Happy Halloween!

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Chocolate Halloween Sandwich Cookies!

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Today I made some cookies so you can start getting in the Halloween spirit! They are Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with an orange filling, and they are not only tasty but festive also!

Chocolate Halloween Sandwich Cookies

(loosely adapted from BH and G)

3 1/2 cups Flour

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

pinch Salt

1 cup Butter

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 tablespoon Vanilla

Frosting 

(Antonia74 Royal Icing)

6 ounces Warm Water

5 tablespoons Meringue Powder

1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

2.25 pounds of Confectioners Sugar

Mix together your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, 

baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar, 

until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined

Add the flour mixture, and mix together. 

Take dough and divide into pieces. Roll out between wax paper.

Freeze pieces in the freezer overnight.

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Take 1 frozen piece of dough out of the freezer at a time.

Cut out the outside circle with your cutter. 

Then cut out your inside design.

Reroll scraps of dough, and refreeze for 30 minutes.

Cut a back and a front for each cookie.

Bake for 8 minutes. Let completely cool.

Make your frosting:

   Pour warm water in a bowl and add the meringue powder.
         Mix with a whisk by hand until it is frothy-about 30 seconds.

 Add the cream of tartar and whisk for 30 seconds more. 

Pour all the confectioner's sugar into the bowl.

Mix together on low speed for 10 minutes.

Place some of the frosting in a small bowl and color it orange.

Put the remainder of the frosting into a bowl and cover to prevent drying.

If the frosting is too thick, thin with water, a tiny amount at a time.

Using a small knife or an offset spatula spread the frosting

onto the solid cookie base.

Place the top of the cookie gently over the frosting.

If you make these cookies I would love to hear about them!
I know you will enjoy them!

 Happy Halloween!!!

Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Mini Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting

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This Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Mini Cake is the perfect and tasty way to celebrate fall. Topped with Cream Cheese Frosting and sprinkles, they are a great way to round out a dinner party or family get together.

 Today is one of my favorite days of the month! It is the day we reveal our desserts for The Behind The Curtain Dessert Challenge This month our two ingredients are pumpkin and cream cheese~Yum, Yum!!

Chocolate Pumpkin Mini  Cakes

w/Cream Cheese Frosting

2 Eggs-room temperature

2 1/2 cups  Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Soda

2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

pinch of Salt

1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves

15 oz. of Pumpkin

1/3 cup Milk

1 cup Sugar

1 cup packed Brown Sugar

3/4 cup Shortening

2 teaspoon Vanilla

1 cup semisweet Chocolate Chips

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Confectioners Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
3-4 tablespoons Milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together your flour, baking soda,

cinnamon, salt and cloves.

In another bowl, combine your pumpkin and milk.

Set both bowls to the side.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs,sugar, brown sugar,

shortening, and vanilla. Blend on medium speed for 2 minutes. 

After the 2 minutes, switch your mixer speed to low. 

Alternately add your flour mix and then your pumpkin 

mixture to your egg mixture.

Divide your batter in half.

Pour the semisweet chips into a bowl and microwave
on full power for 1-2 minutes. Stir every 30 seconds.

Stir the melted chocolate into 1/2 of the batter.

Divide 1/2 of the pumpkin batter between the
prepared pans.

Spoon the chocolate batter over the pumpkin batter.

Spoon the remaining pumpkin batter over the chocolate
batter, and swirl with a toothpick to marble the batter.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until checked with a toothpick.

Beat your cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Beat in
powdered sugar. Stir in vanilla, and add milk to
gain the correct consistency. Remember you will be piping the icing,
so it should be thick.
Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool completely.

Pipe the cream cheese frosting over your cakes.
Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles.
Enjoy!!

Here's what everyone else made:

The Freshman Cook is partying here:
Church Supper

Apple Harvest Bars

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I made these luscious Apple Harvest Bars as a gift for a special friend of the family. They are full of apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, pecans and they are just, oh so good. I was looking to send a gift that said "Autumn", but I wanted a little change from my usual baked goods. These Apple Harvest Bars are exactly what I was looking for!

Apple Harvest Bars

Crust

11/2  cup Flour
1/3 cup Sugar
11/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Salt
 1/2 cup Butter
2 tablespoons Apple Cider

Apple Mix 
4 cups peeled, chopped Apples
1 large Egg
11/2 cups sour Half and Half
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Topping
1/2 cup Flour
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup chopped Pecans

~Set your oven at 350 degrees. Use a 13X9" pan.

To make the crust, mix together the flour, sugar,
 cinnamon, and salt.

Cut in 1/2 cup of the cold Butter with a pastry blender or use 2 forks.
To cut in you should cut the stick of butter into very small pieces.

Then mix in the butter until the pieces become very small,
 and your mix resembles cornmeal.
Add your apple cider and mix together.

Press the crust mixture into your pan.
Evenly cover the bottom. Set aside.

Peel, core, and chop your apples.

 The pieces should be bite size.

Mix together the egg, sour half and half, vanilla, lemon juice,
sugar, flour and salt. Mix at medium speed until combined.

Add apples and stir thoroughly.

Spread over the crust.
Bake for 30 minutes.
While the bars are baking, we will put the topping together.

Mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Cut in your butter, just as you did when you made your crust.

Chop your pecans, and add to your mix.
Put the topping in the fridge until your crust
 and apple filling are finished cooking for the 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the topping over the filling, and bake for 10-15 minutes more.
Remove from oven and cool for 45 minutes.

Cut into 20-30 bars.
Store in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Thanks for joining me today!

I hope you make these yummy bars. You will love them!!