Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies & Secret Recipe Club

Its Secret Recipe Club time again!! Are you as excited its October as I am?! October officially is fall to me, which means PUMPKINS!! Pumpkin everything, mainly decorations and food. So...

For Secret Recipe Club this month I was assigned Inquiring Chef! I was excited as I always am to check out a new blog. Its home to Jess, she's originally from Kansas and now her and her husband live in Thailand. Her site is full of all kinds of travel and kitchen adventures. She has so many delicious recipes I'll be going back to try. These are just a few... Vanilla Cookies with Nutella Filling, Salty Caramel Ice Cream, Light and Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes, and French Yogurt Cake with Lemon.

The recipe I chose was Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies. I saw these and I was immediately sold. The 'chewy' part threw me a little. I wasn't so sure about a chewy pumpkin cookie but they are so good. Soft, chewy and they melt in your mouth!! Go visit Jess, show her some love, and try something new and delicious!

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Cookies
Recipe Source: InquiringChef.com

1 2/3 cups of All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Cornstarch
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 cup Butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups Brown Sugar, packed
1 large Egg & 1 Egg Yolk
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
2 cups of chocolate chopped bar chocolate

1. In a medium bowl whisk the flour, salt, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the butter and sugar until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir together. Add in the pumpkin puree and mix until smooth. slowly add the flour mixture stir until just combined. Add chocolate and mix gently.

2. Refrigerate dough for about an hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place tablespoon size balls of dough on a baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Milk Chocolate Cookies, Guest Post at Sawdust and Embryos

I am sharing some chocolate cookies over at Sawdust and Embryos today. They have a crunchy layer on the outside and are soft like a brownie on the inside. Go over and get the recipe, you know you want to!!

Strawberry Glace Pie

Strawberry season is over but I am still trying to squeeze every last strawberry out of it that I can get a hold of. So I have a couple great strawberry recipes this week and then its all peaches, apples, and pumpkins. 

This pie has the strawberries, lots of delicious, sweet strawberries. A cooked jam layer and a fresh layer, but its extra good cause it has a sweet and tangy cream cheese layer too. The perfect pie to send out the summer with.

Strawberry Glace Pie
Recipe Source: Perfect Pies Cookbook

1 Prebaked Pie Crust

Strawberry Glace
1 cup Strawberries, pitted and mashed
1 cup Granulated Sugar
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1/2 cup Water

Cream
3 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/3 cup Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Garnish
1 cup Strawberries, thinly sliced

Strawberry Glace

In a medium saucepan combine the strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and water. Cook over high heat and cook over high heat and stir for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Once cooled place in the fridge for at east 6 hours.

Cream

In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until its smooth. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Mix until fully mixed and it has medium peaks.

Assembly

Spoon the cream into the pie crust. Cover the cream with sliced strawberries. Spread the glace evenly over the strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Easy Pie Crust

I posted this recipe on Sawdust and Embryos last week and wanted to post it again because I have a pie recipe to share and you need to know how to make a crust. This crust is so easy and a homemade crust will make your pie.

Easy Pie Crust
Recipe Source: Mary G.

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/3 cups Shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/2 cup Water
6 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

1. Combine the 2 1/2 cups flour, shortening, and salt, in a bowl and blend with a fork until it forms pea sized crumbs. In a small container with a lid combine 6 Tablespoons flour and 1/2 cup water and shake until combined.

2. Pour onto the shortening mixture and gently combine. Be GENTLE. The more you work the dough the tougher it gets. Form into a ball and lay on a floured surface.

3. Cut into 4 pieces. You will have enough dough for the top and bottom of 2 pies. Take one of the quarters and roll it into a ball and then flatten it with your palm. Flour the top and start rolling from the middle, turning a quarter turn with each roll.

4. Don't hesitate to sprinkle your surface or the top of your dough with more flour so it doesn't stick. When it is about 12 inches in diameter place the dough over the rolling pin and lay onto your pie dish.

5. For one pie crust cut and crimp the edges and and poke holes in the bottom with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

6. For a double crust, put in the filling before cutting the edge of the bottom crust. Water you fingers and wet the edge of the bottom crust slightly. Place on the top crust, cut the extra and crimp the dough all the way around. Make steam holes in the top, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 375 degrees on a metal cookie sheet(it helps to cook the bottom crust), for 50-60 minutes. The crust should be slightly browned and the filling should be bubbling through the steam holes.

Creamy Potato Soup

We've had a few chilly days around here lately and so I decided to find a new soup recipe. Turns out I found a great one. The flavors are simple but its creamy and delicious. We'll be having this more while its cold out!

Creamy Potato Soup
Recipe Source: ThePioneerWoman.com

6 slices Bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 medium Onion, diced
3 Carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks Celery, diced
6 small Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
8 cups Chicken
3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper, to taste
1 cup Cheese, your choice, grated

1. In a stock pot over medium heat add bacon and cook until crisp and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set on a plate covered with a paper towel. Drain the grease but don't clean the pot.

2. Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 2 minutes then add the potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes then season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender. In a small bowl whisk the flour and the milk, then pour it in the soup and cook for 5 more minutes.

4. Remove about half of the soup and blend in a blender or a food processor until its smooth. Pour it back into the stock pot and stir to combine. Let it heat back up and season to taste. Stir in the cream. Serve with cheese and bacon pieces on top.

Chocolate Mud Cake

I am so excited about the blog I got this month for the Secret Recipe Club! I got Claire K Creations! It's the home to Claire. She says she hasn't always been adventurous with her food but you would never know. There are so many delicious recipes it was hard for me to pick but I when I read her description about this cake I couldn't resist!

The amount of chocolate in this cake made me understand what makes it so good. This cake is so soft and the ganache on top is creamy, rich and sweet.

I know you make chocolate cakes and you have your 'go to' recipe and you may be thinking, 'not another chocolate cake'. But people, try this!! It's so worth it and it will be your new favorite recipe!

Chocolate Mud Cake
Recipe Source: ClaireKCreations.com

Cake
1 cup & 2 Tablespoons Butter, softened
6oz Semisweet Chocolate
1 1/2 cups Strong Coffee
2 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar
1 1/4 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
2 large Eggs
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Ganache
1/2 cup Water
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 cup & 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cubed
11oz good-quality Semisweet Chocolate, finely chopped

Cake
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a springform pan.

2. In a small saucepan, put the butter, chocolate and coffee and melt over low heat. Stir until the chocolate has dissolved. Then add the sugar and stir until it's dissolved. Pour into a heat-proof bowl.

3. Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Pour over the chocolate mixture and whisk. Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. When combined, pour the batter in the cake pan.

4. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool in the pan.

Ganache
1. Put the water, brown sugar and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat to melt. When the mixture begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate and swirl the pan. 

Let it sit for a minute and then whisk until the icing is smooth. Leave it for about 3 hours but continue to whisk every 30 minutes until it's thick. When the cake is completely cooled spread it with the ganache.

Pie Crust Made Easy!

I am posting today over at Sawdust and Embryos. You will never buy a pie crust again. This is so thin and flaky and its easy. Don't be intimidated any more!! Go over and get ready for the holiday season!!