Pumpkin Cake, Loaf, Muffins, or Cookies

That one quick and yummy recipe that allows you make any or all of the above.   The main recipe only takes four ingredients but you can add in the optionals and make it a 5 or 6  ingredient recipe.

I know there are naysayers out there that don't like pumpkin.  They can just ignore this one.   Me and my family love pumpkin.  We love it in cake, loaf, muffins, or cookies and even in the occasional pie. 

I had a neighbor come and help me with a task outside in the yard, so I needed to make him something as a thank you.   I had all the ingredients in the house.  I decided to make them plain and sandwich them together with some boiled frosting for a Whoopie Pie version.

Pumpkin Cookies sandwiched with Boiled Frosting

Here is the recipe...........

Click on recipe to open photo.  Click on photo to save to your computer for printing.

Find more recipes here......

Follow me on Facebook

Or find me on Pinterest

or find me on Just a Pinch 

Click this image to subscribe to my newsletter

Join me on Google+ 

From the bottom of my heart.............. 

I'll Be Dipped In Chocolate

I make a lot of goodies that can be put on a cookie plate or taken on a tray to a party or smaller get together.   One of my favorites is to dip, or drizzle with melted chocolate.   Nothing could be easier than melting chocolate wafers and either using it dip to array of items in it or to drizzle it over things.

This first item turned into a quick and easy prize for one of the games at my daughters wedding shower.   

I took a store bought box of caramel corn and  turned it into Chocolate Covered Caramel Corn.  Here is how I did it..............

Get the recipe here...........

Click on photo to open recipe.  Right click on recipe to save to your computer for printing. 

Here are some other ideas that are quick, easy and delicious involving melting chocolate and either dipping or drizzling it.

Apples wrapped in caramel, dipped in chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate and then sprinkles. 

Chubby Hubby Pretzel Bites.  Peanut butter balls between two pretzels dipped in chocolate 

Pretzel Braids dipped in chocolate and sprinkles 

Chocolate Cups filled with Peanut butter pie filling or cannoli filling 

Fortune Cookies dipped in chocolate and sprinkles

Easter bunny Peeps dipped in chocolate.  I used them to decorate a cake. 

Pretzel sticks turned into wands

Frosted Chocolate Cupcake dipped in chocolate 

Chocolate dipped Strawberries make a great cake decoration.

Chocolate mice made by using melted chocolate as glue to hold together a hershey kiss and chocolate covered cherry.

Things that I have drizzled, dripped or made  with chocolate

The local ice cream shop had leftover cherry dip.  So I claimed it and drizzled it over a cake. 

Made a fresh fruit tart and drizzled it with both white and dark chocolate. 

Add heavy cream to make a ganache and pour it over the cake.

You can dip just about any homemade or store bought cookie and add sprinkles. 

I make an assortment of shortbread cookies.  Sometimes I add them to the tray plain or sometimes I put them over the top with a drizzle of chocolate. 

Who doesn't like a chocolate dipped strawberry.  I sometimes dip blackberries as well.  If you look closely you can see that I stuffed the red raspberries with a white chocolate chip.  

Made a cake topper by dipping a pear in chocolate and made his tail by painting a chocolate fan on wax paper and then adding chocolate dipped pretzels and candy to decorate it.  Glued it to the body with melted chocolate. 

Used a squeeze bottle filled with chocolate to paint this turkey on wax paper. 

 Still more things  you can dip, drizzle or pour the chocolate onto. 

1. Mandarin Oranges
2. Candied Citris 
3. Candy Canes
4. Penny Stick Candy
5. Cookies
6. Potato Chips
7. Fruit
8. Granola
9. Bacon 
10. Ice cream cones
11. Cake cut into cubes or shaped into balls
12. Mint leaves

Find more recipes here......

Follow me on Facebook

Or find me on Pinterest

or find me on Just a Pinch 

Click this image to subscribe to my newsletter

Join me on Google+ 

From the bottom of my heart.............. 

Who Remembers Archway Cookies?

Archway cookies used to be sold in many varieties in every store.  Now your lucky if you can find them in the stores around the holiday season. You can however order them online if you so choose. There were so many kinds, Cashew Nougat, Soft Oatmeal, Iced Oatmeal, Oatmeal Creams, Soft Molasses, Windmill, Frosted Lemon, Hermits, Cherry Chip, Raspberry Filled, Coconut Macaroon, and Dutch Cocoa to name a few.

My mom was a terrific baker and cook, but she didn't make many cookies.  She usually made large batches of donuts and cakes.  Probably because they went farther and lasted longer with all of us kids.   She did purchase cookies to put in my father's lunch and many times they were the Archway brand. She would pack a couple in his lunch and would try to hide the rest for his lunch the next day.  Try is the key word.   Often one of the grandchildren would be visiting and my dad would pull out the cookies and give them a cookie while he had one or two with his coffee.  This happened with many kinds of store bought goodies and the grandchildren. 

My all time favorite was the Coconut Washboards that came in a bag.  They were very crisp and crunchy and went really well with a cold glass of milk or a warm cup of tea.  It was one of those things where you could sit and eat the entire bag. 

This recipe, however, is for their Dutch Cocoa Cookie.   There are a lot of copy cat recipes out there but I tried this one and it came out very nice.  I only made a few adjustments as the dough was very sticky, so I added a tad more flour and I dipped them in white chocolate for the holiday season.  

Click on recipe to open in a new window.  Once new window opens, right click on recipe to save as a file in your place of preference. 

Find more recipes here......

Follow me on Facebook

Or find me on Pinterest

Click this image to subscribe to my newsletter

Join me on Google+ 

From the bottom of my heart.............. 

New addition to my Christmas Cookie Tray

Every year since I married my husband (1984), I have made trays of cookies to give away at Christmas time.  Heck, I have even made cookie trays for graduation parties and a few weddings. 

For several years instead of trying to do all the baking myself I went to a cookie exchange party.   I did not host the party but the just of it is:  Everyone brings 6 dozen cookies of one kind of cookie.  You can serve appetizers and drinks and play games or even bake extra cookies for sampling and awarding prizes during the party.  The big TADA  is when the hostess tells you how many of each cookie you can take.   the equation 6x12 divided by the number in attendance.  Of course the lower number in attendance the more of one kind of cookie you get.   Sometimes the party I went to, numbers were so large we only got 3 of each kind of cookie.   But no matter the number of who was in attendance you went with 6 dozen of one particular cookie and you came home with six dozen of a variety of cookies. At this time we would all gather up our large trays or cookie tins and form a line around the trays, boxes and tins of cookies displayed for exchanging.  We would then start choosing our allotted number of cookies from each tray until we made it full circle.  Then we would cover up our treasures and head home to enjoy the spoils. 

I haven't gone to a cookie exchange party in a few years. However, each year I still manage to make up a few trays to hand out.  The past several  years I have gotten together with friends to either bake and exchange in their home or mine.   It is always a good time and makes for a busy and fund day. 

This year I decided to try out a new recipe to add to my tray, Raspberry Almond Tarts.   These cookies are made in the mini muffin tin.   I love how anything made in the mini muffin tin is just the right size, one bite for some and two bites for others.  This allows  you room to have another or simply to just taste something altogether different.   I have found a few cookie recipes to use in the mini muffin tin as well, this one of course, Pecan Tassie's, Peanut Butter Cookie Cups, Cherry Almond Delights and Fudge Puddles.  I have also found that the dough in this recipe can be used in several cookie recipes.  I have also used it in making Kolacky's, Italian Fudge Roll Cookies and Rugelach, Italian Nut Horns, Hungarian Walnut Rolls, Hamantaschen Cookies, Cream Cheese Crescents and even thumbprints at times.   All of these make great additions to any cookie tray. 

Cookies are delicious anytime of year but Christmas seems the most popular holiday with having to leaving cookies for Santa.    Yet another reason to bake cookies.   Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and hoping you have your fill of delicious Christmas Cookies during the season and all the year through.

Raspberry Almond Tarts

Here is the recipe for Raspberry Almond Tarts.....

Click on photo to open photo. Once open right click to save to your computer for printing later.

Find more recipes here......

Follow me on Facebook

Or find me on Pinterest

Click this image to subscribe to my newsletter

Join me on Google+ 

From the bottom of my heart..............