Pumpkin Pie Cookies- A little "bite" of Fall

I understand that it is only the end of August, but September begins this week! I am already in the fall mood with pumpkins everywhere, my black cat figurines, and fall scents all over the house. So I thought it would be nice to kick off the fall season with a post from my other blog: "Welcome to Kym's Kitchen" I posted this last year after I experimented with pumpkin. Enjoy! 

Fall is quickly approaching (even if doesn't feel like it for all my fellow FL people), which means everything pumpkin will be out. Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice lattes, pumpkin breads and just simply pumpkins! I thought it would be appropriate to experiment and try to make a pumpkin pie cookie.  I have successfully made a pumpkin pie cookie that is to die for. I am usually not a pumpkin person... I will eat a slice of pumpkin pie, but it has to have more whipped cream than pie on it. These cookies though... I could eat a dozen of them! These would be perfect for a Halloween party or even Thanksgiving. They could be topped with a little whipped cream, my pumpkin spice icing, or a pumpkin spice whipped cream (I will give both recipes below).

They do end up being like a cake consistency. I have not experimented with trying to bake them as a "cake", but it might work. So if you are feeling adventurous, try it! It is hard to tell when the cookies are completely done, so you can either use the toothpick method or check the bottoms to see if they easily come off the cookie sheet. 

Enjoy this little "bite" of Fall! 


-Simply A Girl and Her Home


Pumpkin Pie Cookies

(Kym's Kitchen: http://welcometokymskitchen.blogspot.com/2013/09/pumpkin-pie-cookies-little-bite-of-fall.html)

Ingredients: 

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 oz vanilla pudding, instant (usually it is 1 pack)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 can of pumpkin (You can add the whole can if you think it needs more)
1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter and sugars
3. Add the pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla into the mix and stir well
4. Next add the flour and baking soda to the mixture, and continue to mix well
5. Add the pumpkin pie spice and mix well.
6. Lastly add the pumpkin and let it mix in well.
7. Bake for about 10 minutes. The cookies will be almost a cake consistency, so just check inside to the cookie with a  toothpick to make sure that they are done.  


Optional Toppings:

Pumpkin Spice Buttercream Frosting 
(Kym's Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
Pumpkin Pie Spice 

Directions:

1. In a bowl/ mixer, combine butter, sugar and salt. Beat until blended.

2. Add the milk and vanilla and beat for an additional 3-5 minutes or until smooth.

3. Add the Pumpkin pie spice to taste. 

Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream
(Kym's Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 16oz. container heavy whipping cream
1- 2 cups sugar (depending on how sweet you like it. If you would prefer a non- sweet whipped cream, you can just leave it out)
1-2 tsp pumpkin spice

Directions:

1. Beat the heavy whipping cream until it peaks and is light and fluffy.
2. Gently add in the pumpkin spice and sugar.

** All of the sugar and pumpkin spice can be added in "to taste". This is why there is not a definite amount listed. I just added a little here and a little there. **

Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake

I apologize that I have not posted in months!! Between work, some health issues and life in general I have not taken the time to blog much. I decided to make some goals for the rest of the year and keeping up with my blog is one of them!! So here we go!!

As many people know I am not a big chocolate fan, but when I found a recipe for a slow cooker chocolate cake, I had to try it! Let me tell you, it is delicious!! I ate mine with a scoop of ice cream and it was so good! I thought I would share the recipe with everyone especially all the females out there!!

Enjoy!!

- Simply a Girl and Her Home

Slow-Cooker Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

34 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1//2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Spray crock of a large slow cooker with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla and almond until well combined.
Whisk in the boiling water**. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well.

3. Pour the cake batter into the prepared slow cooker.

4. Set slow cooker to "Low". Cook until cake has no wet spots on top and has pulled away from the sides of the crock, about 3 hours. Turn off slow cooker and allow cake to rest for 30 minutes before serving.

** I used my stand mixer for all of it. I felt like with the mixer it reduced my risk of making "scrambled eggs" with the boiling water. **