Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares (Am's Recipe)

2c All Purpose Flour

*1 TB Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp Baking Soda

3/4 tsp Salt

1c Unsalted Butter (room temp)

1 1/4c Sugar

1 egg

2 tsp Vanilla

1c canned pumpkin puree

1 pkg (12 oz) Chocolate Chips

*if you don't have Pumpkin Pie Spice:

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

3/4 tsp Ginger

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/8 allspice

1/8 cloves

(all ground)

Preheat oven 350'

Grease 9x13" pan line w foil

in med bowl whisk together first 4 ingredients (set aside)

cream together butter and sugar until smooth

beat in egg and vanilla until combined

beat in pumpkin puree (may appear curdled)

reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients until just combined.

Fold in Chocolate chips

Pour mixture into pan

Bake 350' 30-40 mins

Cool completely in pan!!

makes 24

Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Recipe Courtesy of The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten



Recipe goes like this:

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2/3 cup good unsweetened cocoa powder(I like dark chocolate)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds good white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and two sugar until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Add the cocoa and mix again. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the chocolate with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips.

Drop the dough on a baking sheet, covered in parchment paper, in rounded scoops. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

My advice on this one:
Follow the recipe exactly as it says. Unsalted butter, room temp. items and all. The details really do make the difference.

Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes :)

These are the best cupcakes of life! The Magnolia Bakery is one place I insist on visiting whenever I find myself in New York. I highly recommend the bakery in New York and if you can't get there, make these at home in the mean time.

The cupcake:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, on at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes (depending on the size of your cupcake papers and muffin tins).

The icing:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
6-8 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set of chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Makes enough for 2 dozen cupcakes.

My advice: Always follow the recipes instructions when it says "at room temp." or "softened" or "don't over beat" and the like. These little details are what make the recipe better than the rest. That and the butter...

What can I say, I LOVE muffins...

Those who know me well know I have a slight obsession with Ina Garten and her amazing recipes. Why, you might ask? Well, I've yet to make something of hers that I don't LOVE. And those who know me well know that I am an old faithful. If I find something that I like I will keep coming back for more. So, you will find a lot of Barefoot Contessa recipes from me. I'll just say it now and get it over with, you're welcome...

Tri-Berry Muffins
by Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa at Home





3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups milk
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup diced fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cups sugar*
1 cup walnuts, chopped**

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Stir with your hand to be sure the ingredients are combined. In another bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, pour the wet mixture into the well, and stir until just combined. There will be some lumps but don't over mix the batter! Add the blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and sugar and stir gently to combine.

Using a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop***, spoon the batter into the muffin cups and fill the liners. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops are nicely browned.

Makes 16-18 muffins

*It's important that you add the sugar last and don't over mix as the directions say. See the pictures above. Just trust me.
**The walnuts are my own personal upgrade to this already fab-o recipe. Walnuts are so good for you and they taste amazing in here. You can also add flax seed and other healthy stuff to feel better about all of the butter and sugar. I don't let it bother me...
***The ice cream scoop thing really makes this step easy. Invest in a good one. You will not regret it.

Enjoy!!