Iced Pumpkin Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Zucchini Brownies

1/2 cup vegetable oil1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups shredded zucchini



I always grate my zucchini first. I hate to stop in the middle of preparing a dish, so it helps to have it pre grated.

*This time a year I grate my zucchini and freeze it for winter. Most zucchini bread recipes call for 2 cups. So I just put a (very generous) 2 cups in a freezer ziploc bag.*

Pre heat your oven for 350* and grease a 9x13 pan.


First I put the oil, sugar, and vanilla in your mixer. Oh, and I mixed! At this point I started thinking that there was not going to be enough liquid for the brownies. But I had faith and kept going!


Then I added the flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. And again, mixed! I was really thinking that there was no possible way there was enough liquid for these to work. But still going on faith I went on.

I added the 2 cups of (pre shredded) zucchini. And mixed...



and mixed. Until I got this. Isn't it beautiful!! I want to lick the beaters right now.



After this you pour in the prepared 9x13 pan and bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes. I don't have any pictures of the final product for two reasons. 1) My day got crazy after I put these in the oven and 2) They were eaten too quickly!! These really are the moistest brownies I have ever tasted. The original recipe called for walnuts but, YUCK! I like them so much better without frosting,or with a light dusting of powdered sugar. When I do frost them I use Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate straight from the can (it's an old family recipe). I hope you enjoy! Tell me what you think!

French Onion Soup

I have never been a fan of onions! Like the flavor, but hate the crunchy onions. I first got brave and tried the soup with all the onions strained out. YUMMY! Well the second time I made this I forgot to strain them. So I thought I'd be brave and try it and... YUMMY! It is so good! I don't know if it's the soup or just the CHEESE! All things are better with cheese. I am being lazy and I'm not typing out the recipe, but here is the link for a very yummy French Onion Soup! Enjoy!

Pippin' Hot Smoe's

Well, I missed it! National S’more Day! But the second I found out about it we celebrated it!!



We made Easy S'more clusters.
These were very tasty, even though mine look blah. I didn't have enough chocolate and my graham crackers were too crumby.



We also made S'more cupcakes.
VERY yummy! And I have found a new frosting!!
I used the Martha Stewart chocolate cupcake recipe they had listed. It was good but I would really use Wacky Cake instead! But that is my personal favorite.

Now, I printed the recipe and then went from memory so I didn't sprinkle the frosting with graham crackers. I did put a piece of cracker on top of each cup cake and then frosted them.



But the marshmallow cream frosting is fabulous! It's SUPER sweet if you just eat it, but on the cupcake... YUM! I have decorated cakes with yummy butter cream frosting before and wished that it would stay in place and not be melty and drippy. But this stuff is good and WILL stay in place! It needed marshmallow cream to glue/stick it in place. I will be using this one again!

Marshmallow Cream Frosting

3 sticks butter, room temperature
1 lb. (2 cups) confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. tub of marshmallow cream (I recommend Fluff)

Cream the butter (I love my Kitchenaid!) on high until it's light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until fluffy each time. Beat in the vanilla until incorporated. Then dump in the Fluff and mix it up 'til it's all creamy. Transfer to pastry bag (if desired) and pipe onto cupcakes! (You can also cut the corner off a Ziploc bag and use that instead.)

Best Chocolate Cake

... is what this cake is called! I thought it was really good, but I do still like wacky cake better! (recipe to come another day) I found this recipe on the Mormon Mom's Podcast and thought I'd try it. So here ya go!

The Best Chocolate Cake EVER!

(Pre-heat oven to 350°)

2 eggs
1c sugar
2 T soft butter
1 c. oil
½ c. cocoa
½ c. buttermilk (= 3T soft butter + 1/2c. milk + 1T vinegar)
1 t. vanilla
2 ¼ c. flour
1 ½ t. baking powder
1 ½ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
1 c. boiling water
1 c. chocolate chips (I like to use my favorite chocolate bar, chopped)

Frosting
½ c. soft butter
1 c. powdered sugar
2/3 c. cocoa
1 t. vanilla
2 T milk

Add 1st 7 ingredients on at a time, mixing constantly. Sift dry ingredients together and fold in to mix. Fold in boiling water. Put batter in 2 greased, floured 8” rounds. Sprinkle choc chips on top of batter. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

Frosting: beat 1st 3 ingredients, then add last 2. Beat until smooth. Add more sugar until you get a good consistency.

*** OK, here's what I would change and/or do different next time. First, I used my kitchen aid and I have a feeling I over mixed it. It was really crummy, so next time I will just use a wooden spoon and actually fold in the dry ingredients. Who knows it just might work out! And second, is more of an FYI. I doubled my frosting and still felt there wasn't nearly enough!! Next time I will quadruple it! Anyway, ENJOY! And if you make this let me know what you think and how it turned out! ***