Stained Glass Gingerbread Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

3-1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. all spice
1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 t. water
9 cinnamon hard candies, crushed in food processor

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all dry ingredients; set aside.
Mix together butter and sugar until creamy.
Gradually add molasses and water alternately with flour mixture.
Divide into 6 equal portions wrapping in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate overnight.

Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness on a floured surface.
Cut out using an cookie cutter about 3"- 4". I like to use apple-shaped.
Place on foil-lined cookie sheet or use Silpat baking pads for ease in removing the cookies.
With a smaller cookie cutter about 2" - 3" cut out the center of each cut-out and place on a regular cookie sheet - no need to line the center cookies.

Fill the center of the apples with crushed cinnamon candies being careful not to spill outside the outer edge.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 oven for 5-6 minutes until candies melt in center.

Allow cookies to cool before removing to wax paper.

Makes 3 - 4 dozen.

Posted by Debi

Photo Credit: kitchensimplicity.com

Pumpkin Dip

INGREDIENTS:

2-8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1-30 oz. can pumpkin pie filling
1 t. ginger
2 t. cinnamon
4 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients together and serve in a hollowed out pumpkin. Great with ginger snaps or these gingerbread cookies.

Makes a lot, so you can use it all during the holidays.

Posted by Debi

Photo by Calee on Food.com

Easy Fresh Cranberry Apple Tart

Fresh Cranberry Apple Tart

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh cranberries

2 med gala apples, peeled and chopped

1 c. raw almonds, chopped

1 1/4 c. brown sugar

2 T. all-purpose flour

1/2 T. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

3 T. orange juice

2 egg whites, beaten

1 uncooked pie crust

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425.  In a medium sized bowl mix all ingredients together.  Pour into an unbaked pie shell.  Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes.  Until crust is golden and you see the juices bubbling.  Let it cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.  Merry Christmas!

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze

Prep Time:

30 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

45 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

12 servings

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.

Recipe by: Emeril Lagasse

Cinnamon Cinnabon Recipe

By Taraleigh

Well I received a bread maker from my mom this week who brought it from my Aunt in New Jersey, whose mother from Parsippany got for her.... :) All that to say I have had alot of fun trying new recipes this week. I made these Cinnamon Rolls from a recipe called "Clone of a Cinnabon" off of http://www.allrecipes.com/ They turned out amazing actually a little bit better than Publix's Cinnamon Rolls from their bakery. See my notes underneath for some great tips. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner's' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioner's' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Notes: If you doing have a bread maker my dough setting kneads for a while and then lets the dough rise for about an hour. I wanted these rolls to be done at a specific time so I let them rise longer than the 30 minutes in the directions and they turned out fine. I used a 9x13 glass baking dish and the middle rolls were a bit doughy after the 15 minute baking time so we ate a few from the outside and put the rest back in for a bit. I think next time I make these I will make 2 8x8 pans with six rolls each. Also if your filling runs out the bottom of the rolls while baking flip them over on a cookie sheet and all the yumminess will go right back into the rolls. :)

Posted by Taraleigh

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter

This is definitely a treat for dinner. It was a bit involved and took time, but it is totally worth it!!! This week I am making meals that are a bit more involved and fancy for my Husband to celebrate Thanksgiving. He absolutely loves food and misses his families cooking around the Holiday's. Hopefully I can bring a bit of home to him. Gnocchi is an Italian dish that I usually only like when his Grandfather makes it. Although, this recipe was pretty good. Not as good as his, but still very delicious.

For the Gnocchi:
2 pounds sweet potatoes
2/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/3 cup for the work surface

For the Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
20 fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
For the Gnocchi: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pierce the sweet potato with a fork. Bake the sweet potatoes until tender and fully cooked, between 40 to 55 minutes depending on size. Cool slightly. Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes and transfer to a large measuring cup to make sure the sweet potatoes measure about 2 cups. Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes back to the large bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, salt, cinnamon, and pepper and blend until well mixed. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. Transfer the formed gnocchi to a large baking sheet. Continue with the remaining gnocchi.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi in 3 batches and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the gnocchi using a slotted spoon onto a baking sheet. Tent with foil to keep warm and continue with the remaining gnocchi.

For the Brown Butter sauce: While the gnocchi are cooking melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted add the sage leaves. Continue to cook, swirling the butter occasionally, until the foam subsides and the milk solids begin to brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cinnamon, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Careful, the mixture will bubble up. Gently stir the mixture. When the bubbles subside, toss the cooked gnocchi in the brown butter. Transfer the gnocchi to a serving dish and serve immediately.

I didn't cook all the Gnocchi since I  knew it was filling and we wouldn't eat all of it.  I cooked half of the batch and froze the rest.  They should last in the freezer for a couple months.  I put them on a cook sheet and froze them and then after they were individually frozen I put them into a ziplock bag.  This way they won't stick and you can take out a few and cook up a quick meal.

Recipe by: Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network.

Posted by: Tracy Lytle

Cinnamon-Apple Cake

My family makes this recipe around the holidays. It is a favorite with all our neighbors as well. It's from the October 1997 issue of Cooking Light and we've been making it ever since. It's a must have for the holidays(just don't think about the calories!) Enjoy!

Difficulty: Easy
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
I usually put in it a 9 x 13 in pan to yield more (smaller) servings since it's so rich.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup stick margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 ounces block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups chopped peeled Rome apple (about 2 large)
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, margarine, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Combine 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture and apple in a bowl, and stir apple mixture into batter. Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife.

Note: You can also make this cake in a 9-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch springform pan; just reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes.

Posted by Ashley

Apple Pumpkin Muffins

Here is a recipe that I found on Allrecipes.com that is super yummy and easy. It made my house smell so yummy when I baked them. A few tips: I used my Pampered Chef Chopper to chop the apples quickly and very small. I also was out of pumpkin pie spice so I googled and found a recipe for it that I will list at the bottom if you happen to not have that on hand. Also, I made one pan of mini muffins and baked those for 15 minutes and the pan for the regular muffins I actually pulled out after 30 minutes.

I would have to rate these as 5 star muffins! YUM!

Apple Pumpkin Muffins

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups finely chopped peeled apples

STREUSEL:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons cold butter or margarine

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Ingredients for 1 Tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 1/2 t. Cinnamon

3/4 t. Ground Ginger

1/4 + 1/8 t. All Spice

1/4 + 1/8t. Ground Nutmeg

Apple-Walnut Pancakes

Difficulty: Easy
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

These are delicious! You can serve them with syrup or sprinkled with powdered sugar. My family gave it 5 stars!

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 cups milk
2 large eggs
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 sweet apples, peeled, cored, one cut into very fine dice and one coarsely grated
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk eggs, melted butter and vanilla to blend thoroughly. Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and mix with whisk. Stopping when everything is just combined. Batter will be a bit lumpy. Gently fold in apples and walnuts.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook slowly for about 1-1/2 minutes, turn a cook until done.

Recipe from: 1st Traveler's Choice Internet Cookbook

Posted by Debi