Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

• To. Die. For!
• 
  
• FOR THE COOKIES
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (14 ounces)
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 
  
• FOR THE ICING
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon evaporated milk,
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Make cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, and vanilla; mix until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture; mix until combined.
3. Transfer 1 1/2 cups batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until tops spring back, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.
4. Make icing: Put confectioners' sugar in a large bowl; set aside. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately add butter to confectioners' sugar, scraping any browned bits from sides and bottom of pan. Add evaporated milk and vanilla; stir until smooth. Spread about 1 teaspoon icing onto each cookie. If icing stiffens, stir in more evaporated milk, a little at a time. Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Sweet Potato Oven Fries w/ Avocado Dip

2 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/4 inch thick fries

2 T. olive oil

1 t. paprika (try the smoked kind)

1/2 t. chili powder

1/2 t. ground coriander

coarse rock salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside. Toss potatoes with olive oil and spices until evenly coated. Arrange fries in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes on the LOWER rack in oven. Transfer pan to upper rack and bake 10 minutes more. Serve with Avocado Dip.

Avocado Dip:

1 avocado

1/3 c. mayo

1/3 c. cream cheese, soft

1/2 jalepeno, seeded

2 green onions, white and light green part only

1 lime, juiced

salt and pepper to taste

Place all in a blender or food processor. Blend for 1 minute until all is smooth.

Smothered Chicken

4 boneless breasts pounded thin

Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 T. vegetable oil

1 small carton mushrooms, quartered

1/2 lb. bacon, diced

4 slices of colby jack cheese

1/2 c. chopped green onions

1-1/2 c. diced tomatoes

4 T. barbecue sauce

Cook bacon until crisp and set aside. Saute mushrooms in same pan as bacon and set aside. Sprinkle chicken with steak seasoning. In a skillet, brown chicken in oil for 2 minutes on each side. Top each piece of chicken with barbecue sauce. Pile mushrooms and bacon on top of chicken. Top each piece with a slice of cheese. Place lid on skillet and cook for 10 minutes. To serve, top with onions and tomatoes.

Basil Chicken

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. bread crumbs

4 chicken breasts, pounded 1/4 inch thin

3 T. butter

Dip chicken in milk then crumbs. Saute in butter in skillet on each side until done. Remove to a 200 degree oven to keep warm.

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 c. cream or half and half

1/2 c. grated parmesan

1 T. basil

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

Add broth to same skillet. Boil. Stir in cream and cook 1 minute. Reduce heat. Add cheese, basil, salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon sauce over chicken.

Chicken Adobo

4 chicken breasts, cut into strips lengthwise

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. vinegar

1 clove minced garlic (can use more)

3 bay leaves

1/2 t. peppercorns

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 c. water

Mix all and pour over chicken. Marinate for 48 hours. Grill.

Walker Chicken

boneless chicken breasts

garlic salt

1 c. oil

3/4 c. soy sauce

1 can sprite

Sprinkle breasts generously with garlic salt. Mix oil, soy and sprite and pour over chicken in a glass dish. Marinate in the fridge for 1-3 days. Grill.

Fruit Salsa

pineapple chunks

diced strawberries

diced kiwi

mandarin oranges

sugar to taste

lime juice to taste

Mix all and serve with Krustos from Taco Time.

Pumpkin Seeds

4 c. washed pumpkin seeds, dried out as much as possible with a paper towel

1 t. worchestershire sauce

3 T. melted butter

1 t. salt

Mix all together and spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 225 degrees for 1-3 hours. Stir occasionally so they dry out evenly.

BLT salad

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled into bigger chunks
2 med tomatoes
2 med avacados
Sliced almonds
Baby leaf lettuce
Honey mustard dressing

Toss all ingredients together. Add honey mustard dressing just prior to serving.

Honey Mustard Dressing:
1/2 c Honey
3 T Mayo2
T White Vinegar
2 T Juice of an orange
2 t orange zest
2 T Dijon mustard
1 T poppy seeds.

Wisk all ingredients together and serve over BLT salad.

Tuscan Chicken and White Beans

lb chicken breasts
1 t dried rosemary or 2 T fresh rosemary
1/4 t pepper
2 c chicken stock
2 cans cannellini beans (rinsed and drained) 16 oz cans
2 T sundried tomatoes (in oil) chopped

Saute chicken, rosemary, and pepper in a little olive oil 2-3 mins. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 8 mins or until chicken is done. Serve with Garlic Bread.

Strawberry Citrus Shortcakes

Shortcakes:
2 1/3 c Bisquik
1/2 c milk
3 T sugar
3 T melted butter
Mix ingredients together. Drop by 6 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 mins @ 425.

Strawberries:
1 pint strawberries (washed and sliced)
1/4 c sugar
zest and juice of one orange.
Puree 1/4 cup of strawberries with sugar, zest, and juice from the orange. Toss remaining strawberries with puree.

Orange Whipped Cream:
1 pint whipping cream
1 t vanilla1
t orange zest
1 T orange juice
2 T sugar
Whip together until soft peaks form.

Cut shortcakes in half. Top with strawberries and whipped cream.

Blueberry Almond Cookies

2c flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c butter softened
1 c sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 c milk
2 t lemon zest
1/2 c chopped almonds (toasted)
1 c frozen blueberries (thawed and drained)
Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl cream together sugar and butter. Add egg yolk and beat to incorporate. And milk, almond extract, and lemon zest. Stir in dry ingredients. Fold in almonds and blueberries. Chill dough for 30 mins. Drop by rounded tablespoon on cookie sheet. Bake @ 375 for 16 mins.I bake mine using parchment paper.

Yummy Easy Rolls

2 Pkg or 4 1/2 tsp regular dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup hot water
1 cube of butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour

Stir yeast into 1/4 cup of water and let stand 10 minutes. Mix all remaining ingredients except for 2 cups of the flour until smooth. Add the yeast mixture. Mix well. Stir in by hand the remaining 2 cups of flour to make a very soft dough. Cover and let rise until double about 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down, cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours. 3 hours before serving punch down dough. Spray counter with non stick spray. Divide dough into 3 balls and roll into 3 circles. Spread with butter. Cut each circle into 8 pizza slices. Roll the big end to the center. 21 rolls fit on one big cookie sheet. The other 3 rolls I put on a small pan. Let rise again until double about 1 hour. Bake 375 for about 10 - 15 minutes until light brown. Enjoy! :)