Eggnog Cookies

I have learned something while making these cookies. Eggnog has no middle ground; you either LOVE it, or you HATE it!! To each there own. I happen to be one of those "weirdo's" that LOVE LOVE LOVE Eggnog! I found this recipe for Eggnog Cookies, and I was all like =O WHAT?!?!?!

I knew they HAD to be made!!!! So with a little neighborly support (Thanks J for the eggnog) I made my house smell like warm, comforting eggnog! MMMMMmmmmmmm

*Makes 3 dozen cookies*

2 1/4 C Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/4 C Sugar

3/4 C Butter, softened

1/2 C Eggnog

1 tsp Vanilla 

2 egg yolks

1 Tbl nutmeg for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 300*

whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar, add eggnog vanilla and egg yolks. When it's smooth (Takes about 5 mins) mix in dry ingrediants until combined.

scoop onto cookie sheet 1 inch apart and bake at 300* for 20-25 mins.

Let cool on cookie sheet for a few mins and then transfer to a wire rack.

Eggnog Glaze

3 C Powdered Sugar

1/4 C Soft Butter

1/2 C Eggnog

Beat butter and sugar, and then pour in eggnog while mixing until desired consistency is reached.  Spread/drizzle/drip onto your cookies and then sprinkle with nutmeg!

*don't go crazy with the nutmeg sprinkle, it doesn't take much*

 These are super delish!! And if you like the taste but not texture of eggnog, make these!!!! You get the flavor with out the thick texture of eggnog!!
Needless to say, this one's a keeper!!!

Pumpkin Doughnuts

Fall is upon us and 'tis the season for PUMPKIN!!!! I was having a strong desire (I shy away from the word craving because of the implications it brings when a woman uses it) for Pumpkin doughnuts, so I said to myself, "SELF?! Why don't we just make some?!"  So Myself found a recipe here and, with a little advice from my friends, I made some!!!

Here is my recipe:

 

3 1/2 c Flour

4 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice

1 c Sugar

2 tbl Butter softend

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla

1/2 c. Buttermilk

1 c Pumpkin Puree (about 1/2 of the small can of pumpkin)
Canola oil for frying (I baked mine)

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, spice, and sugar. Make a well in the center.
In a separate bowl combine Butter, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and pumpkin.
Dump wet ingredients into the well and stir until mixture is well combined.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, rolling the donut dough to approximately 1/4-1/2" thick.
Cut out with doughnut cutter.

*If you are baking them simply spoon batter into a doughnut pan (which looks like this, and yes; I do need one). If you don't have one of these nifty little contraptions, you can do what I did and put the dough/batter into a gallon sized zip lock bag and pipe them onto a large cookie sheet. I was able to fit 6 onto 1 jelly roll pan. That is how I ended up with my giant, very rustic, doughnuts!!

Heat 2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, gently slide donuts into the oil, frying on the first side until edges of the donut are lightly browned, flip carefully and allow to cook on the other side until lightly browned.
Remove and dunk immediately into buttermilk glaze. allow to air dry on a cooling rack before serving.

Buttermilk glaze
3 c Powdered sugar
1/2 c. Buttermilk
1/2 tsp Vanilla
Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth.

*I topped mine with cinnamon sugar...because I love cinnamon sugar as much as I love pumpkin!

 

So there you have it!  Homemade, pumpkin muffins, disguised as doughnuts!

 

Oatmeal Banana Cake

This is AMAZING!!! It is my new favorite way to use up banana's that are getting a little too ripe. It is delicious, It's pretty, it's healthy and it's something I don't mind letting my kids eat all they want of!! AWESOME!!!
I started with THIS recipe from A Pinch of Joy
and altered it a bit to make it my own.

Here is what I ended up with.

• 1.5 cups flour 
• 1 C. Oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
• ½ cup applesauce, sugar free or no sugar added
• ¾ cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 3 ripe / overripe bananas, mashed

1. Preheat oven and lightly grease a 9x13 cake pan
2. Mix together applesauce and honey.
3. Mash bananas. Overripe bananas work well for this purpose.
4. Add bananas and eggs to applesauce and honey mixture and mix until well blended.
5. Add flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt at the same time – do NOT stir ingredients in one at a time. Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened.
6. Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
8. Let cake cool 5-10 minutes in the pan and then cut into squares and enjoy!!

Gary helped me make this and it turned out so delicious!!! Love it!!!