Spicy Pumpkin Pie Cookies

I had some strokes of genius today, and these cookies were one of them. 

So these cookies all go back to my friend NT who a year or so ago gave me these cream cheese cookies she tried that she found on the internet. They weren't that great, but something about them made you want more, and I liked the idea of cream cheese cookies.

So I went home, found the recipe, and got creative… and I’ve been playing with them ever since.

The recipe is fairly different now from what it used to be. I’ve added a few things, taken some away, and adjusted things to my taste to make them work better.

So today, when I was looking for something with pumpkin in it, I was getting so disappointed that nothing I saw on the internet was inspiring me. I must have surfed through hundreds of pumpkin recipes… but nothing was doing it for me.

Until I saw the base recipe for those cream cheese cookies. I was inspired. I literally jumped out of my chair and ran to the kitchen, got the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge to bring up to room temperature and started measuring.

You would have been excited, too. In fact... I hope you're that excited when you're done reading this!

Here's what you'll need!

1 cup butter (room temperature)

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup brown sugar

1 can pumpkin puree (NOT PUMPKIN PIE MIX)

1 tsp salt

2 ½ cup AP flour

1 tb baking powder

1 tb vanilla

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tb ground cinnamon

Graham cracker crumbs

Pecans

STEP 1: Set oven to 350° Put your butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar into the mixer. Make sure your cream cheese and butter are both at room temperature. 

Now cream the bajeezus out of 'em. Set the mixer to med/high and just let it go. You'll want to scrape down the bowl every now and then to make sure that everything is properly creamed. 

Keep going until it looks like this:

Yum. I could just eat that as is! But don't. 

Too fattening. =D

STEP 2: Add the pumpkin slowly. Just like when adding eggs to a creamed mixture, you'll want to do this very slowly... about a tablespoon at a time will be great. You don't need to scrape the bowl after each addition, but do go slowly so as not to shock the butter too much. 

There will be some separation. That's okay. Don't freak out. 

Add your vanilla next. 

Now, I hope you've measured out all your dry ingredients...

STEP 3: Dump the dry ingredients into the mixer with the wet stuff. Start the mixer out on slow and then mix until everything is combined. Give the bowl a scrape down just to be safe and mix it a tad more until it looks like...

... that ^^. Yum, right? Best part... no eggs! So feel free to eat as much raw dough as you like! WOO!

So here comes the complicated part. It's not really complex, it requires no skill, but it is a bit time consuming. 

Fill up a bowl with graham cracker crumbs. You can use pulverized vanilla wafers, or gingersnaps if you like, but I like the graham crackers. 

STEP 4: Get a scooper and drop a scoop into the bowl of crumbs. Roll it around until the dough is well covered. 

Line up your cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment. 

Here is a cool trick I use for parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I can't stand when the paper starts to blow around in the oven, or slide when I placed the pans on the racks, so here is a neat trick I learned in culinary school...

Take a small dollop of dough, about the size of a pencil eraser, and place one under two corners of the parchment. 

This will keep your paper from sliding around! 

STEP 5: So, once all your cookies are rolled, 

go ahead and press half a pecan (or walnut if you like) into the top of each cookie. 

Pop them in the oven and bake them for 12 minutes. 

Yup. 12. 

Put them on a cooling rack, and go to work on the icing!

You'll need: 

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tb melted butter

2 tb orange juice

1 tsp maple syrup

Mix it all up! Pour it into a plastic ziplock bag, cut a teeny tiny hole into the corner, and drizzle your icing on cooled cookies. 

So good. These cookies were amazing. Spicy, pumpkiny, and SO moist! 

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

And if these ever become famous.. just remember that you saw them here first!

Ingredients: 

Cookies

• 1 cup butter (room temperature)
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 can pumpkin puree (NOT PUMPKIN PIE MIX)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ½ cup AP flour
• 1 tb baking powder
• 1 tb vanilla
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tb ground cinnamon
• Graham cracker crumbs (about 2-3 cups)
• Pecan halves

Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tb melted butter
• 2 tb orange juice
• 1 tsp maple syrup

Directions:

Cookies

1. Set oven to 350° 
2. Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar on med/high heat until light and fluffy. 
3. Scrape down bowl and turn mixer back on, then add pumpkin puree slowly, allowing mix to come together between each addition. 
4. Add the vanilla. 
5. Scrape the bowl, then add dry ingredients. 
6. Mix slowly until well combined. Do not over mix. 
7. Scoop balls of dough and drop into graham cracker crumbs one ball at a time, being sure to completely cover each cookie. 
8. Press half a pecan (or walnut) into each cookie 
9. Place racks in oven and back for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on cooling racks.

Icing

Mix ingredients to combine.

Easy as that! Enjoy!!

Protein Sandwich

I do weird things when I'm hungry...

Like make weird sandwiches that end up tasting AMAZING.

Today I woke up early (8:00 is early for me) and I was starving. I traipsed into the kitchen, intent upon having some eggs. Unfortunately, I was way too tired to cook anything, but then I remembered my Microwave Breakfast Cooker from Tupperware that I got in my started kit. I haven't tried it out yet, so I unwrapped it, washed it, and tried to think of what to make.

For my first time use, I decided on eggs, cheese, and some herbs. I scrambled up the eggs (two to be exact) added some grated cheese, some sage, thyme, and salt, then placed the cover on top. Two minutes in the microwave later, I had scrambled eggs! No cooking necessary! Slid right out of the container and onto my plate where I topped them with salsa and devoured next to a Banana's Foster Muffin and a mandarin orange.

Delish.

It was around my final bite that C texted me and asked if I wanted to go to Costco with her to buy the gym membership I've been wanting so badly. See, Costco has this amazing deal going with 24 Hour Fitness where you can buy a two year membership to 24 at Costco for only $350. AMAZING deal, right?

So of course I said yes!

So we went to Costco and I got the membership (that I will start tomorrow, WOO!) and might have gone a little crazy buying produce.

I just couldn't help myself. When it comes to produce... I get so excited.. I just want to buy everything!

I managed to restrain myself today, and only ended up spending an extra $50 on spinach, cucumbers, bell peppers, grapes, kiwi, blueberries, apple crisps, and pineapple!

Annnd... somehow this turned into a long story for just one picture.
Anyway, hung out at C's house awhile then went home 'cause she had to go to work. And of course, when I got home.. I was hungry again, and for some reason I was craving eggs... again.

This time I didn't mind cooking, so I decided to make an egg sandwich. Then I remembered I had chicken thawed in the fridge.
And then I figured I might as well add some cheese.
And then I saw the spinach on the counter.
And the red bell peppers caught my eye...

And it all turned into one big sandwich.
Two slices of toasted potato bread, two eggs, a chicken breast with salt, pepper, tarragon and sage, sauteed spinach and ¼ a red bell pepper, a tiny bit of mayo and a slice of cheese later...

Yeah. It was as tasty as it looks. The protein from the chicken and the eggs, along with the spinach and the cheese... I only realized after I had inhaled it that this sandwich was PACKED with protein.

And MAN was it delicious!

Banana's Foster Walnut Bread + Muffins

So for my Tupperware meeting last week I was charged with making a dessert out of the Tupperware Stack Cooker Set Cookbook. I ended up making a bananas foster bread pudding (yum) and had to buy a bunch of bananas to test out the recipe...

And what do you do when you have extra bananas lying around?

Why... you make banana bread of course! But I wanted to kick it up a bit, and as I was already inspired by Bananas Foster.... I decided to incorporate that into my bread!

Now.. you're going to need very ripe bananas. I mean really ripe. I mean skin paper thin and fruit flies starting to hone in RIPE bananas.

Here is what else you will need to get started.



1 cup chopped walnuts
4 medium RIPE bananas
¾ cup sour cream
½ cup butter, soft
1¼ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1½ cup All Purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt (yes, it makes a difference. =D)

STEP 1: Set oven to 350°. When it's warm, toast those walnuts! While they toast, peel and mash your bananas. After you've mashed the banana, pull the walnuts from the oven.

Kinda look like mashed potatoes. ... I said Kinda.

STEP 2: Add the sour cream to the bananas, mix it up, and set it aside.

Oh... this cool little contraption? Well if you don't have one.. you should get one. I got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond, inspired by Alton Brown (Or Doc. Brown as I like to call him) where I saw it first on Good Eats at The Food Network. It's fantastic for measuring semi viscous ingredients like mayonnaise, oil, sour cream, peanut butter... and can also be used for solidly dry ingredients or liquid ingredients.

Seriously. Go buy one.

Go on. And while you're out... buy a box of Kosher salt.
It's okay if you already have one... you could always use more.

Go.

I'll be here when you get back.
Go on. I'm not kidding.
I'll be waiting.

STEP 3: Measure out butter and brown sugar, place in mixer, and mix mix mix. (you don't need a stand mixer if you don't have one. You can use a hand mixer, or if you don't have one of those either.. you can melt the butter and use some good old fashioned elbow grease. If you do it the traditional way.. your bread will likely be a bit denser.)

 Yeah, I was too lazy to wash the measuring thingy between ingredients.. it's not really necessary in this case. Some times it is... just not today.

Mix the butter and sugar until it comes together.

STEP 4: Scramble up the eggs and add them very slowly. I generally add about a tablespoon, let it mix up and come together, and then add another tablespoon. I keep going like that until all the egg is gone. This allows the extra fat from the egg yolk to incorporate slowly with the butter, and for the egg white not to be shocked by all the fat. Doing it slowly like this is the only sure fire way for the mixture not to break.

It should look a bit like whipped frosting. If it doesn't, mix it more. If it looks greasy and separated, then you added the eggs to fast. =( If this happens, don't worry about it. You can still make your bread, the texture will just be a little off. (no wasting food...*insert finger shake* don't throw it out!)

STEP 5: Add the vanilla. And for the love of baking... NOT imitation vanilla. If you shop at Costco, Sams Club, or HEB, you can get a huge bottle of vanilla like this one for about a dollar or two more than the imitation junk. 

If you have the imitation junk, feel free to throw it away. Or give it to a neighbor you don't like. 

You won't be needing it any more. 

If you don't have one of these measuring guys either... you should get one of them, too. And maybe some more vanilla while you're out.
It's okay if you already have some.
You can always use more. (I actually have two bottles waiting in my pantry for use... next to my extra box of Kosher salt.)

STEP 6: Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sour cream and banana to the butter/sugar mixture. Everything will separate at this point. Don't worry about it.

STEP 7: Add all the dry ingredients. (minus the walnuts) Mix on low until batter just begins to come together.

I like to put all the dry ingredients on a paper plate. It makes dumping them into the mixer much easier, as the paper plate bends and you don't have to worry as much about dumping flour all over your counter and mixer. (trust me.. took me a few messy counters to figure this one out)

When your batter looks like this, add the walnuts, and continue to mix on low until combined. I like to shut off the mixer a little early and finish it by hand. It helps ensure that all the ingredients are mixed on the bottom.

STEP 8: The pan! Here is a baker's trick for loaf pans...

Pam and parchment!

By letting the parchment float over the side of the loaf pan, you will have a MUCH easier time pulling out the loaf for cooling. When it cools outside of the pan, it cools faster, which means you get to eat it sooner!

STEP 9: The filling! In a separate bowl (it doesn't have to be awesome and pink like mine) melt half a stick of butter (preferably the other half of the one you used in the banana bread) and combine it with half a cup of brown sugar, a tsp of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.

It should look like a paste.

STEP 10: Pour about ⅓ of your batter into your prepared loaf pan. It should fill about ¼ of your pan. Then spread ¾ of the brown sugar paste over the batter, so it looks like this:

Using the handle of a spoon (or fork, or knife... doesn't matter), swirl the mix around. Don't mix it into the batter, just give the surface a nice swirl!

STEP 11: Now add half the remaining batter on top of the swirl, so that your pan is nearly full, then drizzle the remaining brown sugar paste down in a straight line down the center of the batter. There is a reason for this, you'll see.

Into the oven it goes! Let it bake for about 55 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Now... what to do with all this extra batter....?

Sure... you could make some mini loaves. But me?
I like muffins.

So, I whipped out these awesome free standing muffin wrappers I bought the last time I visited my family in Texas. I've been waiting to use them.. so I figured my feeling too lazy to wash muffin tins tonight was the perfect excuse!

Aren't they ADORABLE?! I filled up the muffin cups about ¾ full, then sprinkled a streusel topping over them (because, let's face it, muffins aren't muffins if there is no streusel). If you don't know how to make it.. it's SUPER easy. I generally mix 1 part brown sugar to 1½ parts flour, and splash some vanilla extract on it until it just comes together and looks crumbly. (that's the 20 second quick version.)
And into the oven they went.

I had no idea how long they would take, so I didn't really pay attention to the time. Just keep an eye on them. Poke them with a tooth pick after about 10 minutes, and then go from there. 

I just adore those little Texas cups. =)

While we waited for the banana bread, boyfriend and I enjoyed the muffins. (That's kind of the whole point for making them)

The next step is probably the most difficult: WAITING. See, when your timer goes off and you insert a toothpick into the middle of your banana loaf and itfinallycomesoutcleanandyouaresoexcitedtoeatyourbreadandyoupullitoutand!!!!!!

...

you still have to wait to let it cool.

I know, I know. It's the hardest step, but it's by far the most important.

See, if you cut into a warm loaf of bread, any bread, from quick breads like pumpkin, banana, or zuchinni to hard breads like ciabatta or baguettes... you will let all the steam caught in those beautiful gluten bubbles to escape... and you will be left with a sad, dry loaf.

So, for the sake of moisture, let it cool!

And that brown sugar line down the middle?
I call it a moist maker. =D
It acts as a kind of seal down the middle of the loaf where the batter usually splits to let out the excess moisture. No split means it's all trapped inside, giving you deliciously moist banana bread!

And hours later (about two, actually) it is finally safe to cut open your bread:

I love the caramelization of the brown sugar through the middle of the bread. It adds a unique flavor very similar to banana's foster, and is how this bread gets its name. If you'd like to get closer to the traditional banana's foster flavor, feel free to add a splash of rum (Malibu is best) to that brown sugar paste mixture.

Ingredients:
Banana Bread:

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 4 medium RIPE bananas
• ¾ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup butter, soft
• 1¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1½ cup AP flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1¼ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt

Brown Sugar Paste:

• ¼ cup butter, melted
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tb Malibu Rum (optional)

Streusel:

• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¾cup AP flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Banana Bread

1. Set oven to 350°. 
2. Prepare loaf pan 
3. Toast walnuts. While they toast, peel and mash your bananas. After you've mashed the banana, pull the walnuts from the oven. 
4. Add the sour cream to the bananas, mix to combine, and set aside. 
5. Place room temperature butter and brown sugar in mixer and mix on high until a paste is formed. 
6. Scramble eggs in a bowl, and add to sugar mixture slowly, about a tablespoon at a time, without stopping the mixer. 
7. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla, then mix until vanilla is thoroughly combined 
8. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sour cream and banana. Mix to combine. 
9. Add the dry ingredients. Mix on low until just combined, then add the walnuts. Mix for another ten seconds, then shut off the mixer and finish by hand, being sure to mix in all the ingredients on the bottom. 
10. Pour ⅓ of batter into prepared loaf pan. 
11. Spread ¾ of brown sugar paste over the batter, and swirl around with the bottom of a spoon. 
12. Pour ½ of remaining batter over swirled paste, then draw a straight line down the middle of the load with remaining paste. 
13. Place in oven and bake for about 55-58 minutes or until skewer inserted into center comes out clean. 
14. Remove loaf from pan and allow to cool for about 2 hours before cutting. 
15. Use remaining batter for muffins, top muffins with streusel, and bake about 10 minutes.

Brown Sugar Paste:

Stir ingredients to combine.

Streusel:

Stir ingredients to combine.

That's it! ENJOY!!
Oh... and Happy Birthday to me. =)

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

So a short while back I made a post about how to make perfect oatmeal. Well, yesterday I went to make oatmeal and decided I wanted to try something a bit different.

When it comes to oatmeal, I've tried just about everything. I've done everything from the simple raisins or walnuts, to funky combinations like peanut butter and banana, peanut butter and chocolate, or sweet potato and marshmallow. I've also done some savory variations like cracked black pepper and thyme. I've made butter pecan oatmeal, cinnamon apple oatmeal, or just your basic cinnamon and brown sugar.

But yesterday, in the spirit of fall, I decided to crack open my first can of pumpkin for the season and make pumpkin pie oatmeal.

Yup. You read that right.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

For this variation, I made the oatmeal per usual. Then, when it was time to flavor, I added a table spoon of pumpkin puree, a table spoon of butter, 1/4 tsp of ground ginger, and I added an extra 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Then I topped it with pecans, a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs, and some cinnamon sugar.

OMG. Deliciousness.

So, when you find yourself craving some pumpkin goodness this fall season... rather than grab the uber fattening slice of pumpkin pie (as I tend to do the day after Thanksgiving) perhaps you'll try some oatmeal instead.

HAPPY OATMEALING!!

ENJOY!