Tasty Fall Treats...

Here's a few yummy fall recipes! Break out of the box this Thanksgiving and forget about the traditional boring pie! (ha ha- i hate pies!) We'll start with the first and easiest one. :-)

Chocolate drizzled pretzels.

I posted these last year so maybe some of you have already made them. But of course I had to make them again this year- the kiddos LOVE them. Buy the pretzels already covered in chocolate or yogurt- I buy mine at Sprouts. Then get the chocolate buttons in whatever color you want to drizzle... Spread the pretzels out on wax paper... Melt buttons in the microwave in a ziploc sandwich bag for 20-30 seconds at a time until melted... snip TINY corner off bag... and drizzle! Even the kiddos can help with this.

YUM! Just about the fastest and easiest treat I can think of.

Put them out for guests to snack on or bag up in a cellophane bag with ribbons to give away!

Treat #2: Was supposed to be Pumpkin Whoopie Pies... We LOVE homemade oreos and so I thought pumpkin "oreos" with cream cheese frosting would be divine! However the cookies I made were too thick and fluffy to stick 2 together... they were better on their own with a dollop of cream cheese frosting. That little dollop of frosting sure turned into a heap once I got started though! Yes I am a frosting addict- ha ha. So add whatever frosting you want. I used the mega 1M tip by Wilton...

Add whatever toppings you'd like... sprinkles, nuts, mini chocolate chips... Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

(rated nearly 5 stars on Allrecipes)

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree

2 eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 TBS cinnamon

1/2 TBS ground ginger

1/2 TBS ground cloves

1 egg white

2 TBS milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners sugar

3/4 cups shortening

1- Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease baking sheets.

2- Combine oil, brown sugar, pumpkin, and eggs. Beat well. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 tsp vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Mix well.

3- Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets. bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool and then make sandwiches from two cookies filled with Whoopie Pie Filling. (OR MAKE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING AND JUST DOLLOP SOME ON TOP LIKE I DID!)

4- To Make Whoopie Pie Filling: Beat egg white and mix with the milk, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup confectioners sugar. Mix well then beat in teh shortening and the remaining cup of confectioners sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.

YUMMY! Spicy and tasty pumpkin cookies fresh out of the oven... see how I couldn't stick two together?

A family favorite... Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies! Have I shared this one before???

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 c granulated sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

1 c butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

3.9 oz instant chocolate Jell-O pudding

2 1/4 c flour

1 bag chocolate chips (Guittard Maxi Chips are my fav)

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream sugars and butter. Mix in vanilla and eggs. Mix in sifted dry ingredients. Bake on 375 for 8-10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on cooling racks.

The kiddos LOVE these cookies and LOVE helping make them... from mixing the ingredients to rolling out the balls.

Treat #4- Iced Pumpkin Cookies

1,322 people on AllRecipes have rated this as a 4 1/2 star recipe (out of 5 stars).

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmey

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

2 cups confectioners sugar

3 TBS milk

1 TBS melted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1- Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeyt ground cloves, and salt. Set aside.

2- In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 tsp vanilla to butter mixture and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

3- bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

4- To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners sugar, milk, 1 TBS melted butter, and 1 tsp vanilla. Add milk as needed to achieve drizzling consistency.