Am I back?

 

It has been a year since I blogged.  A whole year.  I wasn’t sure I would come back to blogging.  I have still been baking, cooking, creating, loving….but haven’t felt the words to blog.  I was thinking about getting back into it in January, just not sure what would be my back to it post.

Then….came the email.  “Show us what you would make with our Girl Scout cookies”  The calling….yes, I had some great ideas.  And so I said yes,  I would love some cookies to play with, to create with, to BLOG with. 

I ran some great (in my mind) ideas by the husband and boys….and came up with these.

Samoa Baked Doughnuts

Looks good right?!   Good enough for a comeback?  :)

I love how easy baked doughnuts are, no need to mess around with oil and frying.  I love a good fried yeasty doughnut, but there is something about a baked cakey doughnut that just makes me happy.  And we all want to be happy.  These will make you happy.  I promise.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup AP Flour

3 TB Unsweetened Cocoa

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

1 TBSP Coconut Extract

1/4 cup Milk

1 Egg

3 TBSP Canola Oil

1/4 cup Hot Water

Preheat your oven to 350 deg.  Gather your ingredients. 

I will tell you all about that Coconut Jam in a bit.  It’s divine. 

Directions:

Mix your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

In a large-ish measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg, oil and coconut extract.  Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk all together until there are no traces of flour.  Mixture will be thick.  Add 1/4 cup of hot water.  Whisk together slowly as to not splash. 

Pour batter into prepared (spray with baking spray) doughnut pans.  Fill wells about 1/2 way full.  I like to pour my batter into a piping bag and then pipe in the batter….less mess.  Makes approx 9-10 doughnuts depending on your pan size.

 

Wilton makes a great heart doughnut pan….thought that would be fun for Valentine’s Day…aka love day.

Bake the doughnuts for about 9-10 minutes.  Should be springy when touched.   Gently remove from the pan and onto a rack to cool.

While the doughnuts are cooling mix together the following for the chocolate glaze.

1/4 cup Melted Butter  (so worth it.)

1 1/2 cups Powdered/Confectioners Sugar

2 TB Unsweetened Cocoa

2 tsp Coconut Extract

1-2 TB Hot Water

Mix all ingredients together, except the water.  Add water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. 

Then…..take about 4 tablespoons of the delicious Coconut Jam and put in a microwavable dish.  Microwave the jam for about 15 seconds until slightly melted.   You can find this jam in most Asian markets.  It seriously tastes like a coconut caramel….awfully decadent, and incredibly delicious. Look at it…

Be sure to chop up about 4-5 Girl Scout Samoa cookies too.  And have a few tablespoons of shredded coconut out too.

Time to assemble these doughnuts….

Gently dip the doughnut into the glaze – put back on to the rack so the glaze can do it’s thing and drip down the sides (yum).  Work on two at a time so that the glaze stays wet enough for toppings to stick.  Sprinkle the glaze with a bit of shredded coconut, and chopped Samoa.   Work on two at a time until all have toppings.   Then…..you cannot miss this step….drizzle all the topped doughnuts with the melted Coconut Jam. 

Next…it’s really easy….call down your children, husband, anyone, to enjoy these with you.  They wont be disappointed.

A huge thank you to Girl Scouts of Western Washington for allowing me to participate in their Girl Scout Cookie Contest.

If you need to find out where to get your hands on some Girl Scout cookies to make these….they made this really awesome cookie finder page for you.  Cookie sales are from Feb. 28 – March 16.

You can also find Girl Scouts of Western Washington on Facebook and Twitter.

Hope you get your hands on some Samoas and make these…..seriously.

ps….doughnuts are the new cupcake.

Do-Si-Do Pie!

It’s that time of year again….the Girl Scouts are out and about selling their delicious cookies door to door and at your local grocery stores.  Have you seen them yet?  If not, you can check HERE to see how to get your hands on some of their goodies.  There is an app for that too!!
The Girl Scouts of Western Washington announced last month that they would be having their Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest again….and of course, even though I am as busy as can be, I couldn’t NOT take the chance to submit a recipe.
I wanted to make something with peanut butter this year, though I did test some recipes out with the Savannah Smiles….love the lemon tang….goes perfect with meyer lemons.
And you know peanut butter goes ever so lovely with….chocolate!

Do-Si-Do Pie!
I made 4 mini pies (4inch) but this recipe would make an 8 inch pie
Crust:
2 Sleeves of Do-Si-Do cookies – with the peanut butter filling removed (eek….I know!)
4 tbsp Melted Butter
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache:
5 oz Chopped Dark Chocolate
1/4 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Peanut Butter Chocolate Filling:
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
7 oz  Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 oz Melted Dark Chocolate
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
To make the crust:
Put the do-si-do cookies in a large ziploc bag.  Take your frustrations out on the cookies with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer….or if you have no frustrations, feel free to put them in a food processor and turn them into crumbs.  I liked leaving some larger chunks for texture, but mostly you want crumbs.  Similar to making a graham cracker crust.
Put into a medium sized bowl.  Add butter and mix thoroughly.  Press the mixture into the bottom of the pie plate(s).  Put into the fridge while you make the other components to the pie.
To make the Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache:
Place the chopped chocolate and peanut butter into a heat proof bowl.
On medium low, heat the heavy cream and vanilla in a small pot. Simmer for a minute or two….you want it hot, but not boiling.
Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate and peanut butter.  Let it sit for a bit to let the chocolate melt a bit.
Whisk together until smooth.  Set aside to cool a little, but not too much – you want it pourable still.
To make the Peanut Butter Chocolate Filling:
I used this recipe from Jennifer Perillo for this filling….with the addition of chocolate to make it a little richer.
Whip the heavy cream in a bowl until stiff peaks form.  Put the bowl into the fridge to chill out while you make the rest of the filling.
In a double boiler or microwave, melt the 2 oz of dark chocolate and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and peanut butter until fluffy and lovely.  Switch it to low and beat in the powdered sugar until combined.  Add in the condensed milk, vanilla and melted chocolate.  Increase the speed and mix until well combined and the filling is smooth.
Using a large spatula, mix in 1/2 of the whipped cream.  Then fold in the remainder of the whipped cream.
To put the whole pie together….
Take the pie plate(s) out of the fridge. 
Spoon enough of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache to cover the bottom of the pie crust.
Pour the Peanut Butter Chocolate Filling into the pie plate(s).  Use a spatula to smooth the surface.
Drizzle some of the remaining ganache over the top of the filling to make it look pretty.
Put the pie into the fridge to set for a few hours or overnight.  If you can wait that long.  This pie filling is hard to not just sit with and devour with a spoon.
ENJOY!!

Courage to Change GIVEAWAY

Super excited to kick the year off with a giveaway on LB,BO.  When I saw that Shell, from Things I Can’t Say, was looking for bloggers to test out and giveaway board games from Courage to Change, games designed for kids with special needs, I knew that it was an opportunity I should jump on.  All the games that I was able to chose from were tempting….but I focused on one that I thought would help and be fun for my special little man.
One of the things that we (Aiden’s Preschool teachers and I) are working on with him is routine and rules. We are planning on putting him in all day kindergarten next year, knowing that it could be tough, to get him use to those routines and rules that go along with being in school ALL day.  So that when he gets to first grade, he has them down pat and can focus on the learning.  So….when I saw “The Classroom Behavior Game”, I knew that would be a great one to work on these skills with him to prepare him for next year.  I also thought that it would be a fun game to take into the school so that his classmates could enjoy it and learn some of the rules as well.

After watching the video about the game and who it caters to, I knew that it would be a fantastic game for Aiden.  And for Jakob!  It will be a fun way for Jakob to teach Aiden how to behave in school, and maybe remind Jakob too!! :)
I am REALLY looking forward to getting the game – my stalking the tracking number says it will be here in three days.  You could have a chance to win one too! a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Be sure to check back here next week for a review of the game itself, after the boys and I get to play it a few times and take it into Aiden’s class for his friends to give it a whirl.

Wordless Wednesday

He gets a little excited about swim lessons.

Wordless Wednesday

I miss my Army Man.  Be safe, my love.

Technorati Tags: jason,wordless wednesday,love,family,man,army

Happy New Year

 

With the start of a brand new year, I think about all the things that I didn’t quite accomplish in the past year and if they are something that I really wanted to do…or what was stopping me.

Ask anyone who knows me well will tell you I am the queen of procrastination – will find any reason to stand in my own way.

I have goals for this year, attainable ones.  We will get into this later as I start to plan them out a little further.

The problem with starting this new year and thinking about all the great possibilities that come with it is that I am starting it without my partner, my best friend.  Having Jason on the other side of the world for the first half of this year makes it difficult.  Will it really start, do I want to accomplish all these goals without him?  I know he would tell me to get it done, get going, make things happen.

Damn Army. 

So, with those thoughts floating around my head and heart, I wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope that all your dreams come true this year….I plan on making mine!

He touches my heart….

 

Aiden had his first day of school today.  Another year of Preschool for my little man, he will love it and then will be primed and ready for Kindergarten next year.

Today he came home with this:

A puzzle…with this note:

Touching.  Truly warmed my heart.  And we did just what it said, we put it together and he told me about all the fun he had.  Thank you Ms. H, I adore it.

It was inspired by this book, which they read today:

Great first day!!

Back to school!

 

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”…..

I love this time of year….love the fresh start of back to school.  The possibilities are endless.  New teacher, clean slate, new friends, and my favorite part is all the new school supplies!  I am a sucker for new pens and pencils.  Oh, and a new day planner.

But I digress….

The boys were SO excited to start school this year.  Both of them have new (to their school) teachers…so even more newness. 

Jakob started last week….he had a fabulous week last week and was just as excited to go today. He is making new friends, and just adores his new teacher.  Pretty great start.

Oh, and did I mention that he started school with a Mohawk??  When did I become the Mama of a kid with a Mohawk??  His choice.  He feels like such a rebel.  LOL

Aiden started today.  I was a little nervous for him, but the kid just ran right into class without a second thought.  Always surprises me.

The best part of their first days of school was that Jason was able to be there for both!  Between deployments and trainings Jason has missed many a school event….but this time he was able to be there for BOTH of the boys.  Fabulous.  Meant the absolute world to them. And me.

Wishing good things for both my boys and their new year.  And to you and your new students.  What is your favorite part of the kids going back to school?

Soccer Mama?

I have dreams of being a Hockey Mama….maybe unrealistic dreams since the boys have yet to go ice skating.  Peabody may kill me – or revoke my Canadian Citizenship. There isn’t a local place to take them.  I guess I need to do more research and just expect to drive a good distance to get them some ice time.  Worth it, right?

In the meantime, I am a Soccer Mama.  Jakob is playing with the YMCA this summer.  He is super excited and doing fantastic.  I thought he would be upset when they lost their first THREE games….but his understanding of sportsmanship has gotten better with age.  I remember when he tried soccer in GA and hated to lose or not score a goal….now he is able to shrug it off….even with a 7-0 score against his team.

Aiden really wants to play, but after much discussion we decided that he just wasn’t ready or able to process the team concept.  But next year, he will run the field.

This past weekend was fabulous.  Having his whole family, and extended family out on the sidelines cheering Jakob on was nothing short of awesome.  With Mom, Ron, Tim and Nicole visiting, Jakob had his own cheer squad out there.  He LOVED it.

I guess I should be glad that he is having fun, learning teamwork, and that with soccer there is no 5am cold rink time.

There will be hockey in their future though….you can count on it!

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

This handsome man would be my brother….it was SO great to spend the week with him and his wife, Nicole.  I adore him.

Wordless Wednesday

Does anything say summer more than this?

A Mama

I am a mama to a boy with special needs.  1st step is admitting it right?  Well, not really admitting it, but acknowledging it publicly.  I have known it and talked about it in my private life for a while now.  But here it is….to those who didn’t know or those who doubt it.  

He may not look it. There are no outward signs.  He looks like a happy, healthy 4 1/2 year old. And he IS. He is normal. Perfect, actually.  It takes him a little longer to process your instructions, he throws epic tantrums over things that may seem insignificant to you and I but for him are the end of the world, he doesn’t handle change well, he thrives on routine and familiarity, he is sensitive, he tries to play with others (is actually sometimes desperate to), and gets his feelings hurt when he can’t. 

Aiden has social developmental delays and Sensory Processing Disorder.

So when you see him, don’t judge him or I and the fact that he is still in pull-ups.  He’ll get there, there isn’t any rush. 

When he invades your personal space or cuts through a line, don’t think that I haven’t taught him manners. He doesn’t have the concept of space, how close he is, how far away he is, or that there is a line actually happening. Especially if he is on a mission to get somewhere.

If he doesn’t talk to you, don’t take it personally. He may actually not hear you depending on how focused on something he is.  Or if he yells at you to not talk to him, it may be that you disrupted his thoughts or that the noises around him are too much for him and you just added to it.  He doesn’t mean to do it, it is how he copes and we are working on the yelling.  It has decreased significantly, and will continue to get better. 

As a mother I am doing the best I can, what I believe is the best for my son.  There are too many people out there judging how others parent and quick to make assumptions.  It’s a good thing they don’t have a child with issues.

Aiden is a wonderful child. A very special soul.  He is mine for a reason and I know it.  

I love him. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Wordless Wednesday

We have a sick pooch.  We pick her up today from the vet as she had to have surgery yesterday to remove a sock from her intestine (dumb dog).  Thank goodness she is ok.

Meyer Lemon and Vanilla Bean Pudding Tarts

My dear friend, Jen, sent me a link to a contest.  The message said “you should do this”.  Yes, yes I should.  So here we are.  Girl Scout Cookie time.  Jen’s daughter is a Girl Scout, so I knew I would be getting my hands on all the cookies I could handle (and then some), but this contest was right up my alley.

Think outside the box.  Think about how you can take a Girl Scout cookie and turn it into something more.  The Girl Scouts have so many different kinds of cookies these days, so deciding which cookie to transform into something more delicious wasn’t an easy decision.  I couldn’t decide which to work with when ordering, so I ended up with four different kinds and a TON of ideas going crazy in my head.    After taste testing them all (such a “hard” task) it was clear which one I wanted to work with.  Since we just came from Georgia, birth place of the Girl Scouts, and the fact that Meyer Lemons were in season, I had no choice but to go with the Savannah Smiles.  Lemon, sweet, cookie, goodness.

Look at these Meyer Lemons….how could I not?

So here I have these delicious Meyer Lemons, buttery lemon cookies, oh and whipped cream.

I thought parfaits, cupcakes, lemon curd, but what I really wanted was something that was going to highlight all these flavors and textures.  The sweet and tart of the lemon needed to be brought out by the Savannah Smiles.  So…..I present to you, my submission for the Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest…..Meyer Lemon and Vanilla Bean Pudding Tarts!

Meyer Lemon and Vanilla Bean Pudding Tarts

Makes 4 – 4 inch Tarts

Crust:

Ingredients:

1 box Girl Scout Savannah Smiles

1 tbsp Meyer Lemon Zest

2 tbsp Melted Butter

Preheat oven to 350 deg.

Put Savannah Smiles cookies in a food processor.  Pulse until cookies become crumbs.  Add crumbs to a medium size bowl, then add the Meyer Lemon Zest.  Pour melted butter into the cookie crumbs and using a fork blend together.  You will notice that the cookie crumbs will start to come together. Divide the cookie crumb mixture into four and press the mixture into four buttered mini tart pans.

Put the mini tart pans on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 8 minutes.  Let tart crusts cool completely before filling with the Meyer Lemon and Vanilla Bean Pudding.

Pudding:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 1/2 cups whole milk

4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

2 tbsp finely grated Meyer lemon zest

1/2 a Vanilla Bean, split and seeds scraped out

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. 
2. Add the milk, egg yolks, zest, vanilla bean and salt and whisk until smooth. 
3. Over medium heat cook mixture, stirring frequently and then constantly toward the end as it thickens.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in Meyer Lemon juice and butter. 
5. Place a sieve over a bowl and pour the mixture through the strainer. 
6. Let the pudding cool to room temperature, cover with saran wrap – pressing to the top of the pudding to prevent condensation or that dreaded “pudding skin”.
7. Chill pudding in the fridge for at least three hours.
8. When pudding is chilled and ready to serve the tarts, fill the cookie tart crusts with the Meyer Lemon and Vanilla Bean Pudding. (you will have leftover pudding – feel free to grab a spoon and indulge!)
9. Top the pudding with freshly whipped cream….trust me. You will want this.

I also decided to pull some Marionberries from the freezer and made a sauce to drizzle over the tarts…..it was awesome – but not necessary….the tarts are spectacular on their own.

 

If you don’t have a daughter or neighborhood Girl Scout to purchase these delicious cookies to make these tarts, here is the link to find out where you can stock your pantry!  There is even an app for that! Public Cookie sales are from March 2nd – 18th.  Go out and support these great girls.

Here’s to hoping that they chose my recipe as a finalist….and then the eventual winner!

 

 

 

Apple “Pie” Oatmeal

 

Today is National Pie Day….so I should really be posting about this pie:

But to be honest, the recipe needs a little tweaking before I share it with you. 

So, instead let me tell you about this Apple “Pie” Oatmeal. 

I rarely eat breakfast.  I know, Most Important Meal of the Day….blah blah blah.  I often find myself starving at 1pm realizing that I haven’t had anything in my belly all day.  Growls heard for miles.  So I decided that I need to make it easy, and quick, if I am going to give breakfast a go in the mornings.  On colder winter days, I really like something warm.  Cold cereal and milk on a WA rainy morning isn’t going to cut it.  And I don’t have time in the morning to make a hot delicious breakfast.  So I am taking a short cut.  I can pre-make this Apple Pie topping for my oatmeal, and then in the morning it just takes about 5 minutes to make some hot oatmeal.  I have time for this.  And it is so delicious…..and kinda healthy.  All that fiber from the apple and oatmeal.  I keep telling myself this…..it’s working. 

Apple “Pie” Oatmeal Topping

Makes enough for four servings

Ingredients:

2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and diced small (I like G.Smith because they hold their crunch after cooking)

1 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Brown Sugar

1 tbsp Cinnamon (depending on how much you like cinnamon)

Directions:

Melt the butter in a skillet.  When melted, add diced apple to the pan.  Let the apple “sweat” and soften a little (not too much).  Then add brown sugar and cinnamon, stir to combine.  Continue to cook the apples for about another 5 minutes to give the sugar a chance to caramelize a little.

Put the warm apple mixture into a heat proof container that can be sealed and put into the fridge.  Allow the mixture to cool before closing and refrigerated.

Use within 5 – 7 days.

It’s simple.  Cook up your oatmeal, either on the stove or in the microwave.  Take a 1/4 of the mixture and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, and top your hot oatmeal with it.  Delicious and good for you.  And I will admit, when I eat it it gives me an extra boost of energy…..and the neighbors don’t complain about the growling my stomach makes. 

Well….happy National Pie Day!  Hope you are enjoying some yummy pie today!

 

Wordless Wednesday, and a happy new year!

This year I am trying to find the good in things, the good in everyday…..with “rainy season” kicking in in WA it is a good time to find the good in these gloomy days.  Today, for example, started with the most amazing sunrise.  I knew that it was scheduled to rain all day today, but waking up with that beautiful sunrise coming, walking Jakob to school while it got brighter and brighter, made me just smile. 

It started to rain 10 minutes later and hasn’t stopped since, but this is a great day.

It’s a Pie Party….

And do I have a pie to share…

Blueberry Almond Cream Pie…..to die for.

I have become obsessed with making pies these past few months.  The joy and patience that a great flaky crust takes, the limitless varieties of pies you can create….I dream of pie. Often.

So making this pie for my family was a treat for me.  Taking a fellow blogger’s Blueberry Cream Pie and giving it a twist to make it for my boys was just plain fun.

Blueberry Almond Cream Pie

Ingredients:

1 – 9 inch unbaked pie crust – I used this recipe here from Melissa Clark

Filling:

3 cups blueberries
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350deg.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients (except the blueberries) until smooth and wonderful.

Pour the blueberries into the unbaked pie shell, spread evenly. Then pour the filling over the blueberries.

Crumb topping:

2 1/2 tsp light brown sugar
2 tbsps sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 ½ tbsps almond meal, or ground almonds (I get mine at Trader Joe’s)

Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a bowl, then pour melted butter into the bowl and mix together using a fork until crumbles are formed.

Spread the crumb topping over the blueberry cream filling.

Bake in a 350 deg oven for 50 – 60 minutes. Cover crust with foil if it starts to brown too quickly.

Cool completely, slice, and enjoy!

Before:

   

After:

Enjoy!!

And check out all the wonderful pies over at Tidy Mom and her #LovethePie Party!!

“Come join Love the Pie with TidyMom  sponsored by Cherokee USA, Le Creuset, Wilton,Bags by Bloom and  Harvard Common Press”

Got Bundt?

Today is National Bundt Cake Day…another food holiday that I can appreciate. I love a good Bundt cake, I like the shape, the moist dense texture of a good rich Bundt cake, and how versatile Bundt recipes can be.

I recently found my favorite Autumn Bundt on Amanda’s Blog, I Am Baker.  Kristen, from Dine and Dish, was guest posting and posted her Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake.  I have now made this cake THREE times.  Once as Kristen posted with the pumpkin glaze, and twice with a Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.  To find the recipe for the cake, check out the post on I Am Baker, but scroll down for my Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. 

 

Oh, and here is the beautiful Bundt….

 

  

 

Ok, so it’s not the greatest photo, or the prettiest Bundt cake…..but it is delicious!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

5oz Cream Cheese, Softened

1 1/2 – 2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 tbsp. Milk

1- 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

Cream ingredients together. If too thick or too thin, add more sugar or milk until desired consistency is reached. Spread onto cooled Pumpkin Spice Cake.

(this frosting is also fantastic on Banana Bread or Carrot Cake too.)

Hope you get a chance to make this cake, you wont regret it.

Happy Autumn!

Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Oh yes, I went there.  I am all about the Autumn smells and flavors….it is truly my favorite time of year.  I find myself in the kitchen creating as many fall treats as possible lately, anything with apple, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg….mmmmmm.  I decided that I wanted to create a cookie with the spices of the season and add in some creamy caramel to the mix.  And these are what I came up with….

 

Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons cream of tarter

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice mix

Unwrapped Kraft Caramels cut in 1/2’s

For the Pumpkin Spice sugar:

2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

½ cup sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice mix and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be soft and too sticky to roll. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Position a rack in the top and bottom thirds of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350f. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

For the Pumpkin Spice sugar: Combine the pumpkin pie spice mix and sugar in a small bowl.

Using a 1 ounce cookie scoop or a tablespoon, shape the dough into balls, place caramel 1/2 in between two balls, press gently until caramel is completely surrounded by the cookie dough, keeping it’s “ball shape”.  Roll the stuffed dough in the Pumpkin Spice sugar.

         

Place the cookies 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten them slightly with your fingertips so they stay put. Bake for about 12-13 minutes, or until the bottoms are slightly golden in color. These cookies are supposed to be chewy, so do not overbake. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

These cookies are just made to be enjoyed warm from the oven, with a cup of tea….just a suggestion.  It is truly a challenge to eat just one!

Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days.

Do you have favorite seasonal flavors you LOVE to bake with?  What are they?  Please share links…always looking for new tasty treats to make.

Darn you Daylights Savings Time!

Pre-Children I loved the fall back of Daylights Savings Time….that extra hour of sleep was precious.  Now that I am the Mama of two early rising boys, I kind of hate it.  It screws everything up.  This morning both boys were up at 6:10am – a whole hour before my alarm goes off on a Monday.  I tried my best to keep them quiet in hopes of them falling back asleep, even crawled into bed with Aiden to see if he would just shut his eyes for a little longer.  But no luck.  This happens every year.  Twice every year.  The time change screws with our sleep schedule.  And it really messes everything up for about a week.  The boys seem to have a hard time adjusting to the change, they sleep less, eat more, and even throws off their behavior.  It might be a good thing that Aiden doesn’t have school this week and Jakob  has 1/2 days – will make it easier for their teachers. 

Do your kids have trouble with the time change?  Do YOU have trouble with it?