Fun Fall Recipes

For all of you that have been asking about the recipes, I have posted some of the best ones. Enjoy!!

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick)
1 cup Libby's 100% pure pumpkin
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease baking sheets.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Cream Cheese Frosting (great with pumpkin cookies - I usually half this recipe for the cookies)
2, 8 oz. packages softened cream cheese
1/2 cup softened butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat together with mixer. Keep in refrigerator.

Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1/3 cup mild molasses
1 large egg
1 2/3 cups (11 oz pkg) Butterscotch morsels

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a small bowl. Beat sugar, butter, molasses and egg until creamy in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture until well blended. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Apple Almond Bars
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 medium cooking apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)

Preheat oven to 350F. In large mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Using pastry blender, but in butter until pieces are size of small peas. Stir in almonds and egg yolks with fork. Press half of the crumb mixture (2 cups) into bottom of ungreased 9"x13" baking pan.

Stir together 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add appes and toss to coat. Arrange apple mixture evenly over crumb mixture. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture evenly over apple mixture.

Bake 35 minutes or until topping is golden. Cool in pan on wire rack. Drizzle with almond icing (see recipe below).

Almond Icing
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 TBS milk
1/4 tsp almond extract

Gourmet Sweet Potato Classic (by far the best recipe I have found for Sweet Potatoes)
5 sweet potatoes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBS heavy cream
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 TBS flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9"x13" baking dish.

Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until they begin to soften. Cool slightly, peel, and mash.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer tot he prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes in oven or until topping is crisp and lightly browned.