The Love Child of Pumpkin and Snickerdoodle

Once upon a time there was a beautiful cookie named Snickerdoodle. She was a great cookie. Not too sweet. But debate-ably plain to some. All men loved her simplicity and classic style. She liked to roll herself in cinnamon and spice, to make everything nice. One day a fancy little guy named Pumpkin stumbled into her life. She had never thought she would be the type of girl to go for such an "out there" flavor... (Especially with all her plain Jane morals.) Pumpkin was more the type of Miss Butterscotch or Miss Double Chocolate Chunk... (He really likes the Chunk... She's got more to love.) But on this special fall day, the leaves were turning and the air was fresh and she was feeling festive. He took her on a stroll. Mr. Pumpkin said all the right things. And was even nice to her plain friend, Mrs. Shortbread. Before she knew it she was one fat cookie, with a middle that was about to blow. A love child was born. The little goddess was called, PUMPKIN SNICKERDOODLE. She was perfect. A soft, tender, gentle little cookie with a pecan squished on her head. She took after her mother and enjoyed rolling herself in sugar and spice. But took a bit of her fathers characteristics and got a little crazy with some pretty "out there" spices like, Nutmeg, Cloves and Ginger. It made her special. They lived happily ever after in a place that was forever fall.

Pumpkin Pecan Snickerdoodles
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Makes about 3 to 4 dozen cookies

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For the cookies:

• 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

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For the coating:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• Dash of allspice

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Topping (optional):

• Approximately 48 pecan halves (one for each cookie)

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Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. Place a pecan on top of each dough ball. Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to gently flatten the dough balls slightly. Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.
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Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!

FALL LOVE

HOLD ON A MINUTE...
*Looks at the calender
WHAT?! It's OCTOBER?!
I don't even remember living through September... Yikes! I better get on it.
By "get on it" it I mean enjoy my favorite season of the year! Not that we get a whole lot of the real fall weather down here in the strangest city in the world, but I can still enjoy the flavors and colors of fall. No, not the fall colors like everyone else in the United States gets to enjoy with the fall foliage, but for me in the inspiration of let's say.... a leotard or a fall dress!

Fall is wonderful. My favorite colors, tastes and smells dazzle my senses. Gold, rust, dark green, deep red, for colors... PUMPKIN, apple, roasted root vegetables for flavors and the wonderful smell of autumn spices.

I go to New York on a week layoff in a couple weeks and I CANNOT wait. I hope that the colors are changing and I still get to get my fill of fall. For now, I'll just make some Pumpkin Cupcakes and sew some fall inspired clothes!

These cupcakes are delicious... They are insanely easy to adapt and make your own favorite recipe. I added mini chocolate chips to the batter because today is the Saturday of a very long week and we just need that BOOST to push us into our weekend... I think next time I would leave them out JUST because pumpkin can dominate as a flavor on it's own. It don't need no freakin' chocolate to steal the spotlight. The cream cheese frosting I made was SUPER DUPER DELICIOUS and I kind want to eat it on everything... Including steak and pizza. I threw in some freshly ground nutmeg and cinnamon to the frosting and it tasted like a spoonful of fall.




Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes:

Makes 24

3/4 cup butter softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 cup milk
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place baking cups in muffin pan.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine pumpkin, vanilla extract and milk in a separate bowl. Mix flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add to butter/sugar mixture alternately with pumpkin/milk batter, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

Divide evenly among the cupcake liners and bake 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Fall Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 block cream cheese
1 stick of butter
1-2 cups powdered sugar (to taste)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In an electric mixer, Cream together cream cheese and butter until combined. Slowly add powdered sugar and the rest of the ingredients. Beat until combined.




As for the wardrobe, the biggest change for fall may be switching my shorts from a denim to corduroy... I'll take what I can get down here...You can't win em' all!

These are a pair of corduroy shorts I made from a vintage pattern.



As for the leo, a beautiful sweetheart neck line in a chocolate and rust color pallet. I LOVE IT. So Fall and feminine.