White Chocolate-filled Snicker doodles

Snicker doodles are one of my husband's all-time favorite cookies, but I always thought they were a little bland.  I was looking for a way to spice them up a bit and was toying with drizzling them with chocolate. That's done all the time, though, so I decided to stuff the chocolate inside.  I also made a few adjustments to the actual cookie recipe to give them a little more flavor and substance.  I must have done okay.  The hubby labelled them a winner.

Here's what you'll need:
1 c butter, room temp
3 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs, room temp
1/2 c half & half (or cinnamon-flavored coffee creamer)
7 c flour, sifted
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 packages Hershey Bliss! White Chocolate melt away flavor
1/2 c sugar
1 TBSP cinnamon

Beat the butter with a mixer until light and creamy.  Add the sugar and vanilla; continue beating until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and half & half.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Mix into the butter mixture, in small amounts, until well blended.  The dough will be quite stiff.

Cover with plastic wrap.  Chill 2 hours to overnight.

Preheat oven to 375.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the wrappers from the chocolate candy.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to portion dough.

Flatten slightly between hands.  Place one candy piece in center.

Pull up the sides and shape the dough into a ball, making sure the chocolate is completely encased.

Roll the balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture.  Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.

Bake at 375 for 9-10 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 6 dozen.

Enjoy!

Deep-dish Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is my favorite Thanksgiving dessert.  I love the combination of pumpkin and the warm flavors of cinnamon, cloves and ginger. This recipe is super-easy and features a pat-in-the-pan shortbread crust and crumb topping.

Here's what you'll need:
1 3/4 c sifted flour
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1/3 c sugar
1 c COLD butter, cubed
1/2 c chopped pecans (optional)
1 16-oz can pumpkin
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350.
Combine the flour and sugars in a large bowl.  Add the cubed butter, and work in with a pastry blender (or 2 forks), until the mixture resembles sand.

Set aside 1 cup of this mixture.  Press the rest into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 12" square baking dish.

If using, mix nuts into the reserved flour mixture, and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs and seasonings.

Whisk until smooth and well blended.  Pour into the prepared crust.

Sprinkle the reserved flour/nut mixture, evenly, over the pumpkin filling.

Bake at 350 for 55 minutes, until the center is just set, and the top is golden.

Cook on a wire rack until room temperature.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate until completely cool.  Serve with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

My Mom's Pumpkin Pie

Fall means all-things pumpkin, but on the top of my list is pumpkin pie.  My mom mainly made it for the holidays, but it's so easy to make it just about any time now (especially if you use store-bought crusts).  This version is loaded with warm spices and makes the house smell heavenly as it bakes.

Here's what you'll need:
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
3 eggs
1 c sugar
1 1/2 c evaporated milk (1 lg can)
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp EACH ginger, cloves and nutmeg
whipped cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 425.  Fit pie crust into 9-inch deep dish pie plate.  Set aside.

Whisk eggs with sugar until foamy and light yellow.  Whisk in milk and pumpkin until well blended.  Stir in the spices.

Pour into prepared pie shell and bake 10 minutes.  Lower oven temp to 350 and bake 25-30 minutes longer, until custard is set in the middle.  It will also look a little puffed.

Cool on wire rack until room temp, then chill several hours before serving.  Top with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Rustic Apple Crostada

In October people seem to really focus on pumpkin everything.  I like pumpkin, but I'm more of an apple fan.  The smell of apples and cinnamon wafting through the house can just chase everything else away.  OK, not really, but it's close.  This apple crostada has all the appeal of apple pie without all the work.  It has a light, flaky crust and bakes up in no time.

Here's what you'll need:
crust for 9-inch pie, homemade or store bought
3 medium-sized apples, pared and sliced paper thin
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
1 TBSP butter, in cubes
1 egg, beaten
coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place 9-inch pie crust on parchment paper.  Set aside.

Place thinly sliced apples in a mixing bowl.  Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and salt.  I know, the salt seems odd, but it helps bring out the sweetness in the apples as well as balance out the warmth of the cinnamon.  Mix well.

Pile the apple mixture in the center of the pie crust, leaving a 2 inch border all around.  Top with the butter cubes.

Brush the beaten egg around the edges of the crust.  Fold the edges of the crust up over the apples, folding pleats as you go.

When all sides are folded up, brush the outside of the crust with the beaten egg.  Sprinkle the edges with the coarse sugar.  This gives the crust a sparkle, and also provides texture.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake 20-30 minutes longer, until apples are soft and juice is bubbling through the crust.

Cool, on pan, or wire rack.  This is best served at room temperature or cold.  Makes 6-8 servings.

Enjoy!

Fresh Applesauce

We are in the height of apple season.  I love all things apple, and the smell of apples and cinnamon cooking together is one I can rarely resist.  Applesauce is quick and easy to make, can be eaten hot or cold, and freezes well for future eating.

Here's what you'll need:
5-6 pounds mixed apples, peeled and cored
1/2 - 3/4 c water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 -1 c sugar

I use a variety of apples because I like a blended, smoother flavor.  If you like it tart, use granny smith.  If you want it sweeter, use Rome or Macintosh.  The apples don't have to be perfect. They're going to be cooked, so they'll all look like mush anyway.

Start out by paring your apples.  You can do this with a small, sharp paring knife or with a potato peeler. The potato peeler is my preference.  It works much quicker when you have a large amount of apples, and it also removes a set amount of skin, leaving more of the flesh for you to use.

There are also two ways to remove the core.  One is to use a sharp knife and just cut around the seeds, then remove the stem.

The other is to cut the apple into quarters.  Lay each piece on it's side, and with a large knife slice a wedge from the apple, removing the core in one piece.

After the apples are pared and cored, cut each apple into eight pieces.  Place the apples into a large pot.
Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. This will help the apples to break down as they cook. Sprinkle with cinnamon and stir to incorporate.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer.

As the apples cook, they will break down.  Stir every now and then, pushing on the apples with the spoon.

When the apples have softened, and the sauce is the texture you want (we like ours chunky), remove from the heat.  Carefully taste for sweetness.  Add 1/2 - 1 cup of sugar, til it's as sweet as you like.

The applesauce is ready to eat.  My son likes it hot and will often eat it right from the pot.  It's also delicious cold and will keep in the fridge for a week or so.  It can also be frozen.  I usually divide it into 2-cup portions, put into airtight containers or zip top bags and stack it in the freezer.

Enjoy!