Pumpkin Snickerdoodles in...April?

It may not be fall, but who says you can't bake with pumpkin?  Trust us - you'll love the result!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Recipe adapted from Baked Perfection 

Photos by Bake Yourself Happy

                                         Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons cinnamon

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Directions

1. PREHEAT oven to 400F.
2. WHISK together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl.
3. MIX together butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat until combined, then add the pumpkin puree and beat until combined.
4. ADD the flour mixture and beat slowly, until combined.
5. COMBINE 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.  The cookies will be rolled in this mixture.
6. ROLL dough into 1 or 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar.  Place onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
7. BAKE for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are just set and begin to brown.  This can be hard to notice, so watch carefully!  Make sure the centers remain soft.
8. COOL on the baking sheets roughly 5 minutes (less if the cookies start to crisp too much and lose their softness).  Remove from the baking sheet and ENJOY!

Snickerdoodle cookies are a fabulous treat.  There's something about the smell of cinnamon drifting from the oven that makes every mouth water.  And if you love soft cookies like we do, a snickerdoodle done right can be your best first.  Warm, soft, and cinnamony - what more could you want?  Try adding pumpkin - that's what you'll want.  We've found that the pumpkin adds an incredibly smooth texture to the snickerdoodles.  Without overwhelming the cinnamon flavor that snickerdoodles are known for, the addition of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice add subtle taste variations that will definitely make you smile.  While these are perfect in the fall (and for Thanksgiving!), there is absolutely no need to wait until September, October, or November to whip up a batch.

"Mouthful of Deliciousness" Cookies

Cinnamon + Brown Sugar + Oatmeal + Dark Chocolate = Yum

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour 

Photos by Bake Yourself Happy

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup butter flavored shortening (we used organic to avoid partially hydrogenated oils)
• 2/3 + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips

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Directions

1. BEAT together butter, shortening, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla.
2. ADD the egg and beat until smooth.
3. BEAT in flour, oats, and cinnamon.  Mix until well combined.
4. MIX in orange juice and chocolate chips.
5. COVER the cookie dough and refrigerate for roughly one hour.
6. PREHEAT oven to 375F.
7. LIGHTLY grease baking sheets, and place cookies onto the sheets.
8. BAKE for about 10 minutes, until the cookies are a light golden and beginning to darken around the edges.  The cookies will appear darker due to the brown sugar.
9. COOL on baking sheets for 2-3 minutes, then remove.  Enjoy!

Cinnamon is such a fabulous spice.  It's so great when combined with brown sugar - especially if that's over a bowl of oatmeal.  When chocolate chip cookies are on the menu but you're craving something oatey, cinnamony, and brown sugary, adaptations are needed!  So that's exactly what we did.

The smell while these are in the oven is incredible.  You get a warm aroma of sweet cinnamon, with undertones of chocolate.  When the cookies finally come out of the oven and are cool enough to eat, your mouth will surely be watering.  The oats provide great texture, adding a slight chewiness to the cookie.  Every now and then, an extra burst of cinnamon flavor pops out.  When combined with a bite of dark chocolate, smiles are all but guaranteed!

Glorious Morning Glory Muffins

These are honestly the best muffins we've ever made.

Morning Glory Muffins
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour
Photos by Bake Yourself Happy



Morning Glory Muffins

1/2 cup Craisins

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups carrots, peeled and grated

1 large apple, peeled, cored, and grated

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup wheat germ

3 large eggs

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup orange juice

*NOTE - any and all of the add-ins (nuts, wheat germ, Craisins) can be taken out or substituted based on your preferences!

Directions

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375 F.  Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan (or use the little muffin wrappers.  Don't forget to lightly grease the inside of them though!)
2. SOAK the Craisins in hot water (to remove excess sugars) and set them aside.
3. WHISK together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
4. STIR in carrots, apple, coconut, nuts, and wheat germ.
5. BEAT together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and orange juice in a separate bowl.
6. ADD egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until evenly distributed.
7. DRAIN Craisins and stir in to batter.
8. PLACE batter in muffin pan evenly (should fill right to the top!)
9. BAKE for 25-28 minutes.  Muffins will have a nice muffin-top, a toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the middle, and they will smell heavenly.
10. REMOVE from oven and let cool for five minutes.  Remove from pan and enjoy!

Ready to Roll - Pumpkin Style

We love fall, especially because of the pumpkin and of course, 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown'.

Pumpkin Roll with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing
Recipe adapted from Libby's Pumpkin Roll and Baked Perfection
Photos by Bake Yourself Happy


Pumpkin Roll

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup pureed pumpkin*
• Parchment paper

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 - 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

1. PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with lightly floured parchment paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.
2. COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
3. BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto new sheet of parchment paper.  The parchment paper should be lightly coated with powdered sugar and placed on top of a towel. Carefully peel off the old parchment paper (now on top). Roll up cake and towel together. Cool on wire rack at least 45 minutes to one hour.
4. BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth.  If desired, here you can add in additional powdered sugar.  Carefully unroll cake (once cool); remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

*Pureed Pumpkin

You can always buy canned pumpkin puree, but here's how to make it yourself.  Trust us - it's better this way (WAY better).

Start with a pie pumpkin (the little ones - but save the real tiny decoration pumpkins for your centerpiece).  Cut it in half and take the stem off.  De-gut it...that is, take out all the seeds and pumpkin stringys.  Place each half in a microwave safe bowl with a little water in the bottom of the bowl.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and cook in the microwave for 7-10 minutes.  You'll know its done when the pumpkin is soft to the touch and comes right off the peel.  Careful - it'll be hot!  Unwrap the plastic wrap and scoop the pumpkin off the peel with a spoon...again, it should come right off.  Put the pumpkin in a food processor and puree until it's a homogenous texture - just like baby food.