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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Sweet Potato Supremes!



Sweet Potato Supremes

My Grandmother has a recipe we use at Thanksgiving for a sweet potato dish with nuts and coconut. It is heaven on a spoon. I wanted to see if I could make a cookie that was almost as wonderful.  I found a couple of sweet potato cookies on line, morphed them and added the nuts and coconut. Add an orange glaze and we have these!

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup coconut

Orange Glaze
1 1/2 powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla



Preheat oven to 375. 
Mix, in a medium bowl,  flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt. I use a whisk.
In the bowl of the mixer, cream butter and sugars till light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Blend well.
Add in sweet potatoes. With a spoon, add pecans and coconut.
Line two baking sheets with parchment. 
I used the medium cookies scoop and placed the balls of dough on the prepared pans.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Or until bottoms are slightly brown. Remove to a rack to cool completely


Orange Glaze
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. It will seem very thin. You can make it thicker with more powdered sugar if you wish and drizzle over cookies. I just dipped the tops of the cookies into the glaze. It gives the cookies a lovely little extra flavor


Makes 36




Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookie!


Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon  baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice *
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)

FROSTING
1 cup butter, softened
8 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
additional pumpkin pie spice for sprinkle


* I made my own spice blend out of  2 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons nutmeg, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.

Preheat oven to 375
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, instant coffee, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time. Then add vanilla.
Add one third of the dry mixture, alternately with half the pumpkin.  Blend until thoroughly combined.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. I used the big cookie scoop and had to bake them a little longer.
Transfer to a rack to cool

When cool frost!
To make frosting:
Combine butter and powdered sugar. Combine milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Add milk mixture to butter and sugar. Beat until well combined.
 Adding more milk if the consistency is too thick.
Frost each cookie and sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice.






Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Date Half Moons


Date Half Moons

1/2 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
Powdered sugar for dusting


Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth and well combined. Add flour, beat until a nice dough forms.  Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for at least one hour.
In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, cook dates, sugar and water.
Cook until dates are thickened and it all looks like mush. If you use whole dates you chop up yourself you need to add more water and give it more time.
It does taste good, despite the look!
Remove the dates from heat, add walnuts and orange rind. Let cool to room temperature.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Divide the dough in half, place one portion on a lightly floured surface, roll out very thin, about 1/8 of an inch. Cut dough with a 2 1/2 inch circle cutter.

Spoon about 1/2 a teaspoon of the date mixture into the center of each dough round.

Fold over the dough and press edges together with a fork. To ensure a tighter seal, you can take a bit of water on your finger and moisten half the edge of the dough before folding over and pressing with a fork.
Place half moons on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake cookies at 375 for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. When they are still warm from the oven dust with powdered sugar.
Makes 3 dozen, just.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Oatmeal Carmel Apple


Oatmeal Carmel Apple Cookies
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Penzey's Cake Spice or cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup grated apple - I used granny smith
1 cup Kraft Carmel bits


Preheat oven to 350
Line baking sheets with parchment
Cream butter, sugars and vanilla till light and fluffy
Beat in eggs one at a time, until well blended
In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, Cake spice (or cinnamon). Add this to butter mixture and beat till well combined.
Beat in oats, apple and carmel bits

Scoop dough with a medium cookies scoop and place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheets
Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. 
Let sit on parchment paper for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Carmel Apple Cookies


Carmel Apple Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 7.4 ounce box of Spiced Apple Cider drink mix (DO NOT use sugar free!)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups all purpose flour
Kraft carmel bits


Cream butter and sugar, salt and all 10 cider packets till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.  Add that to the butter mixture. Beat till well combined.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper -- really you want this
Scoop out ball of dough with a medium scoop. Place dough balls onto prepared sheets. Put a large thumbprint in each ball. Fill them cavity with the carmel bits

Bake about 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. They will flatten out.