Cinnamon Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

It was love at first bite.  These cookies are (in my professional opinion) absolutely amazing.  They might even be to die for.  When my wonderful friend Jenna dropped by my work with a sample of these, I just had to have the recipe!  (You can find the original here.) This past Saturday, some of us girls got together and made 400+ of these for Church on Sunday.  They were a hit!  We paired them with Spiced Apple Cider and everything tasted magnificent.  I LOVE these cookies!

Cinnamon Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

Cookie Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 heaping teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened (i use unsalted)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk, depending on how thin you want it
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until creamy.  Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla until combined.  Add the dry flour mixture and mix until just blended.

Drop spoonfuls of dough into your cookie sheets.  These cookies don't expand much, so don't make them too little and you don't have to worry about putting them far apart.  Great, huh?!

Bake for 7 minutes, then turn tray and bake an additional 6-7 minutes. Don't let them get too brown!
Cool on a rack.

Combine all the ingredients together for the glaze and stir by hand.  Dip cookies face down into the glaze and let them drip a little before you turn them back over.  Place your glazed cookies on foil or parchment paper to dry.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Chipotle Baby Golden Potatoes

While I was in Texas last month visiting my brother Greg and sister-in-law Sally and their new baby Dean, Sally's mom Christy made some delicious baby golden potatoes.  So I found out how she made them, and I was already making some Raspberry Chipotle Chicken, so I thought to myself...why not add some glaze to the potatoes as well.  So I did, and they turned out great!

Raspberry Chipotle Baby Golden Potatoes

Ingredients:
24 oz. California Baby Golden Potatoes (I got mine from Fresh & Easy)
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 Tbsp. Garlic Salt
1 Tbsp.  Butter, melted
2 Tbsp. Raspberry Chipotle Glaze (I got mine from Fresh & Easy)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.  Add potatoes, and continue to boil for 10 minutes uncovered.  Drain and wait until potatoes have cooled. Cut in half and place them in a bowl.  Add olive oil, garlic salt, melted butter, and glaze.  Mix until well coated.  Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet, and bake for 10 -12 minutes, depending on how crispy you want them.  Remove from oven and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Oreo Brownies

Oreo's are pretty much the best things ever...and brownies are so yummy and gooey, why not combine them?!

Oreo Brownies

Ingredients:
1 Box of brownie Mix
1/2 package of your favorite Oreo's

Directions:

Mix brownie mix as directed.  Crush as many Oreo's as you think you will need (I used half the package) in a bowl and press them into the bottom of your baking dish.  Then pour brownie mix over the Oreo's and bake as directed.  I always under-bake for extra gooeyness :)

Enjoy!

World Series Cookies

I love baseball.  I've had a pretty healthy exposure to the world of baseball my whole life but it was while I was in High School that I really started paying attention to it and I have been in love with it ever since.  Especially when it's a blue and white uniform and hails from the city of Angels.  Yup that's right, I'm a Dodgers fan.  Love, love, love my Dodgers.  Can't get enough of 'em.  Did you see Matt Kemp get the Hank Aaron award tonight for the National League? You guessed it, he's a Dodger.

Anyways, back to baseball and the World Series.  Last year I made some tasty cookies while we watched the World Series.  I rooted for Texas.  Why? Because I would never, ever, ever, root for the Giants.  Even if they were the last baseball club on earth.  To say that I don't like them would be an understatement. Seriously.  So I made these adorable Texas cookies.  This year Texas made it again, so it only seems fitting to show 'em off.

I'm super particular about my sugar cookies, because I like sugar and I want them to taste good.  After searching high and low I found the best recipe ever! I found in on a blog called Skip to my Lou.  You can check it out there.  It makes a lot of dough!

World Series Cookies

Ingredients::
2 cups butter (I use unsalted)
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
8 Tbsp. cold milk
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
8 cups flour (I use half regular flour and half pastry flour)

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar together in mixer.  Add in eggs and vanilla until blended.  Add in salt. Add baking soda to milk and add the milk mixture alternatively with the flour.  Divide the dough in half or in fourths.  Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

After dough is chilled, remove from refrigerator and let stand for about 15 minutes.  Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Roll out until desired thickness is reached (usually about 1/4 inch) and cut with cookie cutters. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, rotating the tray half way through (my trademark!).  Cool in a wire rack before frosting.

Enjoy!

I.AM.THE.BEST.WIFE.EVER.

I surprised Adam and got him a prize for his Man Cave.  It's 99.9% finished and I am so excited! So, I searched high and low for a mini refrigerator that was cool enough for the Man Cave, and luckily 2 weekends ago I found one on clearance at Lowe's for a whopping $70 bucks!  It was a steal of a deal!  So I bought it and loaded it with his favorite beer.

I know, I know...I am the best wife ever!

S'mores Cookies

I have these S'mores cookies that I love to make. They are so delicious.  You crush up the graham cracker and mix it in the dough and mmmmm it's good!  Well the other day I found a different recipe here. Instead of putting the graham cracker in the dough, you bake the dough on top of the graham cracker! GENIUS!  I don't think they look particularly good when all is said and done, but man O man, are they delicious!


S'mores Cookies


Ingredients:
11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into pieces (I broke my individual pieces into halves the 2nd time around)
1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares


Directions:
Preheat over to 375 degrees F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (this is very important! I didn't do this at first and I had such a mess it was horrible!) Square up the graham crackers on the cookie sheet, making sure the sides are touching.


Beat butter and sugar together until smooth.  Add in eggs, one at a time, until just blended, then add in vanilla.  Combine baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the cookie dough.  Mix in the chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. 


Drop a small spoonful of cookie dough on the center of each graham cracker. (Remember to make sure they are touching.) Bake for 5 minutes, then remove to add pieces of chocolate to the top of each square. Return to over and continue to bake until desired brownness is achieved.  (I went 4 more minutes and I think that might have been too long.)  Transfer to a wire wrack to cool. (Another reason why the parchment paper is great.  You just pick it up and move it over!)  After cooking, break the cookies back into individual squares and serve.


Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I got to thinking this past week that all I ever post is about all the treats I make, and this blog was suppose to be about the simplicity of the kitchen in general, not just baking.  So I'm going to try and post some of the things I make for dinner often.  One of our favorites is BBQ Chicken Pizza.  It's so simple and so delicious!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:
1 Pkg. Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (We use Trader Joe's)
BBQ Sauce
Red Onions, thinly sliced
Chicken, grilled and chopped into bite size pieces
Chicken Seasoning (I used Roasted Garlic & Herb)
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
Prep pizza dough according to packaging directions.  Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and grill them in a frying pan. Top with seasoning.  Thinly slice how ever much onion you want on your pizza.  We love red onion, so I put a lot.

Spread dough evenly across a pizza pan or cookie sheet.  Pour BBQ sauce over dough until you have a nice thin layer.  Sprinkle cheese over sauce.  Add onions and chicken.  Bake according to directions on pizza dough bag.  (For Trader Joe's it's 9-12 minutes @ 400 degrees F.)

And there you have it! So simple and easy!

Enjoy!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are amazing!!! A few months ago I was browsing a blog called The Picky Palate and I ran across this recipe.  I had all but forgotten about it until the other day when I was browsing through my bookmarked recipes, looking for something to make for my sister-in-law's birthday.  Boy, did I hit a winner!!!  You can find the original recipe here. When I ran out of Oreos, I used the Girl Scout's Thin Mints Cookies :)

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies


Ingredients: 

1 package of Oreo Double Stuffed Cookies
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of loose brown sugar (not packed)
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup chocolate chips (I tend to go easy on the chocolate chips, but add more if you want!)

Directions: 


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Beat butter and sugars together until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, and beat until just blended.  Add in baking soda, salt, and flour and mix until it is well combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Take a small spoonful of cookie dough and flatten it in your hand.  Place an Oreo on top of the cookie dough. Add a thin layer of cookie dough to the top of the Oreo, and flatten the dough with your fingers, making the two ends of the cookie dough touch.  Cup the cookie in your hands so that the cookie is round and even.

Bake for 5 minutes, then turn 180 degrees, and continue baking for another 5 minutes.  They should retain the cookie dough like color, even though they are done.  If you want, go ahead and bake them longer :)  Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire wrack to cool.

When you take your first glorious bite, the soft Oreo will just melt in your mouth! It's absolutely divine :)

Enjoy!

Blueberry & Strawberry Muffins

I found the best Blueberry & Strawberry Muffin recipe! I made these about a month ago for our community group and they were a hit!  You can make these with just strawberries too.  I plan on making blueberry ones this afternoon and as soon as my fruit trees are ready I'm going to try peach too! You can find the original recipe here.  I love the world wide web :)

Blueberry & Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients:


Batter:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk (I used 1%)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped into small pieces

Topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup butter cubed into tiny pieces
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:


Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place muffin/cupcake cups in muffin/cupckae pan.  Combine sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.  Mix the vegetable oil, egg, and milk in a glass measuring cup and then add it to the dry mixture.  Stir in fruit.  Scoop the mixture into the cups all the way to the top. (I ended up only needing 11).

For the topping, mix the sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Add in the cubed butter and mix in with a fork.  Add to the top of the muffins.  (Bakers Note on the topping: I found that I had way too much mixture and not enough butter.  I followed the directions on the mixture, but I forked out the butter pieces and places them on the top of the muffins.  Then I sprinkled some of the dry mixture over it.  I also heavily sprayed the tops of the muffins with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray, because I thought it looked too dry.)

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!

Lemon Squares

Our lemon tree is on its way out for the season, and I couldn't think of anything to do with my remaining lemons besides making lemonade...so I decided to try and make lemon bars.  I remembered I had a recipe that came with one of my Martha Stewart baking pans I got for my bridal shower, so I gave it a whirl.  

We were going to dinner at my in-law's anyways, and I wanted to bake something.  My husband, in his oh-so-kind way suggested sticking to cookies, since those usually turn out the best when I decide to experiment :)  I told him it's Martha Stewart, how could it go wrong? I am happy to say that they turned out delicious, and I don't even like lemon bars!

Martha Stewart Lemon Squares

Crust:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, frozen
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flower
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. salt

Filling:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flower
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Toping:
Powdered Sugar

Directions::


Grate frozen butter on a cheese grater with large holes and set aside.  Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Add butter and stir until combined and mixture looks crumbly. Butter a 9x13 baking pan and line with waxed paper.  Pour mixture into dish and press evenly onto bottom with your hands.  Freeze the crust for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake crust until slightly golden, 16-20 minutes.

While the crust is baking, mix the filling together.  Whisk eggs, and add sugar, flour and salt until smooth.  Stir in milk and lemon juice.  Pour over crust as soon as it comes out of the over.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, then bake until the filling is set and the edges are slightly golden brown, about 18 minutes.  (In my oven it was about 23 minutes, and I should I baked it until the edges were brown because my center was gooey... good but gooey.)

Let the pan cool for a few minutes on a wire wrack.  Then gently lift them out of the pan and cool completely on the wire wrack.  Top with powdered sugar and cut into squares.  Absolutely delicious!!!

Enjoy!

Honey Apple Cookies

I've has some apples laying around for about a week...and I have no intention of eating them anytime soon.  So I decided I wanted to make my Cinnamon Spice Apple Cookies.  Well, I started making them and decided I wanted to tweak my own recipe.  Instead, I decided to add honey and just leave it at that.  They turned out delicious!!!

Honey Apple Cookies


Ingredients:
10 Tbsp Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 medium apples, grated
2 Tbsp honey (mine was straight from Texas, thanks honey!)

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Beat butter and sugars together until creamy.  Add in egg and mix well.  Add in cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt.  Mix in flower alternately with grated apple.  Lastly, mix in honey until well blended.

Drop by rounded spoonful onto baking sheet.  Bake for 4 minutes. Rotate, and cook an additional 4-5 minutes.  After a few minutes, transfer to cooling rack.  Serve with a nice cold glass of milk :)

Enjoy!

Oh Mother!

I received a package from my mother this week.  She told me she sent me some antique stuff to me.  I mentioned to my mom last year when I went up to see her , that I had been looking for something like her shakers on the stove.

For those of you who don't already know, my kitchen is the most adorable turquoise color you have ever laid your eyes on, and I have a retro sparkly grey dinette set, a hutch full of milk glass and other retro stuff, a bunch of retro/antique stuff up on the shelves in my kitchen.  It's very 40's and retro and I LOVE IT!!!

So when I opened the box last night, I said "Oh! Mother!" She sent me those shakers and an adorable red poka-dot bowl.  My mom is the best!!!  Basically, all the milk glass and depression glass that I own is from her.  In these pictures basically everything is from her :) 

I love my stuff!!! And no, that is not all that I have.  My mom also supplied me with a lot and I mean a lot of blue and pink milk glass plates, cups, and bowls. And yes, I actually do use these things, and quite often.  If it looks like it could hold flowers (salt & pepper shakers, refrigerator jars, etc...), then it holds flowers! And if it's a dish, then something is often it in :)