Pumpkin Layer Brownies

Let the holiday baking begin. I was asked to bake something for Thanksgiving and when I asked what was requested I was told whatever I wanted.......oh boy the possibilities. My mom then requested the "play dough" cookies (on a previous post) so I did make those in Thanksgiving colors but then wanted to try something new. I typically make Pumpkin/Squash pies and tarts but wanted to change it up. I mean anything with chocolate has to be good (if you don't like chocolate than that is your issue and problem :) ) Enjoy ( I suggest with a nice cold glass of milk).

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup  unsalted butter softened
• 1 and  1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT PIE FILLING)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup caramel bits 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a brownie pan with parchment paper. 
• In a medium bowl stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. 
• In your mixer bowl combine the butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs and mix until combined. 
• Add the flour mixture a bit at a time until just combined. 
• Add half the batter to a separate large bowl.
• Into one bowl of batter, mix in the cocoa powder.
• In the second bowl of batter, stir in the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. 
• Spread chocolate batter into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
  
• Top it with the the pumpkin batter. 
•  Top one half (or all or none!) with the caramel bits. 
• 
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean-about 40 to 45 minutes 

• Let cool in the pan
• Cut and enjoy!

recipe adapted from: http://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/pumpkin-swirl-brownies/

Because I wanted this :) coconut flour pumpkin bread

I follow some ( not a lot.... more is not better!) great foodies on instagram and Ashley from Fit Mitten is one of them! She has some awesome posts and I saw this coconut flour pumpkin bread a couple weeks back and have been wanting to make it. So while I was baking for everyone else today I made it for me : ). I changed a few things around but for the most part it is the same. I nice twist on a classic fall bread. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup coconut flour
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
• ¼ cup creamy natural nut or seed butter (I used homemade pumpkin seed butter)
• 3 TBS maple syrup
• hefty pour vanilla extract
• 1tbs of melted coconut oil 
• 2  eggs
• ⅓ cup milk
• ½ cup chocolate chips (optional) 
• pumpkin seeds (optional) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper
2. In a  bowl combine coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. mix together until no lumps of coconut flour remain.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together pumpkin puree, nut/seed butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Then add eggs and milk and oil, mix until all ingredients are fully combined.
   
4. Add dry ingredients into bowl of wet ingredients, mix until just combined.
   
   
   
5. Transfer batter to  loaf pan, sprinkle the top with pumpkin seeds.
6. Bake at  375F for about 20-30 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out with little to no crumbs. 
   
7.  cool in pan for 10-15 minutes then transfer to cool on wire rack completely 
8. Enjoy!

recipe adapted from: http://www.fitmittenkitchen.com/coconut-flour-pumpkin-bread/

Whoppie Pies because chocolate is good for you

 If you read one of the previous post these are for the christening as well. I just like to bake new recipes :)



For Whoopie Pies:

• ½ cup unsalted butter,  room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• nice pour of vanilla
• 1 egg
• ½ cup Hershey's special dark cocoa, sifted
• 2 ¹/₃ cups cake flour
• 1 cup milk

Directions:
Make Whoopie Pies:

Preheat oven to 350˚F and line sheets  with parchment paper.
1. In a large bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar, espresso powder (if using), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. 
2. Add egg and beat until smooth.  Add cocoa and mix to combine. 
3. Add 1 cup of flour then milk then the remaining flour mix until just combined.

4. using a cookie scoop, scoop mounds onto the baking sheets.(make sure you have an even number).
5.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cakes are set and firm to the touch.
6.  Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

Filling:
 I used my buttercream frosting and I do not really measure sorry! The following is from the site I adapted the pie recipe from. 

For Buttercream Filling:

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1¼ cups powdered sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Make Filling:
In a large bowl, whip butter over medium-high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Add powdered sugar and salt and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Mix in vanilla and heavy cream on low speed until just incorporated, then increase speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes, making sure to stop a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Transfer filling to a piping bag.


To assemble the cookies:
 match them up in pairs by size.  Pipe filling onto the flat side of one cookie, and then place the second cookie on top to create a sandwich.

Enjoy with some milk :)


recipe adapted from: https://myninjanaan.com/2013/12/27/daring-bakers-whoopie-pies-chocolate-whoopie-pie-with-buttercream-filling/

Color your world....funfetti cupcakes

Somehow I was convinced to have a clothing party at my house. I mean normally I would not do this but it was for lularoe.......if you have never worn the leggings it is like you don't have any pants on.....I highly suggest getting some. Anyways, the clothing pieces are known as unicorns so I wanted to make something sparkly and colorful to go with the theme. I wish I could share the frosting recipe but I didn't measure anything sorry! Enjoy!




Ingredients

• 1 cup room temp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1⅓ cups cold milk
• 1 cup of sprinkles ( those are the rainbow ones for those of you not aware there are different names....)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F  and line cupcake tin with liners.
2. In a bowl combine the  flour, salt, and baking powder. 
3. Cream butter, vanilla, and sugar together until fluffy :) 
   
4. Add eggs, mix until combined.
   
5. slowly add the flour mixture a little at a time until all of it is combined. 
6. Add milk and mix until just combined. 
7. add in sprinkes
   
8. scoop into pre-lined cupcake tin. 
   
9. bake 20-30 mins
   
10. transfer to wire rack to cool
11. frost once cooled with your favorite frosting 

recipe adapted from:  https://www.mysanfranciscokitchen.com/homemade-vanilla-cupcakes/

You can never have enough chocolate chip cookie recpies

Nothing fancy or whitty to say here......My newphew's baby shower is tomorrow and my brother asked me to bake some cookies. I tried out a new coconut oil recipe enjoy :)

Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, room temp (not melted)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar,
• 1 egg
• 1 - 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup 
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 white wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Trader Joe's dark chocolate bar chopped up
• 1/2 - 1 cup of chopped walnuts 
  

Directions:

1. In your mixer bowl cream together the  coconut oil, sugar, egg, syrup, and vanilla extract on  until fluffy.  

2. mix in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt, and mix until just combined. Fold in (stir in) the chocolate chips by hand until just combined.
3. Using a  cookie scoop shape the dough into balls and place them on a large plate. Cover with cling wrap and chill the dough balls for at least 2 hours ( I did overnight).

When you are ready to bake:
1.  preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Place chilled dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are just browning. 

4. transfer to a wire rack to cool.
5 . Enjoy with some ice cream and milk :)

recipe adapted from : http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/coconut-oil-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/

Harvest Luncheon treat.....browned butter maple cookies

 

We had a luncheon for work so I need to bake up some treats. I had been wanting to try these for a while and thought they would be a nice fall cookie. Let me just say before you make these that brown butter is ADDICTING. It smells SO good when you are browning it and even better when baking. I just wanted to drink it out of the mason jar (but for once in my life I had self control). Enjoy and make sure to use PURE maple syrup. 

 Maple Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup  pure maple syrup

 Directions; 

1. chop up butter and cook  in a saucepan over medium heat.  MAKE SURE TO STIR CONSTANTLY TO AVOID BURNING until butter  foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown (about 6-10 minutes). 
   
2. Pour browned butter into a mason jar and chill in the freezer until solidified (about 30-45minutes). 
   
3. In a bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. 
4. In  your mixer bowl, mix solidified brown butter and sugar until creamy. 
   
5. Add in the egg and egg yolk. 
6. Add in vanilla and maple syrup, mixing until well combined. 
7. Slowly add flour mixture; mix just until combined.
   
8.  Using a cookie scooper form balls with the dough and then cover dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour
   

When ready to bake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F  and line cookie sheet with parchment paper. 
2.  Place dough on prepared baking sheet.
3.  Bake for  8- 12 minutes, until lightly golden
4.  transfer to a wire rack to cool 
   

enjoy :)



recipe adapted from:  http://tutti-dolci.com/2015/10/maple-brown-butter-sugar-cookies/#

It might be called work avoidance…

I just like to bake Okay? I was at whole foods last week… Or whole paycheck as my friend refers to it. I haven't been in a while, so of course I picked up a few of the necessities. One of them being Vermont peanut butter. I can get my nuts n more at the store down the street from me  ( trust me go get it at Dave Market....a jar a day.....) but this is the only place I can get my Vermont peanut butter. I've been trying to figure out what to make with it and today I just decided to make some cookies. I was going to make banana bread  but maybe I will with the leftover  pb..... not like there's much. I decided to try a new flavor and I chose the avalanche flavor. It's their regualr peanut butter with some white chocolate added in. I adapted the recipe from one of my go to blogs, Amy's baking blog. Enjoy....with a nice glass of milk :) 

White Chocolate Peanut Butter cookies with dark chocolate chunks

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder 
• 2 cups of white wheat flour
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup Vermont Peanut Butter Avalanche flavor 
• 1 cup dark brown sugar 
• 4 table spoons of melted coconut oil
• one Trader Joe's dark chocolate bar broken into chunks ( I made half the cookies with and half without- for those odd people who are chocolate haters)

Directions : 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and  line cookie sheet with parchment paper. 
2. In a  bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
3.  In your mixer bowl, mix the sugar, egg whites and vanilla together until combined. 
   
4. Add in the flour mixture. Mix until combined. 
5. Add in the coconut oil and the peanut butter and mix until combined. 
   
6. Fold in the dark chocolate chunks ( I split the dough into two and did half with and half without)
   
7. Roll the dough into  and place onto the prepared baking sheets. 
   
   
8. Flatten to the desired thickness and width because they do not spread while baking. 
9. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.Do not overcook. Bottoms should just be golden. 
10.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

adapted from:  http://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2015/08/08/chocolate-chip-peanut-butter-cookies/