
1/2 package bow tie or penne pasta, cooked al dente and cooled
1 (9 oz) bag chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 lb chicken breasts, cooked, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 cup gourmet (or homemade) croutons
1/2 cup Cesar Dressing

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan

Cracked Pepper to taste

Toss first five ingredients together. Pour in Cesar dressing and toss to coat. Gently stir in Parmesan and pepper. Taste and add more dressing if needed.

Pumpkin Streusel Bread and Muffins

These pumpkin muffins are super moist and loaded with wonderful fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. These tasty muffins get topped with a buttery, crunchy brown sugar and oat streusel that sets them apart from your typical muffin. Enjoy these warm or at room temperature and with or without some butter :) I won't judge. I took these to a party and served them with some homemade honey cinnamon butter. I came home with an empty tray.

This recipe can be used to make muffins or pumpkin bread. Both of course, are tasty. I froze most of the muffins to be used for school lunches or to pull out and microwave whenever I get a pumpkin craving! This recipe freezes fantastically and the muffins are just as good after unthawing.

I also made and froze two mini pumpkin streusel loaves that will be enjoyed later or given as a hostess gift. I have loaves of pumpkin streusel bread, orange spice zucchini bread and banana bread in my freezer. That thought makes me happy.

You could leave the streusel off if you just want a simple tasty pumpkin muffin or loaf. It's really good either way.

Inspired by allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Streusel Bread

Yield:  2 - 7x3 inch loaf pans

or Two mini loaves and 12 muffins

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree 

4 eggs  

1 cup vegetable oil (or 1/2 oil, 1/2 applesauce)

2/3 cup water or apple juice

1 1/2 cups white sugar 

1 cup brown sugar

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 teaspoons salt 

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 7x3 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugars until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans. Top with streusel mixture (recipe below).

Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Muffins and mini loaves will be done in about 40 minutes.

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup heaping flour 

1/4 tsp heaping pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup butter, but into cubes

In a food processor pulse streusel ingredients until combine and you can pinch the mixture together with your fingers. You can also mix this by hand with a pastry cutter.

* The original recipe says it makes three 7x3 loaves, but I found it's closer to two loaves. If your two loaf pans are 2/3 - 3/4 full, use the extra batter to make a few mini muffins or regular muffins.

Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cookies

These pumpkin cookies bake up soft and cakey and have a wonderful pumpkin flavor. The vanilla glaze on top makes them a delicious treat. These are great with coffee in the morning or to snack on throughout the day (like I did). 

Recipe Source: allrecipes.com

Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen

  Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Glaze

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and pinch of cinnamon. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Recipe Source: allrecipes.com