Pumpkin Blossom Cookies

I couldn't resist making these cookies because they were so cute! They were very moist and tasty, but I wasn't a huge fan of the kisses on top. The cookies would be just as good without them. But they do make for such a fun presentation for fall.




Pumpkin Blossom Cookies
Recipe from Imperrfections

4 TBS butter, softened
3/4 C vegetable oil
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 C pumpkin puree
3 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 (11 oz) bag Hershey's Candy Corn Kisses, FROZEN
extra white sugar for rolling the cookies

Preheat oven to to 350 F.Unwrap 40 candy kisses and place in a bowl and put in the freezer (because these candies are mostly oil and sugar, if not frozen then they melt into a puddle super fast when placed on a hot cookie).

Cream together the butter, oil, and sugars then stir in the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin. Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until completely combined then stick in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up the dough.

Using your hands, quickly roll into large teaspoon sized balls and roll each cookie in a small bowl of sugar (if the dough starts to get too warm, place in the freezer for 5 minutes). Place sugar-rolled dough balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes.

As soon as they are out of the oven, press a Candy Corn Kiss into the center of each cookie, move to a cooling rack, and place in the freezer for several minutes.

Apple Bars

We went apple picking over the weekend, so I have lots of apples sitting in my kitchen. I've been saving recipes all week in my Google Reader and can't wait to try some of them out. Here's the first one that I made this morning. The recipe came from Gourmet Mom on the Go, but she called them Apple Brownies. I didn't think they were much like brownies because they had a cake like consistency. No matter what you call them, they are tasty!

Apple Bars
Recipe from Gourmet Mom on the Go

Ingredients:

1 c. butter

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 C. flour

1 tsp. Baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

3 large or 4 small apples, peeled and diced

granulated sugar (for sprinkling on top after baking)

Caramel Ice Cream topping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Choose your pan size: either a 9 x 13 pan, two pie pans, or a pie pan and four mini-loaf pans. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and apples. Mix well.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sugar.

Look what we baked!

Sorry for not posting very often lately. Here's what we finished baking on 7/21/09...

More posts coming soon as I get back into the kitchen!