Pumpkin Pie Pinwheel Cookies

Taken from Food Network

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup plus 1 cup brown sugar
• Whipped cream, for serving, optional
• Ground nutmeg, for serving, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together twice. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Combine egg, vanilla and almond extract and add to creamed mixture. Mix on medium speed until combined. Add sifted ingredients and mix only until combined; dough should be stiff.

Roll dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper to a 12 by 9-inch rectangle, using 1 long sheet of parchment paper that is folded in half. Make sure that you roll out the dough evenly. Cut the edges off neatly with a bench scraper to even them. Place dough in the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.

Mix together the canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 cup brown sugar for filling.

Remove dough from freezer and peel back the top parchment paper. Thinly spread the pumpkin filling evenly over the dough. Don't spread too thickly; you should still be able to see the dough through the pumpkin slightly. If you don't use all of the filling, it is okay.

Starting at 1 end, roll up the ends in the same manner as a cake roll. Make sure that you keep it tight and even. If the dough cracks slightly, simply rub it together with your fingers. Wrap the roll in the parchment paper, seam side down, and place back in the freezer until firm, about 1 hour.

Slice cookies 1/4-inch thick and place onto a cookie sheet at least 1-inch apart. Sprinkle brown sugar on the tops of the cookies and rub it in with your fingers. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, just until the edges are turning brown.

Serve cookies on a platter with a small bowl of whipped cream and nutmeg so that guests can make pumpkin pie pinwheel sandwiches. This makes it taste even more like pumpkin pie!

White Chocolate Brownies

Taken from The Cookie & Biscuit Bible

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, diced
• 14 oz white chocolate chips
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup cranberries
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 3/4 cups flour

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
   
2. Put the butter and 11 oz of the chocolate chips into a bowl and melt in the microwave for approx 1 minute or until smooth, stir immediately to blend the chocolate and butter.
3. Beat in the eggs, sugar, cranberries, lemon rind and juice, flour and remaining chocolate chips.
4. Pour the mixture into an 8 x 11 baking tin and bake for 20 minutes or until slightly risen and golden. Leave to cool in tin and cut into small squares.
   

Chocolate Caramel Nuggets

Taken from the Cookie & Biscuit Bible

2 1/2 cups cake flour
14 tbsp butter, diced
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
Riesen chocolate chews or other chocolate covered caramels
Icing powder and cocoa powder for dusting

Put the flour and butter into a food processor and process until the mixture resembles bread crumbs,

Add the sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract and process to a smooth dough. Wrap in saran wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out fairly thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out rounds using a 2 inch cutter.

Place one chocolate square on a cookie round and then lay a second round on top. Pinch the edges of the dough together to seal and enclose the caramel chocolate. Place on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 10 mins or until lightly browned

Cool on a wire rack and then dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Taken from Eating Well. This recipe is pretty good considering that the cookies are lower in fat and calories. I made 48 cookies from this batch and they were decently sized. They spread quite well as they are cooking, so leave plenty of room between them on the baking sheets. Don't be worried if the recipe seems more like cake batter than cookie dough, you did it right!!

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped and melted (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Position rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 350° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until foamy, about 1 minute. Beat in granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream. Scrape down the sides, then beat in brown sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate. Stir in the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until just incorporated.
3. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart.
4. Bake the cookies until flat yet springy, with slightly cracked tops, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Let the pan cool for a few minutes before baking another batch; replace parchment paper if torn or scorched.

Nutrition

Per cookie : 68 Calories; 1 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 0 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrates; 1 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 51 mg Sodium; 54 mg Potassium

Chocolate-Cinnamon Cake with Almond Cream

Taken from Eating Well. This is a delicious lower calorie cake!











3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

• 3/4 cup cake flour
  
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup 1% milk

Almond cream

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon amaretto, or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray with flour. Alternatively, spray the pan with regular cooking spray, dust with flour and tap out the excess.
2. Melt chocolate in the microwave on Medium in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst to ensure even melting, until completely melted. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water, stirring constantly.) Set aside.
3. Whisk cake flour, whole-wheat flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Beat egg whites in a clean medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
5. Beat the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil in a large bowl on medium speed until combined. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, then melted chocolate and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until combined.
6. Add 1/2 cup milk to the egg-yolk mixture, beating on low speed, then add half the flour mixture. Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup milk, then the remaining flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the whites with a spatula, using long, even strokes. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly to the edges.
7. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.
8. To prepare almond cream: Beat cream and confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is the consistency of sour cream, about 1 minute. Add sour cream, amaretto (or almond extract), vanilla and cinnamon; beat to combine. Serve the cake with the almond cream.

Nutrition

Per serving : 196 Calories; 10 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 44 mg Cholesterol; 25 g Carbohydrates; 4 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 151 mg Sodium; 86 mg Potassium

Caroline's Cranberry Oat Concoction

This is one of my original recipes.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugar until well mixed and then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and honey and blend well. Stir in the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Then add the oats, cranberries and chopped walnuts and mix well with a spatula. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and then transfer to wire wracks to cool.

Chewy Coconut Cookies

Taken from www.allrecipes.com

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks.