Autumn Delights

I am definitely enjoing this time of year! So beautiful. Today I am going to share with you more Autumn delights. Yes, you are not mistaken that was delight with an S. Two sweet treats today. Wooo Hooo!!!

Let's get started.

Last weekend when we were at the pumpkin patch we brought home some delicious apple butter. Did I mention it is delicious?! mmmm so good! OK, sorry I'm focused now.

I wanted to incorporate the apple butter into a cookie some how. I searched through my recipes and books and I came across a great dough companion for the apple butter. Linzer Cookies. I have made these before with raspberry jam. Very delicious. I feel the cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves in the dough will accent the apple butter nicely.

What you will need:
1-1/4 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamond
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 cups ground almonds
Apple butter
Powdered sugar

To start, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl add the flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Slowly add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Stir in almonds, then wrap the dough up and chill for an hour.

While the dough is chilling let's work on TREAT #2. I hope you are not scared by these "boooorrific" fellows.

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp cidar vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
black edible ink pen

In a bowl bring the 2 egg whites to room temperature, about 30 mins.

Add the extracts, vinegar and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.

On high, beat in sugar 1Tbsp at a time. Until stiff glossy peaks form and the sugar is dissolved. This will take about 6 mins.

Take a pastry bag or plastic bag and fit with a #10 round pastry tip. Fill the bag with the egg white mixture and pipe 1-1/2 inch diameter ghosts onto parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake at 250 for 40-45 mins. Turn oven off and leave the cookies in the oven for an hour. Carefully remove from parchment paper, use your edible black ink pen to draw on eyes and then share your scary treat with friends!

AHHHHH! So scary and cute!

Back to TREAT #1.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness.

Cut with a floured 2-1/2 inch round cookie cutter.

Then with half of the cookies cut a 1-1/2 inch circle out of the center. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 mins, until the edges are golden brown.

Place on wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, spread with apple butter on the bottom of the solid cookie; place cut-out cookie over jam and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

What a yummy fall inspired cookie! I hope you try them out for yourself.

I have been asked many times what I do with all the sweet treats. Usually they are given to family and friends. Today the apple butter cookies will be part of a bake sale for a wonderful lady at work who has battled breast cancer this past year.  October is breast cancer awareness month. My heart and prayers go out to everyone who is battling or who have battled this deadly disease. Think Pink!

Both recipes today can also be found in the Taste of Homes Cookies, 623 irresistible delights, cook book.

I hope this post has doubly satisfied your sweet tooth. See you next Saturday :)

Apple Pie in a Jar

Today we celebrated my dad's birthday with a day at the pumpkin patch, watched the awesome buckeye game, then dinner & dessert of course!

For dinner I cooked Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon. Then to top it off, apple pie in a jar. Needles to say we were all in a food comma.

When I graduated college and was truly on my own, my mom created a binder of family recipes for me. Look at the picture that is on the cover.

Oh how I was in love with my Fisher Price Kitchen :). It's funny how you get back to the things you loved doing as a child.  So today I am sharing my families apple pie filling.

Ingredients:
6 cups peeled and thinly sliced cooking apples
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs. Flour
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of ground nutmeg

1 apple is about 1 cup sliced. I have one too many in this picture. I do like to mix the red/yellow apples with a tart green granny smith.

So peel and thinly slice the apples. Then add all other ingredients and mix.

This filling is nice and sweet but not too sweet and not too syrupy. It is my favorite! I guess I may be bias but I haven't found one that I have liked better.

On to making a pie in a jar.

Take your chilled pie dough and roll out.

Next take your mason jars and cut a circle to fit the bottom of the jar.

Then cut strips of the dough to fit on the sides of the jar.

Be sure to press the side to the bottom so there is no gaps.

Next fill with the yummy apples and top with another cut circle.

Take a fork to flute the edge and also cut a slit in the top.

Bake the jars at 350 for 30 mins, until the crust in golden.

Once cooled screw on lid and make it look cute :)

I added burlap and ribbon that says Bon Appetite.  Very fitting for my Julia Child's dinner.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Bon Appetite & Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday!!!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Fall is here! I think it might be my favorite time of year. That is hard for me to say because I loooove the beach but I do look forward to the cooler weather, the beautiful changing leaves and fall desserts.

So today I am sharing the easiest fall dessert I know. It is sure to wow your next dinner party and you'll hardly break a sweat.

Here is all you will need...and no I'm not kidding.

Mix together the dry spice cake mix and can of 100% pumpkin until well combined.  Don't add the eggs, water or oil. Just the dry mix...see very simple!

Drop the mixture by spoon fulls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Look what I added to some of the mixture...can you see the little guys?

Raisins! I love raisins and think they are a great compliment to the pumpkin spice flavor. Feel free to dress yours up with what ever your taste buds like.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

When they have cooled ice with cream cheese frosting and enjoy!

Mmmmmm!

Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday! I hope you have enjoyed this very easy but delicious fall dessert.

Mint Filling

Today is a very special sweet tooth Saturday. It is a 2 part post.

Part 1:

This weekend I had a bridal shower cake to do. The inspiration for the top tier of the cake was Andes mints.

I started by baking two chocolate cakes. For the filling I made chocolate ganache and mint filling.

Ingredients for mint filling:

• 6 Tbsp of softened butter
• 2 cps powdered sugar
• 1 tsp mint or peppermint extract
• green food coloring

Mix all ingredients together on low speed until light and fluffy.

After your cakes have cooled ice with butter cream. Be sure to make a rim so the filling will not come out the sides.

Add your cooled chocolate ganache to both cakes and then top only one with the mint filling.

Carefully sandwich the two together and ice.

The bride to be loved the show Friends, here is a final look at the cake...

Part 2:

I had left over mint filling and chocolate ganache from the cake. Since Halloween is upon us I thought I would make some Halloween inspired cookies with a chocolate ganache and mint filling.

For the cookies:

Take a chocolate cake box mix and add 2 eggs and 1/3 cup of vegetable oil. Mix until well combined. Chill dough for 30 mins. Roll into a ball and place between parchment paper. I did not have any on have so I used plastic wrap.

Roll out and cut with your favorite Halloween cookie cutter.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes and cool.

Ice the back side of 2 cookies with the chocolate ganache and then 1 with the mint filling.

Sandwich together and serve on a cute Halloween plate.

These are very yummy! I would suggest using a small cookie cutter. They grow in the oven. These are some pretty big witch hats.

I hope you enjoyed this doubly sweet post!