eat me:. mini chocolate pumpkin whoopie pies {& happy thanksgiving!}

Happy thanksgiving everyone, I hope y'all had a wonderful day.  I've had a lovely weekend getting to spend time with family, playing a million rounds of Dutch Blitz and getting to drink tea and watch movies while outside is a little cloudy and grey.

As mentioned last post, one of my most favourite parts of fall is getting to pick pumpkins, roast them and then make as many pumpkin flavoured things as possible.  Last year I made this cake which turned out amazing.  I was tempted to make again for this thanksgiving, but I decided to mix it up and try something a little bit different.  Namely, whoopie pies.  Whoopie pies have intrigued me for a while now, kind of like a bite-sized cake in the form of a sandwich cookie and absolutely nothing like pie, they seemed like the perfect treat for when you want something sweet and small.  And they are.  I was a little unsure about pumpkin frosting, but it is DELICIOUS and I would make it again in a heartbeat to frost any number of fall-flavoured cakes.

mini chocolate pumpkin whoopie pies. recipe adapted from martha stewart.

chocolate cookies.
1 3/4 C. flour.
3/4 C. cocoa powder.
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda.
1 tbsp. butter.
1/4 C. vegetable shortening.
1/4 C. sugar.
1/2 C. brown sugar.
1 egg.
1 C. milk.
1 tsp. vanilla.

in a mixer cream butter, shortening and sugars until pale and fluffy. add egg and beat for another few minutes.  sift together cocoa powder, flour, and baking soda.  mix together milk and vanilla.  starting and ending with the flour mixture, alternate between adding dry and wet ingredients to the sugar mixture.  mixing until just incorporated.  spoon two teaspoons at a time onto a greased or parchment lined baking sheet, spacing about two inches apart. bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until bottoms are darker brown but not burnt and tops spring back when touched.  let cool on a cooling rack before frosting.  makes about 40 cookies, enough for 20 finished whoopie pies.

pumpkin frosting.
1/2 C. cream cheese.
1/2 C. butter.
1/2 C. powdered sugar.
1/2 C. flour.
1/4 C. pumpkin puree.
a pinch of nutmeg.
a pinch of cinnamon.

in a mixer cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about five minutes.  add powdered sugar, flour and spices, mix. add pumpkin.  using an offset spatula or a piping bag spread the flat side of one cookie with frosting and place second cookie, flat side facing in, on top.

I hope you have a wonderful week full of things that bring you happiness. xo, T.

 

eat me:. snickerdoodles.

Snickerdoodles were one of my favourite cookies as a child, I loved that magical taste of baked cinnamon and sugar. Actually I still love it.  And it is one of those recipes where I generally actually have all of the ingredients already in my pantry, so these lovely, fluffy, cookies can be whipped up at a moments notice! 

Baking time is super important with these cookies.  Our first batch got left a minute too long, and although still delicious, they were a little hard.  The second batch on the other hand came out a minute early and were absolutely perfect, crispy and sugary on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  So the point of all this is that you really need to watch these.  Or, maybe that's just me because my oven has a mind of its own....it's quite possible.

Snickerdoodles.
adapted from Smitten Kitchen.  who adapted this from Martha Stewart.  Clearly well tested.

2 3/4 C.  flour.
2 tsp. cream of tartar.
1 tsp. baking soda.
1 C.  butter, at room temperature.
1 3/4 C. sugar, plus more if needed.
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon, plus more if needed.
2 large eggs.

Cream the butter and 1 1/2 C. sugar in a mixer until fluffy.  about 5 minutes.  in a separate bowl sift together dry ingredients (do not add cinnamon yet).  add eggs to butter mixture and then slowly add dry ingredients, mixing every once and a while.  in a small bowl mix remaining sugar and the cinnamon.  shape dough into 1/2 inch balls, roll in sugar mixture and place on a baking sheet, pressing down lightly with the palm of your hand so they are a little flattened.  bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, turning the tray at the half way point.  cool and eat.  makes roughly 2 dozen 3 inch cookies.

Enjoy the rest of your week! xo, T.

chocolate apricot oatmeal cookies.

And now for the real, non-hair-related, midweek post.

So, Friday.  It was super sunny all day and amazing.  Until I decided to go home,at which point it the weather decided that a torrential down pour would be way more fun.  The only thing that made me somewhat okay with this was that I could bake when I got home without the house overheating.  I decided that I really wanted oatmeal cookies, I don't know why, but I haven't had them in forever and I wanted them.  But I didn't want raisins, so I switched them for apricots and it was the best decision ever.  They're still chewy and moist and the apricots go really well with oatmeal and dark chocolate.  Make these!

chocolate apricot oatmeal cookies.

1/3 C. brown sugar.

1/3 C. white sugar.

1/2 C. butter.

1 egg.

1 tsp. vanilla.

1 tbsp. milk.

1 C. flour.

1/2 tsp. baking soda.

1/2 tsp. baking powder.

1 C. rolled oats.

3/4 C. chocolate chips.

1/2 C. dried apricots, chopped.

Cream butter and sugars. In a separate bowl mix egg, vanilla and milk and add to butter mixture.  Sift dry ingredients together and add to above mixture.  Beat until smooth and then add rolled oats, apricots and chocolate chips.  Mix and then drop spoonfuls (approximately 1 1/2" balls) onto a cookie sheet, flatten and bake for 10 minutes at 325 degrees until golden brown.  Makes 2 dozen.

Have a lovely day! xo.