Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 6

One of my holiday favorites are gingerbread men, and I am making those next week, but these recipe is very similar in taste to a traditional gingerbread man.  These cookies are soft and chewy verses a gingerbread man which is typically a little more crunchy.  These are also less work then gingerbread men.

The flavor in these cookies is intense but amazing.  I increased the cinnamon and added a dash of nutmeg, just for fun.  My cookies turned out huge and a little bit flat.  I think next time I would recommend refrigerating the dough for at least 30 minutes.  I think ill be suckered into making these again soon because everyone at my work loved them so much, even our Executive Chef ate one and loved it.

Happy Holidays!

Ginger Cookies - Adapted from Onelittleproject.com
Yield: 16-18 Large Cookies
Ingredients:
2¼ Cups Flour
2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves

A Dash of Nutmeg, optional
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¾ Cup Butter, softened
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Water
¼ Cup Molasses
4 Tablespoons White Sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Mix together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses.
5. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.
6. Put the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes - optional but recommended!
7. Shape dough into 1" sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar.
8. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven.
10. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

1. Enjoy!!

Snickerdoodle Cake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

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Birthday's are big at my work.  I am responsible for keeping the list of birthday current with my fellow employees, getting birthday cards, making sure they all get signed, and getting a cake.  After an unsuccessful trip to the grocery store to get a cake, I figured I would just make one.  I asked my co-worker what kind of cake she wanted and we browsed my Pinterest page to find something that looked delicious.  This cake was the winner.  I am a huge fan of cinnamon so I was very excited to get home to start baking.  The cake turned out great, everyone loved it.  I work for a high end catering company so most of my taste testers were chefs and people with a passion for food.  I think the buttercream was my favorite part.  It has a different texture then a typical buttercream because of the brown sugar but the flavor was divine and was a perfect compliment to the snickerdoodle cake.  I think ill start making different cakes every month for my co-workers.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Snickerdoodle Cake - Adapted from Always With Butter Blog
Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cup Flour
1 1/2 Cup Cake Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Cup Butter (2 sticks) - unsalted and room temperature
1 3/4 Cups Sugar
4 Eggs - room temperature
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
1 1/4 Cups Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven 325.
2. Butter and flour two 8 or 9 inch cake pans
3. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and set aside
4. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
5. Add eggs one at a time then add vanilla
6. Alternating, add dry mixture then milk in three batches
7. Divide up the batter into the two pans.
8. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
9. Let the cake cool completely before frosting

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream
Ingredients:
3 Sticks Butter - unsalted and room temperature
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar - packed
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
3-4 Cups Powdered sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla
4 Tablespoons Milk or Half and Half

Directions:

1. Cream the  butter, brown sugar and cinnamon on high speed
2. Add the powdered sugar and then the vanilla and half and half and beat until light and fluffy
3. Frost the cake
4. ENJOY!

Perfect Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

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Fall is finally in the air in Southern California.  It was a pretty hot summer and I am glad to be back to wearing boots and sweaters, sipping hot cocoa on a cool night, and cuddling with my new husband under a blanket.  Well its not that cold yet, but a girl can dream (the high temp today is still 78 degrees). Anyway, I made these granola bars to get into the fall spirit, but I was too anxious and I did not read the recipe all the through.  I only baked mine for 20 minutes, instead of the full 40 minutes.  The flavor is delicious but my bars were falling apart.  I will definitely make these again soon and I will post an update.  I brought some of these to work with me and made everyone try them.  My husband brought them to his work too and shared them with his coworkers.  Everyone loved them even though they were pretty crumbly.  I am a cinnamon fanatic so I added more cinnamon to the recipe, and when I make these next time I am going to add nuts and white chocolate chips.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars - Adapted from Hip2save
Yield: 16-18
Ingredients:
4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup ground Flaxseed (optional but if you have it in your pantry it adds great nutritional value to the bar, then you don't feel so guilty when you cannot stop eating these...)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup honey (I like to buy local organic honey from the farmers market)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Optional Additions/Substitutions:

White Chocolate Chips

Nuts - Almonds, walnuts, pecans

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. 
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats and flaxseed and set aside. 
3. In a separate bowl, mix honey, pumpkin, coconut oil, brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. 
4. Add wet ingredients to the oatmeal and stir. Add in chocolate chips. 
5.  Press the mixture into the pan and flatten it really well with a spatula. Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and press down with a spatula again. 
6. Bake for another 20-25 minutes until brown.  (I was too excited and forgot this second bake time... Whoooops!)
7. Let cool for at least 2 hours before cutting. Makes about 16-18 bars. I like to cut them and store in a Tupperware container with parchment paper to keep the bars separated.
8. Enjoy for breakfast or a snack!

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

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Its fall and there is a huge rush of pumpkin baked goods in my kitchen.  I kept seeing these recipes for pumpkin donuts and decided I need buy myself a donut pan so I can make pumpkin donuts.  Now my fiance is a little pumpkined out so I agreed to give him a short break and make these.  Don't worry, pumpkin donuts are next!  I bought the Wilton donut pan and I am now obsessed.  Its so quick and easy to make donuts on a Saturday morning that I think my pan will get a lot of use!  This is just a basic recipe, good for first time donut makers like me.  I cant wait to start making other flavors, see keep reading for more in the future!

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Yield: makes 6
Adapted from shutterbean.com

Ingredients:

1 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Large Egg, lightly beaten
1/2 Cup Buttermilk
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
1 Teaspoons Vanilla

For the topping:
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Directions:

1. For the doughnuts: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a PAM to coat the pan.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. Whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
4. Fill the wells of the doughnut pans a bit more than three-quarters full with the batter.  I filled mine too much but next time I will put less batter in and make more donuts - the recipe makes about 8 if you don't overload them!
5. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the wall of a doughnut comes out clean and the doughnuts are puffed and lightly browned. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently invert the doughnuts onto a rimmed baking sheet.
6. While the doughnuts are cooling, make the topping.  Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
7. Brush the warm doughnuts with the melted butter, then dip them into the cinnamon-sugar mixture on one or both sides. Serve warm.
8. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

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I woke up this weekend with pumpkin on my mind.  I made a pumpkin latte for breakfast and then onto these cookies.  I love pumpkin and I love snickerdoodles.  These cookies were a no-brainer.  I am pretty sure these are my new favorite fall cookie.  I like the taste and texture.  I feel like most pumpkin cookies are super cakey but these aren't as much.   I don't have much more to say, so Happy Fall!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles - Adapted from Annie's Eats

Yield - 3 Dozen

For the Cookies:

3¾ Cups Flour

1½ Teaspoon Baking Powder

½ Teaspoon Salt

½ Teaspoon Cinnamon

¼ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

½ Cup Light Brown Sugar

¾ Cup Pumpkin Puree

1 Large Egg
2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For the coating:

½ Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

½ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
Dash of Allspice

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 
2. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. 
3. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. 
4. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 350. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. 
6. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. 
7. Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly. Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.
8. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container.
9. Enjoy!

Easy Pumpkin Ice Cream

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Today is the first day of October and that means its pumpkin season!  For the next two months I will eat as much pumpkin as possible, with a minimum of one serving per day, if not more.  So I had an opened can of pumpkin and needed to make something with it and needless to say, ice cream was the winning recipe.  I couldn't find a good recipe that I liked to I made my own.  There is a recipe for easy vanilla ice cream on Allrecipes.com that I have made before and its delicious and quick so I used that as a base.  I dumped in the rest of the can of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and vanilla and whisked it up.  I added it to my ice cream maker and within 20 minutes I had a wonderful batch of pumpkin pie ice cream.  This recipe is super simple and easy for anyone new to making ice cream, or if you don't have time to make a more complicated ice cream.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Let the pumpkin season commence!!!

Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe

Yield: 1.5 Quarts

Ingredients:

1 (14oz) Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

3-4 Cups Half & Half - I used milk because that was all I had but any combination of milk to cream works, just depends on how creamy and rich you want it.

1 Cup Pumpkin Puree (This amount doesn't have to be exact, I used just over a cup)

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon Cloves

1/4 Teaspoon Ginger

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to large bowl and whisk together.
2. Add all ingredients to your ice cream maker and let churn for 15-20 minutes.
3. Let the ice cream get hard in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
4. Serve and Enjoy!



Fluffy Snickerdoodles

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I am a huge fan of snickerdoodles and these ones are pretty amazing.  I made these for my manager for her birthday.  She loves snickerdoodles a little more then I do and she was amazed when she tasted these.  She said she wasn't going to share any of the cookies and just hoard them in her room until they were gone.  These cookies have more cinnamon in them then any other recipe I have seen and I am obsessed with cinnamon.  They are perfectly soft and fluffy, and will just melt in your mouth.  I like that the recipe only makes 20 too.   Try these, you will not be disappointed!

Fat Fluffy Snickerdoodles - adapted from How Sweet Eats

Yield: 16-20 cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Butter, unsalted and room temperature
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 3/4 Cups Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1 Tablespoons Milk

1/4 Cup Sugar + 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon for dipping

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well until combine, about 2 minutes. 
2. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix until dough comes together. 
3. Add in milk. If dough is still crumbly, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375.
5. In a bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Remove dough from fridge and roll into big 1 1/2 inch balls. Dip in cinnamon sugar mixture and place on baking sheet. 
6. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven when they are golden brown but still soft.  Place on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. 
7. Enjoy!

Two Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are a bite of heaven in your mouth.  The original name for these cookies was "I want to marry you cookies"  but I made they and well I am still not married so I figured I would change the name.  They are made a little differently then most cookies and in the beginning I was a little worried but in the end they came out perfect!  You melt the butter and then add lots of brown sugar which give the cookie a caramel flavored base.  Then with the oatmeal and both white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips you get a delicious cookie.  The real kicker here is the hint of cinnamon.  My boss told me they taste like Christmas and she wants to have me make some for her Christmas party this year.  You cannot go wrong adding these cookies to your holiday baking list.

I Want To Marry You Cookies - Adapted from Cookingchanneltv.com
1 Cup Butter, unsalted
1 1/4 cups Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Egg, room temperature is best
1 Egg Yolk, room temperature is best
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
3/4 Cup White Chocolate Chips
3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until melted. Remove from the heat.
2. Add the dark brown sugar and white sugar and stir until sugars are incorporated and smooth. Chill the mixture for 10 minutes or more.
3. Remove from the refrigerator and stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
4. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cinnamon and mix together.
5. Stir in the white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips.  At this point it will look pretty oily, so I chilled the dough for the 30 minutes and then formed the balls and chilled a little more.  
6. Roll by hand into about 30 medium-size balls or use a cookie scoop, and place on a light-colored cookie sheet.
7. Chill for 30 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Brown Butter Snickerdoodle

I have a love for cinnamon so these cookies were a no-brainer.  My boss has a love for soft and chewy snickerdoodles so I decided I had to make these for her as a thank you gift.  I texted her and told her not to eat breakfast because I was bringing her some amazing cookies.  She ate about 5 large cookies in maybe 30 minutes.  That's how good these cookies are.  The flavor is amazing and the texture is great.  I didn't have all the ingredients to follow the recipe but I still think they came out perfect.  I was a little ambitious though and made two little mistakes.  First, I didn't want to wait 2 hours to chill the dough so I put the dough in the freezer for about 20 minutes, and second I put way too many cookies on the cookie sheet which is why they are square!  Whoops.  Next time I will be more patient and make smaller cookies.  This recipe is a must for the holidays! 

Sorry for the crappy photo - Thats what happens in the winter when its dark by 5pm!

Browned Butter Snickerdoodles - Adapted from Ambitious kitchen

Yield: 24-30 Cookies

Ingredients:

2 3/4 Cup Flour
1 Teaspoons Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Sticks (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter
1¼ Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar ( I used light brown)
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Large Egg plus 1 Egg Yolk
1 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon plain Greek yogurt ( I didn't add this...)

For rolling mixture:
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon


Instructions:

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and set aside. 
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan; continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a 10 minutes.
3. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined.
4. Chill your dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator (important!), You want the dough cold.
5. Preheat the oven to 350F. Once dough is chilled measure about 1 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. 
6. Meanwhile mix 1/4 cup sugar and the 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a bowl. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
7. Bake the cookies 8-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Bake longer if you like crispier cookies. 
8. Cool the cookies on the sheets at least 2 minutes. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
9. INDULGE!

Blueberry Peach Cobbler For Two

This is a delicious and easy summer recipe! It only takes about 10 minutes to get in the oven and 30 minutes to cook and its worth the wait!!  This recipe is perfect for two people, but it can easily be made for more.

Ready for the oven!

Yum!

ALL GONE!

Blueberry Peach Cobbler  - My own recipe
Yield: 2 ramekins
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Flour
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Butter
2 Medium Peaches - sliced thinly - I don't peel them and its still perfectly delicious!
1/4-1/2 Cup Fresh Blueberries, washed and dried
2 Tablespoons Sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease 2 ramekins.
2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly.
3. Place sliced peaches and blueberries in a bowl and toss in white sugar. Mix well.
4. Place 1/2 the Peach mixture into two Ramekins.
5. Pack the crumble mixture on top
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown, or its bubbling...
7. Let cool and serve with ice cream!
8. Enjoy!

Churro Bites

Yummo!!

Baked Mini Churro Bites - Adapted from Sweet Tooth

Yield: 30 mini churro bites

Ingredients Churros bites:
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

For the cinnamon sugar topping:
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a pan of mini muffin tins with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixture, beat together the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
4.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
5. With the mixer on low speed, slowly alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just incorporated. 
6. Use a small cookie scoop to fill each muffin tin and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until just golden brown.
7. While the churro bites are baking, melt butter in a bowl and combine cinnamon and sugar in a shallow dish.
8. When churro bites are done, immediately remove from the pan and dip each bite in the butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
9. Enjoy!!

Maple Oatmeal Cookies

Best Cookies Ever!! They taste like breakfast!  Try them!!

Adapted from Sugarpiesfood.com

Ingredients:
1 Cup Butter, unsalted and room temperature
1 1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
2 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Cups Rolled or Quick Cooking Oats

Instructions:

1. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. 
2. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and maple syrup and beat until combined. 
3. Sift together flour, soda, cinnamon and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add dry ingredients until incorporated. Stir in oats.
4. Chill batter for 30-45 minutes in refrigerator (this helps the cookies stay plump in the oven.)
5. Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove batter from refrigerator and drop by 1 1/2 tsp. or 1 tbs. onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges just begin to brown and middles remain light in color.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Apple Cinnamon & Oat Scones

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Scones!!  These scones taste like an apple pie, can you say delicious!? I found this recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine and I have been wanting to make them for about a month.  My boyfriend had his treat day last week and I thought this would be perfect for him to take to work.  Needless to say, they were a huge hit.  It's a perfect breakfast treat.  So delicious....

Apple & Oat Scones - Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine
Yield: 12 Scones
Ingredients:
1 2/3 Cup Flour
1 1/3 Cup Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats, plus more for topping
1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar, plus more for topping
1 Heaping Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Stick Cold Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 Cups Granny Smith Apple Chunks, I used 2 large apples cut into 1/4-inch cubes - It was a lot of apple...
2/3 Cup Cold Buttermilk, plus more for brushing

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut in butter with a pastry blender, or rub in with your fingers - The largest pieces should be the size of a pea.
4. With your fingers, flatten the butter pieces into small discs.  Add the apples and buttermilk, stirring the dough just until it comes together.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Pat dough into a rectangle, cut the dough with a floured knife into 12 pieces, or smaller depending on how many scones you want to make.
6. Place on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Brush with buttermilk and then sprinkle with sugar and oats.
7. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let them cool for 10 minutes. 
8. Enjoy warm or room temperature!!

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting topped with Mini Gingerbread Men

Merry Christmas to all my readers! Sorry I have been so MIA lately, I am just too busy to keep up.  I did a lot of baking this weekend so I have like 5 posts coming out soon!! These cakes are amazing and that's all I have the energy to say today!  Happy Holidays!!

Cupcakes - Adapted from - Melissas Munches
Yield: 22 cupcakes
Cupcake Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Flour
2 Tablespoons Ground Ginger
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground cloves
1/4 Teaspoon Ground nutmeg
1 1/2 Cups Unsalted Butter (3 sticks), room temperature
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
3 Tablespoons Unsulphered Molasses
4 Eggs, room temperature
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
22 Gingerbread men

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing:
8 Ounces Cream Cheese, Softened
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350. Line muffin pan with baking cup liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour and spices; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light, about 3 minutes. Beat in the molasses until incorporated. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. 
4. Add flour and mix on low speed until just combined.
5. Fill the cupcake papers three-quarters full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cupcakes cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. To make the cinnamon cream frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add cinnamon and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
7. Frost and top with gingerbread men.

Soft Oatmeal Cookies

YogurtLand inspired these cookies.  My favorite flavor there is called Oatmeal Cookie.  I was eating this the other night and my taste buds were delighted.  I soon realized that I have never made a plain oatmeal cookie and decided to change that this weekend.  I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com and with all the positive reviews I knew this would be the perfect cookie to bake.  I added more cinnamon, because why not.  They  so delicious!  But I actually made two cookies today.  I had recently seen a recipe for an oatmeal cookie that had Dark Chocolate Covered Acai bits in it, but I didn't save the recipe and couldn't find it again.  I decided just to add about 3/4 cup of the chocolate to the second batch of cookies.  I had two types, Acai and Pomegranate so I used some of each.  I think they qualify as a healthy cookie with the oatmeal and antioxidants from the dark chocolate and Acai.   These would be a perfect addition to any Christmas plate of cookies!

Soft Oatmeal Cookies - Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Yield: 3 Dozen

Ingredients:
1 Cup Butter, unsalted and softened
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
3 Cups Quick Oats

1-2 Cups Brookside Dark Chocolate with Acai or Pomegranate (optional)

Directions

1. In the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. 
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.  (I didn't chill my dough, I am too impatient when my dough has cinnamon in it.  My cookies came out GREAT, so its your choice)
3. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease cookie sheets. Scoop or roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with a large fork dipped in sugar.  (I flatten the plain cookies just with my hand, and I didn't flatten the ones with chocolate in them.  I like a thicker cookie but again this is your choice.)
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or I use tin foil to cool completely.

Toffee Rum Banana Bread

Still have leftover Halloween candy!?  I had a lot of left over heath bar to use so I made this banana bread.  The toffee and the subtle rum flavor was a great twist on traditional banana bread.  I put most of the heath bar on the top of the bread instead of in the middle, which made a nice crunchy toffeey crust!! I would just cut off the top and eat that if I could.  I also liked using chopped up Heath Bar because it has more chocolate in it then the Heath Bits.  I added cinnamon and nutmeg to the recipe because why not.   This is a very moist banana bread and I think it would a huge hit at any holiday party!

Toffee Rum Banana Bread - Adapted from Hershey's

Yield: 1 large loaf or 2 small loafs

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Sugar
3 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon (optional)

1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg (optional)
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Milk
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons Rum (I used Bacardi)
1 Egg
1 Cup Mashed Ripe Banana (about 3 medium)
1 Cup Chopped Nuts (optional)
1 1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits, divided (I used 10 fun size heath bars)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-1/2x4-1/2x2-1/2-inch baking pans.  I just used one pan and used about 75% of the batter.
2. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add milk, oil, rum, egg and banana; stir with spoon until well blended. Stir in nuts. 
3. Spread 1-1/4 cups batter into bottom of each prepared pan. Top each batter with 1/2 cup toffee bits. Gently spread about 1 cup remaining batter in each pan. Sprinkle remaining bits over batter. 
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. If only making one loaf, bake time will increase to 45-55 minutes.  (Bread will have slight sink in center.) Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, loosen bread from sides of pan. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.
5. Enjoy!!

Marbled Pumpkin Brownies

Do you love brownies!? Do love pumpkin pie!?  If you answered yes to both those questions then you will love these!  Its basically a brownie swirled with a pumpkin pie.  Can you say delicious?  These were a huge hit with my friends and family.  These would even be a fun treat for Thanksgiving, traditional flavors in an nontraditional form.   I don't have much more to say other then, "TRY THESE!!!"

Happy Halloween!!

My only Halloween decoration is that pumpkin.... very sad!

Marbled Pumpkin Brownies - Adapted from Better Homes and Garden

Yield: 24 Squares

Pumpkin Ingredients:
3 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves (optional)
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg (optional)
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 Tablespoon Flour

Brownie Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cups Flour
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
6 Ounces Unsweetened Chocolate, Chopped (I used semisweet chocolate chips and reduced the sugar to 2 Cups)
3/4 Cup Butter, cubed
2 1/4 Cups Sugar
4 Eggs
1/4 Cup Milk
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
3/4 Cup Coarsely Chopped Walnuts, toasted (optional, I didn't use nuts)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over the edges of the pan. Grease or PAM the foil; set pan aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese and the 1 tablespoon butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. I did this step with a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.  Add the 1/2 cup sugar. Beat until well combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. 
3. Beat in 1 egg, the pumpkin, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the cinnamon, and ginger until combined. Stir in the 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl stir together the 1-1/4 cups flour, the baking powder, and salt; set aside.
5. In a large saucepan combine the chocolate and 3/4 cup butter. Cook and stir with a whisk over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Gradually add the 2-1/4 cups sugar, beating with an electric mixer on low speed just until combined. I used a whisk to make the brownies.
6. Add the 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in milk and the 2 teaspoons vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture just until combined.
7. Spread chocolate mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Spoon cream cheese mixture in several mounds on top of the chocolate batter. Using a knife, gently swirl the cream cheese mixture into the chocolate batter. If desired, sprinkle with walnuts.
8. Bake about 60 minutes or until center is just set when pan is gently shaken. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Use foil to lift uncut brownies out of pan. Cut into squares.
9. Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

Pumpkin! Pumpkin! Pumpkin! Its that season, so get use to it.  My co-worker loves pumpkin so I made these for her.  They are a delicious pumpkin muffin with a streusel topping.   They are very moist and pumpkiny!  These are perfect for breakfast or just a snack.   I changed up the recipe a little bit, you can see my changes below.  There are a few things that are not allowed in my house, one of them is sour cream.  My boyfriend and I both loathe sour cream and mayonnaise, so I don't buy it.  I substituted the sour cream for yogurt and they turned out great!!  These are a perfect fall treat, so enjoy!!

Muffins ready for the oven!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins with Streusel Topping - Adapted from Naked Cupcakes

Yield: 12 Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour - I use regular all-purpose flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon - I used more like 1 teaspoon
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon Cloves
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Egg
1 Cup Pureed Pumpkin
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Sour Cream - I used low fat vanilla yogurt

Streusel Topping:
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Oats
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon - I used more like 1 teaspoon
1/3 Cup Cold Butter

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 and line a muffin pan with liners.
2. Whisk together the flour, salt, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and rolled oats in a medium bowl.
3. In a second large bowl, whisk together the egg, pureed pumpkin, milk, and sour cream until smooth.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until incorporated.
5. Divide the batter between the 12 prepared muffin cups.
6. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  You can use the same bowl as before.
7. Add the cold butter and cut it into the streusel mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs (you can use a pastry cutter, two knives, or even your fingers to do this, I think hands work the best!!)
8. Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the filled muffin cups.  Fill in and pat down the streusel into the muffin tin.
9. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Enjoy!

Warning: These are messy... bake at your own risk to clean up afterwards!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE!!

www.goddessofbaking.com

What to say about these cookies?  Well if you scroll down you will see that they are vegan.  I am all for meat and animal products, especially when it comes to baking.  Butter and eggs make or break a cookie.  But not this one, its amazing.  I didn't tell people until after they took a bite, then I told them it was vegan and they were all impressed.  It has a different texture, but the flavor is there and they look perfect.    I feel like they are healthier too without the butter so you can justify eating more cookies.  These cookies would be a delicious on a Christmas cookie platter.    They might be good too if you add chocolate chips... Ill save that idea for text time.

Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles - Adapted from The Post Punk Kitchen

Yield: 2 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Canola Oil
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
3 Tablespoons Almond Milk (I used Soy Milk)
2 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 2/3 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon cinnamon (I did more like 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (I did put this in...)

Cinnamon Sugar for Rolling Cookies: (you can adjust this to your taste.... I used more cinnamon)

1/3 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare you baking sheets.
2. Mix the topping ingredients together in a bowl, then pour on a flat plate. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together oil, sugar, syrup, and milk. Mix in vanilla.
4. Sift in remaining ingredients, stirring as you add them. Once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough.
5. Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls. Roll dough balls in the sugar topping.  Place on baking sheet and flatten with the bottom on a cup til they are 1 1/2-2 inch discs, they will spread. 
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should be a bit spread and crackly on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. Enjoy!!