Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate and Butterscotch

In the past, my car trips to and from the store, the gym, or church were an opportunity for me to collect my thoughts, make a phone call, or form a "to-do list" in my head. Time in the car was productive because the kids were normally pretty quiet (for once) and strapped in one place so I knew they weren't injuring themselves. However, those quiet moments have been obliterated because Matthew has insisted on checking out CDs full of children's music from our local library to play during our drives. The latest picks currently in our CD case are a compilation of songs from various Veggie Tale productions, The Complete Thomas Sing-Along CD, and a treasury of the 27 most obnoxious children's songs ever composed (I don't know the actual name of it...but there is a singing teapot featured on the CD case to illustrated the song that begins the 67 minutes of torture that is this gem of an album).

Matthew's favorite song is "The Wheels on the Bus" and lately he has been insisting on beginning our fun car rides with that song. He will sing the lyrics from the back seat as loud as he can (as if playing the CD wasn't loud enough) and actually get upset when I decline joining him (catchy though that little ditty may be). The other day, the temperature in the car was a bit warm, so I had all our windows cracked so as to allow the breeze to circulate around us. Of course, the obnoxious Wheel on the Bus song was playing at full volume. When we came to a stop at a busy intersection, I could see the heads of the drivers of the surrounding cars turn to try to determine which car was playing that annoying song. I felt the need to hide behind my steering wheel.

At the next intersection, we hit yet another red light and this time a young man pulled up beside us in his car. His windows were also rolled down, and he glanced over when he heard the music coming from my car and began to laugh: "You go, Mama!" He then proceeded to turn on some tribal music with lots of drums and foul language to drown out the happy playtime music emanating from our vehicle. I was relieved when that light finally turned green.

Yes, my life has certainly changed since I have had children. I cannot name a single song in the Top 40 right now, but I can sing every verse from "This Old Man" along with my 3-year-old.

The recipe I want to share with you today is a pumpkin cookie that is unlike any of the soft, almost cake-like cookies typically made with pumpkin. These are similar in texture to those "soft batch" chocolate chip cookies you can buy in the store, They are soft, chewy, lightly spiced, and packed full of chocolate and butterscotch chips. I was not super jazzed with these when I first pulled them out of the oven, but when they had cooled a bit and given the flavors a bit more time to mingle, they were fantastic. Paul declared these cookies "amazing" and insisted on taking them on his business trip as a snack for the long airplane ride. Matthew also ate about 6 in one sitting, which is unusual for him because he normally demonstrates so much fastidious restraint around baked goods. Personally, my favorite pumpkin cookies are still these, but I did really enjoy this recipe! If you are looking for a different way to use up some canned pumpkin, I highly recommend these!

Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate and Butterscotch
adapted from Baked by Rachel

10 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup butterscotch chips

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Mix in pumpkin, vanilla and dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill until dough is completely firm and cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, placing dough about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10-11 minutes. Keep an eye on the first batch to make sure they do not overbake. Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

I have been drinking a lot more coffee lately.

Matthew has really been giving me a parental run for my money. He has entered a new phase where he flat out refuses to do anything I say. This includes, but is not limited, to the following: eating, drinking, getting dressed, picking up his toys, playing with his toys, putting his shoes on, taking his shoes off, helping me bake a cake, trying a slice of said cake, etc. In addition, gone is my little buddy who loves to go grocery shopping with his mommy. Instead, I am the mother quickly pushing the shopping cart down the aisle as fast as she can while trying to ignore the incessant screams of her bratty child: "I WANT A COOKIE! I WANT CANDY!!" He has a perpetual scowl on his face when he looks at me and relishes making me mad. He has suddenly become what I have always dreaded he might become: a brat. Where did my sweet little boy go and who is this tiny little demon who has replaced him?

Despite the recent rebellious behavior, I love this precious little guy so much.
I only hope that he knows how much he means to me.

At the end of each day, after we have finally wrestled our little tyrant into bed for the night, I have been experiencing an emotional catharsis in which I over-analyze how I handled Matthew throughout the day. Basically, the end conclusion is that I blame myself for his suddenly horrible behavior. I certainly do not have enough patience with him when he does act out and could definitely be more calm, cool, and collected. I feel that he is channeling my horrible temper and stubborn behavior and perhaps imitating me in my less flattering moments. I have been questioning whether I spoil him, give him too much attention, not enough attention, too many privileges, inconsistent punishments, etc. in an attempt to determine the root cause of his behavior.

Matthew painted this tiny pumpkin and was so proud of it. He has been sleeping with

 it every night since creating it. With two monkeys, a raccoon, a cat, a dinosaur, and now a 

pumpkin, there is not a whole lot of room left in his bed!

My husband is the logical, emotionally detached member of our twosome. He thinks it is just a phase Matthew is going through. Forget the terrible twos, the terrible threes are the worst!

So each morning, I have been dreading the start of the day because they have been a real struggle. Starting day with a nice jolt of caffeine is probably not the most practical way to keep my nerves calm and my temper quelled, but it certainly is a jolt that I look forward to. Especially when my mug of coffee comes with a side of cookie. But not just any cookie. My favorite cookie in the world: a really good biscotti. Anise, almond, chocolate chip, or lemon - the flavor matters not - as long as the cookie sports an addictive crunch and is served alongside a steaming mug of coffee. Since pumpkin spice coffee creamers are all the rage right now, I thought a freshly baked batch of pumpkin pie biscotti would be the perfect addition to my morning cup of coffee.

These are easy to make and pretty forgiving. You can make them as crunchy as you want by varying the length of time these babies sit in the oven once they've been sliced. I personally like them really crunchy, so I let them bake a second time in the oven for about 45 minutes, and then I turn the oven off, crack the door, and let them cool completely. Of course, Matthew still prefers eating them straight without dunking. I'm so afraid he's going to crack a tooth!

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti
adapted from Shauna Sever

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 dark brown sugar
1 large egg

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

Position an oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Using a stand mixer, beat the butter with the spices and vanilla on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugars and beat until well-blended. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Beat in the pumpkin puree. Reduce the speed to low and stir in the dry ingredients.

Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Divide the dough in half. Pat each portion of dough into a plank about 7 inches long and 2 inches wide. Carefully transfer the planks onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until firm in the preheated oven, about 35 minutes. Remove the planks to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees.

Using a serrated bread knife, slice the planks on a slight diagonal into slices. I like to keep mine just over 1/4" thick, but you can slice them as thick as you'd like! Place the slices onto a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. This will allow the air to circulate around the cookies and dry them evenly. Make sure none of the cookies are touching! Repeat this process with the second cookie log. Bake for a second time until each biscotti is very firm and dry, anywhere from 70-90 minutes depending on how crispy you want them.

Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container to serve each morning with your coffee or tea!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

In the weeks preceding Halloween, I asked Matthew what costume he would like to wear. He responded quickly and without hesitation: "I want to be a dinosaur, Mommy. A T-REX!"

Ok, easy enough. I was sure there would be a couple of dinosaur costumes at the discount clothing store nearby. I took Matthew shopping there a couple days later and much to my chagrin, there was not a single dinosaur costume in his size. I tried to see if he perhaps wanted to dress up as a fireman, Buzz Lightyear, or even Curious George since those costumes were readily available but he was adamant. He wanted to be a dinosaur. And by the end of our trip he had determined that Baby Emma should dress up as a "baby stegosaurus." However, we had already purchased an Eeyore costume for Emma, so that detail of Matthew's dinosaur vision was not happening.

Our little Eeyore. She was a little too good at acting all depressed and glum.

Matthew normally "pets" Baby Emma's head the exact same way he pets Riley.
I like how Emma is returning the gesture and patting his head in this picture!

While shopping for a pair of pants for Emma at a different store a couple days later, I spied what appeared to be a costume decorated with a reptilian-like pattern. Could it be the elusive dinosaur costume we had been seeking?

I pulled it out and Matthew squealed with delight: "A DINOSAUR! THANK YOU MOMMY!" He immediately tried it on and it fit perfectly. Matthew was in 7th heaven, prancing around and showing off his sharp claws and cute spiky tail. But something was not right.

Matthew didn't seem to notice...but a little pair of orange wings on his shoulders gave it away. Matthew was in fact dressed as a dragon...not a dinosaur.

I decided to just go with it and payed a whopping $3.00 for the costume and brought it home to show Paul. Matthew proudly dressed up in his outfit and came running into the room: "ROAR! I is the dinosaur! I a T-REX!" Paul took one look at him and remarked: "I think you're a dragon." I immediately punched him on the shoulder: "No he's not. He's a T-Rex (granted, an anatomically unusual one with wings). Let him be a T-Rex!"

We attended the Halloween event held every year at our local zoo. The kids get to dress up in costumes and then go trick-or-treating around the zoo while enjoying seeing the animals and all the Halloween decorations lit up at night. Our little "dinosaur" was the happiest little tyke, for this was an event he had been looking forward to since the last Zoo Boo. He was so proud of his dinosaur costume. Even though everyone else said he was a dragon.

Someone is so very excited to go trick-or-treating at the zoo!

The most highly anticipated train ride of the year. Lucky Paul was the chosen parent to accompany our
T-Rex on this spooky ride. Baby Emma and Mom enjoyed the warmth of the gift shop.

Baby Emma hates her Eeyore outfit. The little hood drives her crazy. She kept getting mad at
me for not letting her pull it off while we were outdoors - but it was so cold!

Halloween night came and we carved out our Jack-O-Lanterns before heading out for trick-or-treating. Matthew wanted to carve a cat face in the pumpkin this year. He was actually quite a bit of help with the carving process, especially when it came to scooping out the seeds. He was so meticulous - not a single seed was left inside that pumpkin!

Baby Emma seemed like she wanted to get in on the pumpkin carving action!

But when we brought her closer, she became a bit nervous. She was almost a little frightened of that pumpkin.

The master carver at work. Real men carve pumpkins shirtless. Notice Baby Emma has retreated to her
chair in the background. It's safer back there. Plus there are Cheerios.

"I doing it Mommy! I getting the seeds! We eat the pumpkin? It's very good? We like eat Pumpkin?"
Less chit-chat and more carving Matthew.

The final product all lit up! A vampire kitty!

Halloween was a monsoon this year. It rained all day long. Even with an umbrella, there was no avoiding getting drenched since there were some strong 30-mph wind gusts kicking up every couple minutes. However, the nasty weather did not stop us from enjoying some trick-or-treating. Matthew had been looking forward to going out begging for candy for weeks. A little rain certainly was not going to stop him. I actually think he actually was more excited about the prospect of stomping in puddles than the candy he was about to collect! We got him all suited up in his "dinosaur" costume and Spider-man rain boots and then headed out the door.

To each house we went, Matthew met neighbors who fawned over his costume: "Oh what a cute little dragon you are!"

Matthew was quite dismayed that nobody seemed to recognize him dressed up as the king of the dinosaurs: "NO! I a T-Rex! ROAR!" He was more than a little put out that he had to explain his outfit to each person. However, I'm pretty sure he got double the candy just for roaring at everyone. He came back with quite the spread. Too much for a little guy to eat. I have to figure out some creative ways to get rid of it. Or save it for his Christmas stocking (shhhh....).

We enjoyed hot bowls of Chicken Tortilla Soup, Cornbread, and Salsa/Chips after returning home from trick-or-treating. We were all absolutely drenched so the warm soup tasted so great! Of course, our Halloween festivities would be incomplete without a delicious pumpkin dessert to top off the evening.

It is a Halloween tradition in my family to make an Upside-Down Pumpkin Pie. It is my Dad's favorite dessert and everyone else in the family thinks it's the bomb so it makes an appearance more than once each year and definitely at dinner on Halloween night. I still crave this dessert from time to time. In fact, it was something my Mom made for me when I brought Emma home from the hospital because I had been craving it during the last few weeks of pregnancy. However, much to my chagrin, Paul is not a big fan of the dessert. I do not know if it is the fact that it includes walnuts, the texture, etc. but he has never really enjoyed it as much as I. So, for Halloween dessert, I decided to test out another similar pumpkin recipe that is just as easy and convenient as my Mom's Upside-Down Pumpkin Pie.

Enter this Paula Deen recipe. It comes together in minutes and can be made way ahead of time. Perfect for a busy holiday gathering! And it is absolutely delicious - kind of a cross between a pumpkin pie and a pumpkin cheesecake. Paul loved it - although he once again claimed it would be a perfect breakfast staple. He's slightly crazy...but I do indulge his insanity. Guess what he has been eating for breakfast the past couple of days?

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
from Paula Deen via Food Network

For the Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until well blended. Pat the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Wipe out the mixing bowl and then add the cream cheese and pumpkin. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together until well combined. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40-50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey. I actually let mine go the full 50 minutes and it was still quite jiggly in the middle, but set up beautifully once cool.

Let cool to room temperature or chill in the fridge. Serve with freshly whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon!

**This post is linking up with all the other lovely bloggers for What's Cookin' Wednesday over at Buns in My Oven!**

Pumpkin Pie Bars with an Oatmeal Cookie Crust

Matthew's new favorite word is "Behold!" I have no idea where he first heard it, but this delightful little word has quickly become part of his vocabulary. He uses it all the time and it only adds to his already obnoxiously dramatic demeanor. Just a few examples:

While helping me change is sister: "BEHOLD! A diaper for Baby Emma."

While washing his hands: "BEHOLD! Matthew puts on soap and water!"

While eating lunch: "BEHOLD! A delicious hot dog for Matthew!"

While playing with his toys: "BEHOLD! I bring you the Monkey!" (I should probably note that at this point his monkey is being suspended at the very tip of a toy lightsaber...a very regal position indeed).

This photo showcases how Matthew dresses himself for bed and how
he thinks his little sister (like the cat) deserves a good head pat every now and then!

Maybe Matthew's love of this word is rubbing off on me, or maybe it is because I found this recipe so darn fantastic that it seems only appropriate to introduce them in such a manner. Either way...

BEHOLD, I bring you Pumpkin Pie Bars with an Oatmeal Cookie Crust. A creamy, dreamy pumpkin filling perfectly layered between layers of oatmeal cookie crust and crumb.

This was a new recipe for me to try this fall and it has already catapulted to the top of my "favorites list." I am a huge texture person when it comes to food, so this dessert was an absolute joy to eat. The bottom layer of oatmeal crust is chewy, while the middle layer of pumpkin pie is creamy and soft. The remainder of the oatmeal cookie dough that is crumbled over the top is crisp after baking. Delicious!

These bars can be scooped out of the pan cobbler-style and served warm with cinnamon or vanilla ice cream or they can be chilled overnight in the fridge where they will firm up and slice easily into neat little bars. I shared these with some friends and they were enjoyed by all. While trying to take a couple pictures, Matthew kept sneaking pieces to snack on. I think my pumpkin fetish might be rubbing off on him.

Pumpkin Pie Bars with an Oatmeal Cookie Crust
barely adapted from Cooking Classy

For the cookie layers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups quick oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Pumpkin Pie Filling:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed-light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1 pinch ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups canned pureed pumpkin

1/3 cup 2% milk (do not use skim)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, oats, salt and baking soda. Add in 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar an mix until no clumps remain. Combine melted butter and vanilla and add to mixture, then stir with a spoon until evenly moistened.

Gently press half of the mixture into a greased 8 by 8-inch baking dish and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

While the crust bakes, whisk together 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla and stir until blended. Mix in pumpkin then milk. Pour mixture over baked cookie portion and return to oven to bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle remaining cookie crumb mixture over the top. Return to the oven to bake about 20 - 25 minutes more or until the top is golden and the center only jiggles slightly. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before scooping out and serving warm with ice cream.

If cutting into bars, let cool for 1 hour at room temperature and then transfer to refrigerator to cool for at least 1 hour longer (overnight is better). Cut into squares and serve.

Pumpkin Blondies

Our greatest parenting challenge as of late has been choosing the most effective way to discipline our son. Matthew is an excellent kid about 80% of the time. He is very well behaved, loves to help out, listens well, and is an extremely good sport about running multiple errands with his crazy Mama.  However, the other 20% of the time, he can be extremely stubborn, obstinate, and surly.  When in one of his foul moods, if asked to do something he is not completely inclined towards at the moment (such as "eating lunch" or "playing with his toys"), he will immediately allow his legs to buckle beneath him and collapse into a pile of limbs on the kitchen floor. And the kid is heavy...a little too heavy for me to be dragging around at the moment. I usually just go into another room and allow him to lay there until he gets up. Sometimes this takes up to 30 minutes.

Whenever I try to correct him in public, the flailing of limbs combined with some form of screaming normally ensues and I become suddenly aware of the glares from passing strangers as they "tsk tsk" at my complete lack of control over my child.  A quick pat on the bottom normally reduces my previously angry child to a puddle of pathetic tears, making me look like a cold, heartless person as I ignore his Oscar-worthy performance and continue to retreat as quickly as possible back to the safety of our car.  During these moments, I feel embarrassed, humiliated, and as if I am doing a terrible job as a parent.

Infrequent though these moments are, Matthew definitely knows when to pick the worst possible times to be disobedient and defiant...

Once a month, I am in charge of washing the linens for our Parish.  When I go collect the linens at the beginning of the week, I have to rinse each and every one individually in a special sink in the sacristy of our church.  I usually try to pick up the linens during the noon Mass so as to guarantee that the sacristy will be empty and Matthew and I can move in and out as quickly as possible.  This gives us a small window of 25 minutes to get everything cleaned, packaged up, and loaded into the car.  Matthew is normally extremely helpful, standing on a chair next to the sink and putting the soaked linens in my laundry bag after I have finished rinsing.  This past week, however, he did not want to help.  I had brought in a book for him to read and he was calmly paging through it behind me as I worked.  Suddenly and without warning, I began to hear the sound of our Pastor's voice filling the room via a speaker.  I turned around and saw that Matthew was playing with the controls to the sound system.  The controls are situated in a protective box that is normally locked.  However, today someone had left the key in the lock.  Matthew had always curiously eyed that box and had quietly managed to turn the key, open the box, and start pressing buttons...evidently turning on the speakers in the sacristy and allowing the sounds of the ongoing Mass to pour in.

"Matthew!  Get away from there!  SIT DOWN AND READ YOUR BOOK!" I hissed at him, my hands still dripping with soapy water.

Matthew sulkily went back to his chair, glaring at me as he stuck out his pouty lips and picked up his book.  He angrily began turning pages, not looking at them, but continuing to glare at me.

I ignored his hostile stares and turned back to continue rinsing, only working at a much faster pace this time.  A couple minutes later, the bells of the Church began to chime the familiar notes to the song "God Bless America."  I thought that was a bit strange.  Our pastor, whose homily I was still able to hear in the sacristy, paused and said: "That's funny. The bells seem to have a mind of their own today!"

Suddenly, I realized what had happened.  Whirling around, I saw that Matthew was back at the controls (which apparently also control the bell tower).  He was the culprit who had set off the bells (although I am not surprised by his song choice...the kid is a great patriot!)  Mortified, I tore him away from the box, forced his coat on, shoved the remaining linens in my bag, and ran out of the Church as fast as we could, the sounds of "God Bless America" still resounding spiritedly from the bell tower.  Matthew kicked and screamed the whole way to the car.  I have no idea how I managed to carry him and the laundry bag without littering the sidewalk with wet towels along the way.

I was so angry and embarrassed by this whole situation. Angry at my son for not listening and obeying me as he usually does so well at home, angry at myself for not locking the box the first time he touched it, and completely frazzled by the fact that I had no idea how to punish Matthew for the incident.  By the time we came home, Matthew had said "Sorry Mommy!" about 15 times, although each one was said with a giggle and not in a truly morose manner.  Oh well...I bought it.  We shared a peanut butter sandwich and then I put him down for a nap.  And he was an absolute angel the rest of the day.

Later that afternoon, I called my Mom and told her about what happened.  She found the whole scenario absolutely hilarious and said: "Well of course he touched it! The temptation was too great! He's just a little boy!"  And she's absolutely right.  But how do I punish him for not obeying while simultaneously preserving his curious nature?  I want him to be inquisitive, strong-willed, and bold but only if he channels this in a positive direction.  Plus, the fact that he laughs when we try to put him in time out tells me that he's really not really getting the point.

When the difficulties of parenting are flushed out so plainly, it is really lovely to have some therapeutic baking to do.  One of the sweets on my Christmas baking list this year were these pumpkin blondies. I love everything and anything pumpkin, but due to some bouts with nausea during the Fall, I really did not bake very many pumpkin related items.  I decided to make up for this by baking these babies for Christmas.  I have had this recipe bookmarked for a very long time and they were so worth the wait!  Slightly gooey, pumpkin-kissed, blondies studded with white chocolate and butterscotch.  This has been Matthew's favorite Christmas cookie so far.  He likes to call them "the pumpkin ones!"  If you are not a fan of white chocolate chips, use all butterscotch chips.  Make sure not to over-bake them or else they will turn out a bit more cakey (still tasty, but not really what we're shooting for here!).

Pumpkin Blondies
adapted from Martha Stewart

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 heaping cup white chocolate chips
1 heaping cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate and butterscotch chips.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan (you might have to use your fingers). Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely in pan before cutting into squares

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce

Happy Halloween!

Unfortunately, due to the weather effects of Hurricane Sandy, our township has decided to postpone trick-or-treating until Saturday.  However, the city is still holding its trick-or-treat hours as previously scheduled tonight from 6:00-8:00pm.  I heard a little kid at the gym yesterday telling his Mother about his plans to go trick-or-treating both nights and load up on the goodies:  "I'll get so much candy, Mom!  More than I ever could have before!  It's like a Halloween miracle!"

At least someone is happy about it.

I just hope that we do not run out of candy like we did the first year we were married.  Paul and I had bought big bags of Twix, Snickers, and Almond Joys to pass out to eager trick-or-treaters.  However, none came.  Apparently our complex was not a popular Halloween hot spot   Wallowing in feelings of rejection and disappointment, Paul and I consumed the entire bowl of candy.  I had just finished unwrapping the last Twix bar when our doorbell rang.  Paul answered and revealed a tiny army of little toddlers, dressed in the cutest little outfits that included everything from Winnie-the-Pooh to Spider-man.  Paul and I could not turn them away empty handed.  The cuteness factor was almost overwhelming.  While Paul told them to wait, I dashed into the kitchen and opened up our freezer where we normally kept a small stash of candy.  I pulled out some Dove dark chocolate eggs leftover from Easter as well as two solid 1-pound milk chocolate bunnies.  I gave each child a handful of the chocolate eggs and plopped the massive chocolate bunnies into the bags of the two youngest.  The force from the drop of the bunny monstrosities was so great that the little tykes just about dropped their treat bags.  However, there was no doubt that their eyes widened with pleasure when they saw how big that piece of chocolate was.

After they left, we shut off our lights and hid in our bedroom to avoid any other trick-or-treaters.  We really did not have anything left!

Even though the Halloween festivities are postponed, I proceeded to prepare a pumpkin-themed dessert for this evening.  The other day, my dear friend Eva, a remarkable scientist and a foodie in her own right, sent me a recipe for a pumpkin bread pudding.  And I had to make it right away.  I have no idea how she knew, but my crazy, pregnant self was craving bread pudding over the past few days.  The idea of a decadent version made with pumpkin sounded too good to be true!  Add in a bit of salted caramel sauce and I might just eat the whole pan by myself hot out of the oven!

The BEST part about bread pudding is how easy it comes together.  I had some challah in the freezer (I always have challah in the freezer it seems!) and I just took it out the day before baking, chopped it into 1/2-inch cubes and then let it sit out, uncovered, overnight to properly stale.  The next morning, I made the pumpkin custard, tossed it with the bread cubes, and poured it into the baking pan.  I let it hang out in the fridge until I was ready to bake in the mid-afternoon.  The caramel sauce was made while the pudding was baking in the oven.  Easy, simple, and it can all be made ahead of time and reheated gently before serving!

If I don't eat it all first...

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce
adapted from Epicurious


For the Bread Pudding:
2 cups whole milk
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup packed plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 cups of 1/2-inch cubed challah

For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk half and half, pumpkin, dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. Fold in bread cubes. Transfer mixture to 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Let stand at least 15 minutes (this can be covered and refrigerated for a few hours before baking). Bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the caramel sauce by whisking the brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in the fleur de sel until combined.

Serve the pudding warm with a generous drizzle of caramel sauce.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Beware....rant to follow.

The past few days, I have really been trying hard to remain patient with my husband.  I am proud of him...I love him...and I am incredibly grateful for how hard he works to provide for the family.  He is a wonderful father to our son and is an awesome sport when it comes to putting up with my shenanigans.

However, he is driving me crazy.

Paul's job is extremely demanding.  Coupled with a perfectionist personality when it comes to his engineering work, this basically means that my husband is a complete workaholic.  Again, I am very grateful that he has such a great job that allows me to stay home raising our kids, but I still would really like him to be involved at home.  Or to at least pretend that the family interests him as much as the current crisis situation at work.

Did I mention that he is a perfectionist?  Well, so am I.  And when it comes to our home, I am an extreme neat freak.  This is probably my greatest vice, because messes drive me to the point of lunacy. And the messiest individual around here is not the energetic toddler, but the other perfectionist in the household.  Paul is so detailed and thorough about his work, however not a second thought is given to throwing his clothes in a gigantic heap on the bedroom floor, leaving a wet towel on the bathroom floor, or throwing his coat over the back of the dining room chair even though the closet is less than four feet away!  (When I confronted him about the coat in particular, he pointed out that he left it out because he would be using it again in the morning...Oh, thanks for clearing that up for me!  I understand how that epic walk to the closet can be incredibly draining).

When he came home from a trip last week, I unpacked his suitcase for him, washed his clothes from the trip, and then folded and put them away.  I figured that he was probably exhausted and would appreciate the extra help.  However, there were a few tools and mechanical parts at the bottom of the suitcase and I was unsure where to put them.  I asked him to finish unpacking the rest of the suitcase and then to haul the bag down to the basement.  Over a week later, that suitcase and all the tools therein is still sitting in our bedroom completely untouched.

I am trying not to nag him (rather, I simply remind him that he is a slug), but at the same time I am not his maid and I refuse to pick up after him.  That being said, I am having the most difficult time passing the ever-growing "Mount Paul" at the bottom of our closet without growing more peeved at him.  I'll probably not be able to contain myself any further and clean it all up this afternoon.  Maybe that's all part of his plan...(genius!)

Since I am already in the middle of a husband roast, another pet peeve of mine is that Paul will not eat breakfast unless there is something 100% convenient for him to grab and quickly swallow.  My breakfast staple is a bowl of quick oats and even that is too much effort for him.  As he explained to me, he prefers to have a big bowl of sugary cereal that instantly dissolves so much in the milk that he does not even have to chew.  Seriously, who is this guy I married?

However, he will slow down and eat granola if it is offered to him.  He adores granola.  Since I would prefer that he consume a nutritious breakfast before he heads to work (and slow down and enjoy eating once in a while), I am more than happy to keep our shelves stocked with some homemade granola.  I always make granola in bulk (enough to fill three large cereal bins) because it ends up being less expensive if I buy the nuts, dried fruit, and oats all in bulk.  Plus, that guarantees that I don't make to make another batch for at least a couple months.

This time around, I made a Fall-inspired Pumpkin Spice Granola.  It actually has no oil in it, making it a bit healthier than the typical granola you buy at the grocery store.  With the subtle flavors of pumpkin pie, this is a great granola to eat with some warm milk poured over (even better with almond milk!).

And Paul now dedicates a full 10 minutes in the morning to munch through a bowl of delicious granola.  Score!

Pumpkin Spice Granola
adapted from Baked Bree


5 cups rolled oats
2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.


In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, cereal, and brown sugar.  In another bowl, combine the pumpkin, maple syrup, applesauce, spices, salt, and vanilla.  Whisk really, really well.  Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oat mixture and gently toss together until the oats are evenly coated (do not be afraid to get your hands in there!).

Spread the granola onto a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Take the granola out and stir it around. Bake another 20-25 minutes or until the granola gets crisp, stirring every 8 minutes or so. Keep an eye on it to ensure that it does not burn!

Take the granola out and mix in the cranberries and almonds.  Let cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to an airtight container.

TWD: Cranberry Walnut Pumpkin Loaf

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe featured a Cranberry Walnut Pumpkin Loaf.  At first, I thought this would just be another pumpkin quick bread.  Not that I have anything against quick breads (they are delicious), but they are not really all that fun to make.  They make a nice, quick snack in a pinch, but the basic method is pretty much the same for all quick breads, involving at maximum about 20 minutes to throw together.  Nothing too exciting.  I really do enjoy the involved process of baking different types of yeast breads.  You can imagine my excitement when I opened my copy of Baking with Julia and discovered that this was, in fact, a yeast bread!  And a yeast bread absolutely stuffed with all my favorite Fall flavors: pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, cranberries, raisins, and walnuts.

I did end up making a couple changes to the recipe.  For one, I could not find fresh cranberries in my grocery store.  So, I substituted a generous portion of dried.  I also could not resist adding a cinnamon-swirl to the center of the loaf.  I simply rolled out the dough to an 11x14 rectangle, brushed the surface generously with milk, sprinkled about 1/4 cup of cinnamon-sugar all over the surface, and then rolled up the loaf nice and tight.

The dough itself was a breeze to throw together.  My son even joined in by guarding the stand mixer as it slapped the dough around during the kneading process.  He was tickled pink when I let him add in the cranberries, raisins, and walnuts.  His excitement pretty quickly turned to horror when the mixer kicked up quite a bit of the dried fruit right back in his face.  After that he refused to help anymore.  Baking is just too dangerous.

I did end up making one large loaf in a 9x5" pan and this definitely changed the baking time from 35 minutes to closer to 55 minutes.  The bread rose beautifully during the baking process, producing a very tall loaf that came precariously close to touching the oven coils.  I ended up covering the pan with foil a little later than I should have...but the crust did not taste charred.

And the taste?  Superb.  The pumpkin kept the loaf perfectly moist and the sweetness level was perfect.  I cannot wait to make a couple different types of sandwiches with this bread.  This was definitely my favorite recipe from the book so far!

Thanks to Rebecca for being our host for this week.  If you would like to give the recipe a try, she has the recipe in its entirety up on her blog.  Or you could just buy the book.  It's a worthwhile investment...every recipe has been fantastic so far!

Love for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (and my Chiropractor)

For the past several months, I have suffered from some terrible head pains that caused me to wonder if I had some major medical problem with my noggin. The pain would normally be dull and easy to ignore when I got up in the morning but would gradually intensify throughout the day, becoming nearly unbearable by sunset. I fretted about it for the longest time, and even mentioned it to my primary care physician who attributed it to stress and tension. When I mentioned it to a friend of mine, she recommended that I visit her chiropractor for an adjustment.

I finally booked my first appointment a few weeks ago. I was very apprehensive about taking Matthew with me since it was a very small office and I would probably be laying on a table the whole time and thus unable to stop his little, sticky fingers from gravitating towards the electrical outlets he loves to inspect (oh and those little protective covers do NOT work because he LOVES to pull them out). When we arrived, we were immediately escorted to an examination room where I was strapped up to an electric muscle stimulation machine that ran a current via an electrode along my back to stimulate and massage the muscles in that area. I was laying on my stomach with my face pressed into a small hole so I could only see a small section of the floor. The doctor then told me to "relax and enjoy" as he left me and Matthew alone, shutting the door behind him so my child could not follow him.

Let me tell you - it is very difficult to "relax and enjoy" something when the child is nervously pacing the room just looking for trouble. He knew that I was helpless and I think that thrilled him. He began circling the table, giggling and clapping. I could see his feet zoom by every 20 seconds or so as he made his laps. Then he discovered the little stool with wheels and began to push that around the room. From my limited viewpoint, I could see the stool being wheeled slowly around the table, followed by his tiny little feet. Then he became bored with that little game, and began to fiddle with the chords connecting the electrical stimulation machine to my back. Not only did this kind of hurt, but it freaked me out. I began trying to bat at him with my arm, but could not reach very far. He found this funny and began slapping my arm.

Then he bit me.

Not funny, Matthew!

Little barbarian.

Then he started running and counting to himself as he took another lap around the table. Suddenly, his foot hit a small button on the floor and the table upon which I lay began to move slightly upwards. He stopped, gave out a shriek of delight, and pressed the button again. This time I went down a little bit.

He pressed it again.

Up I went.

Up a little more.

Down a bit.

Down.

Down.

This is supposed to be relaxing?!?!
Down.

Up again.

Down.

Up.

Up.

Up.

This is getting REALLY annoying.

Down.
Up.

Down.

Matthew, Stop! *maniacal giggle*

Up.

Up.

Up.

And I could do nothing but enjoy this little ride. At least his finger wasn't in a socket.

Thankfully, the chiropractor returned to the room and broke up the fun fest. He then proceeded to adjust my back, shoulder, and neck muscles. Immediately after he cracked my neck (which honestly brought to mind the scene of John Malkovich snapping the neck of a female bank teller in the movie In the Line of Fire), I felt relief. He told me that I had a severely pinched nerve on my right side that was restricting blood flow to the muscles in my head, causing them to contract and tense. He was pretty confident that all those contractions were the source of my head pains. I was also informed that the nerve might try to retract to the pinched position and in order to keep it in place, I would have to come back for 2-3 additional adjustments.

My quality of life has improved so much from those adjustments that I view my chiropractor as a hero of sorts. In fact, I may love him. The only major flaw I can find with him is that he wears way too much cologne. Since the appointments are very....umm...hands on...I end up smelling like a Hollister store for the rest of the day. But I can overlook such a seemingly small defect.

While I hold great love and admiration for my wonderful chiropractor, I probably would choose a bite out of these pumpkin cream cheese muffins any day. These are a fabulous way to use fresh or canned pumpkin and are excellent as a special treat for breakfast one of these fall weekends. They do take a bit more effort and finesse than the average muffin recipe, but they are so worth it. So worth it. You will not be sorry.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

adapted slightly from Annie's Eats

For the muffins:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cardamom (optional - but I love this spice)

1 teaspoon cloves

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (store bought or your own!)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups pumpkin puree

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

For the cream cheese filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

For the streusel:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

5 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

To make the streusel: Combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl with a whisk. Cut in the flour until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the cream cheese filling: Whip the cream cheese until smooth and then gradually add the powdered sugar. Mix well to combine. Shape into a log and wrap tightly with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap. Freeze until firm (I had it in the freezer for 4 hours). Once firm, remove the plastic wrap and slice into 24 pieces.

To make the muffins: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, salt, and soda. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugar, eggs, and oil. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir together until just combined.

To assemble the muffins, place muffin cups in 2 12-cup muffin liners. Place 1-2 tablespoon of the batter in the bottom of each well. You should have enough batter to completely cover the bottom of the muffin tin. Place a piece of cream cheese in each cup and then spoon some more batter over the top and up the sides of the muffin cup, being sure to completely cover the piece of cream cheese. Top each with a generous sprinkle of streusel (seriously, go crazy on the streusel!).

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely - or you may burn your face. I may or may not know this from experience.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator if not eating the same day. You can warm them up slightly before eating them by nuking them for 10 seconds in the microwave.

Make these. TODAY.

Pumpkin Cookies with My Little Pumpkin

Today has been interesting.

I thought the day was going really well. Matthew and I got up bright and early, had breakfast, did some laundry, ran the vacuum, and then headed to the gym. After the gym, we took our shopping list up to Wegmans for what was supposed to be a super quick trip before Matthew's afternoon nap. However, it was not. The store was completely out of cinnamon (who runs out of cinnamon?!?) and the aisles were super crowded. This was exacerbated by the fact that I had chosen a cart with a rusty wheel that was not only super difficult to maneuver through the aisles, but also made an annoying high-pitch squeaking noise with every step. Everyone we passed stared at us and even Matthew found the noise too shrill for his delicate ears (although some of the screams he makes definitely compete) and had his ears covered for the majority of the time. He did uncover them just long enough to grab a jar of pasta sauce off the shelf and promptly drop it.

Shards of glass and deep red sauce everywhere. Everywhere.

Matthew thought it was pretty hilarious.

The people at Wegmans were super nice about it (as always...this is not the first time this has happened) but I am always embarrassed. Finally, we made our way to the checkout only to find the lines were packed with people buying groceries as if they were preparing for Y2K all over again (perhaps that's where all the cinnamon went). Matthew began to throw a fit while we were waiting and tried clawing at the candy in the display near the register. I don't know how he recognizes candy - he has never had any, yet he knows what it is. Anyway, I was quickly becoming frazzled with all of his shenanigans. We finally made it up to the front and the cashier scanned all of our items and I reached into my bag and pulled out my wallet to find my credit card to pay the bill.

Only it wasn't there.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Thankfully, the cashier was kind enough to perform a "suspended order" and simply typed up the complete receipt, wrote my name on it, and took all my groceries to the service desk to be held until I could return with payment. I packed Matthew back in the car and drove him home and searched high and low for the card. I found it in one of his dump trucks (he had raided my purse earlier in the morning, so I was pretty sure it would be found among his toys). We then headed back up to Wegmans and Matthew of course fell asleep along the way. I had to wake him up to head back in, pay the bill, pick up the groceries, load them in the car, and then head back home. This pretty much shot Matthew's nap for the day. I tried to lay him down again, but he ended up catapulting himself out of the crib a couple times.

So we made some cookies.

I have been on a quest to make some chewy/crispy pumpkin cookies. I like the traditional pumpkin cookies that are more like little drops of cake flavored with fall spices. I began perusing various books and most places list the use of a dehydrated pumpkin powder to achieve the crispy effect. Not exactly what I had in mind. Then I came across this recipe by Sara Foster in one of her books and the heavens opened and I thought I heard a choir of angels rejoicing. The secret ingredient in this recipe is a cup of oats and a resting period for the dough that allow the excess moisture from the pumpkin to be completely absorbed. Another unusual step in this recipe is processing the flour with a cup of butterscotch chips to completely distribute their flavor within the cookie dough. The end result is a truly excellent cookie.

Matthew was a great help in the process. I stuck one of my aprons on him so he would not get dirty. It looked more like a dress. I don't think Paul is going to be too happy about that (this is what happens when he abandons his family and goes traveling!).

He of course was so excited to cream the butter and sugar. Anything to do with the stand mixer, he is all about. He was doubly excited when I pulled out the blender to process the flour and butterscotch chips.

His interest did not last long when the white chocolate chips came out. All of sudden he only wanted to eat those and could have cared less about making the rest of the cookie dough. Fair-weather assistant!

I guess he just needed a snack after all his hard work. Lazy kid.

Chunky, Chewy Pumpkin Cookies

adapted from Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes from Foster's Market by Sara Foster

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butterscotch chips

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup white sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts or pecans

In a food processor or blender, pulse to combine the flour and baking soda. Add in the butterscotch chips and continue pulsing until they are finely chopped and distributed throughout the flour. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and beat one minute. Stir in the canned pumpkin (do not be afraid of the mixture has a curdled appearance - it's all good!). Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Stir to combine. Fold in the oats, white chocolate, and nuts until just combined and there are no streaks of flour left. This takes some major muscle power. The effort will make you feel better about gobbling down a couple of these babies hot from the oven.

Cover the bowl and transfer the dough to the refrigerator to hang out for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

When ready to bake, use a large cookie scoop to drop balls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, being careful to space them 2 inches apart as the dough will spread. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on top. Bake them a little longer if you want them crispy, less if you want them chewy. Let cool 2 minutes on pan before using a metal spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!