Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Old fashioned soft pumpkin cookie recipe. I have been making these at least once a year for as long as I can remember and they are a super easy cookie that everyone seems to love. They are soft almost like a pumpkin bread. We love to eat them with a dab of cool whip to dip them in. In the picture I made a cinnamon glaze.. just a little bit of butter and some powdered sugar with vanilla and cinnamon.. mixed with a little bit of water until thin then drizzled over.

Mix together and set aside

2.5 cups of flour
1tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1tsp cinnamon
.5 tsp nutmeg
.5 tsp salt

Cinnamon and nutmeg are to flavor.. I add at least twice that amount


Mix in a large bowl

1.5 cups sugar
.5 cup of butter ( 1 stick )
1 cup pumpkin
1 large egg
1tsp of vanilla

Mix dry ingredidants into wet and stir well... drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet and bake about 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees.

I always make at least a double batch and most the time I triple it.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies in Candy Cane Sprinkles

This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe... well one of them! This one is really easy and always taste great.

Mix together

1/2 cup ( one cube ) softened butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla *you could add a little dash of peppermint too if you wanted*
1 egg

add in
2 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

I put it in the fridge for a little bit ( while I get the sprinkles ready ) just to make it a little easier to handle.

Today I took a half dozen candy canes and put them in the food processor until they were just short of a powder. I then added a little bit of red sugar sprinkles for color. I poured some onto a plate to roll the cookies in.

I took the dough from the fridge and made small balls ( they will almost double ) with it which I then pressed into the sprinkles, flattening with my fingers. This covers one side and leaves the bottom sprinkle free, I like the way they cook this way. You could also drop by spoon onto the cookie sheet and then using the bottom of a glass you have dipped in the sprinkles to flatten the dough with.

Bake at 350 for about 7 minutes, you want to catch them just before they start to brown.

These are also great with Valentine sprinkles or just in plain sugar too :)

Today I made these for Valentines day... patted them out and used a heart shaped cookie cutter.... then tried the butter cream recipe from java cupcakes to frost them. They are so good! I am not used to decorating anything, having as many kids as I did it was about how many I could make and how fast.. they could eat them faster than I could cook them.. and they could care less what they looked like. So I need a bit more ( ok a lot more  ) practice with my decorating.

~Michelle

Christmas Cocoa, Coffee, or Tea

I was sitting here thinking I had no recipes to put in beverages. While I was sitting here thinking this I was using a candy cane to stir my coffee as I was sipping it. Then it hit me.. I do have a beverage recipe of sorts.

This time of year I love to add a candy cane to my coffee or cocoa and use it to stir with as I am drinking. It adds a hint of the holidays.

Ingredients and directions:

One hot beverage, could be coffee tea or hot cocoa

one regular candy cane, there are lots of other flavors that might work too.

put candy cane in beverage of choice, stir and enjoy :)

~Michelle

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
12 ounces cranberries


In a saucepan over medium to high heat combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water.

Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Bring to a boil.

While the sugar-water mixture is coming to a boil rinse 12 ounces cranberries.

When the sugar-water mixture has come to a boil add the cranberries.

Return to a boil.

Reduce the heat; boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat.

Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate.

Makes about 2 1/4 cups.


This recipe comes directly from a 12 ounce package of Ocean Spray Cranberries.

I love listening to the cranberries pop in the boiling sugar-water!


~Lenore