Cocoa-Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies

The Cookies

1/4 c butter

1/4 c vegetable oil

1/2 c pumpkin

1 egg

1 c sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1 1/3 c white flour

makes approx. 24 cookies

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes

The Filling

1/2 c cream cheese

2 tsp cinnamon

6-7 spoonfuls of confectioners sugar

1 tbsp apple cider

Inspired by this recipe.  I was looking for pumpkin cake recipes.  While browsing, the red velvet oreos caught my eye.  They sounded intriguing.  I've never made red velvet anything.  And I don't have any red food coloring.  But I turned that idea into these cookies.  So much for making pumpkin cake...maybe next time.

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Pumpkin & Cream Cheese Icing

For the last...too many years to count, I was able to honestly say that I did not have a sweet tooth.  I'm starting to think that I can no longer say that.  I used to be addicted to salty snacks, like Triscuits. (I think I was eating 2+ boxes a week for awhile) But then one day I discovered that the excessive salt in my diet was causing painful leg cramps when I ran.  So I weaned myself off of salty snacks.  Actually, I think I quit cold-turkey.  Ever since, I have used less and less salt in my food.  Now, I think the only time I use salt while cooking is when I salt the pasta water.

For awhile after quitting the salty snacks, I just didn't snack.  But recently, I have started craving snacks again.  And this time I'm craving cookies and cake.  It's such a weird feeling, after all the years where I could look at a cookie or piece of cake and be genuinely disinterested.  I still don't have a huge love of sugar, and won't eat things that are too sweet.  But I love to have some cookies or a piece of not overly-sweetened cake in the evening.  The Chocolate Cake I made a few weeks ago was probably one of my all-time favorite desserts that I have made.  Last night, as I ate my last 2 delectable Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies, I realized that I would have to make another batch of cookies today.  But then today came, and I decided I wanted to make another chocolate cake.  The fact that there is no milk in my fridge wasn't a problem...I wanted to use Guinness this time. I also had some little 50mL bottles of Bailey's that someone gave me, so I threw one of those in too.

The Cake

2 1/8 c flour

2 c sugar

3/4 c cocoa

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 c Guinness

50mL Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur 

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 tbsp vanilla

grease and flour 2 8.5 inch round cake pans

bake at 350 for 40 minutes or so

let cool in pans for a little while, then transfer to wire racks

when the cakes are cool, spread icing on top of one cake, place the other cake on top, and then cover with remaining icing

The Icing

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 c pumpkin

1+ c confectioner's sugar

I used a fork to mix the icing.  It came out with cream cheese lumps, which are rather unsightly, but don't bother me.  If you want a smoother icing I suggest you use an electric mixer.

Photo Evidence

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies

The Cream Cheese Cookies I made on Sunday were so delicious, I just had to whip up another batch!  This time, I added some cocoa powder...can't ever have too much chocolate!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies

4 tbsp butter

2 oz cream cheese

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1+ tsp ginger powder

3/4 tsp vanilla

2+ tsp cocoa powder

1 egg

1/2 c wheat flour

1 c flour

handful of craisins

handful of mini chocolate chips

bake @ 375 for 10-12 minutes

These cookies hold their shape very well while baking.  The tops may look slightly under-done when you take them out, but they will firm up the rest of the way while cooling on a wire rack.  You don't want to over-bake the cookies, or the bottoms will burn.

I received a bottle of Smooth Ambler Old Scout Rye Whiskey for my birthday.  Cracked open that bottle this evening and tried it with the cookies.  Perfect match. 

Cream Cheese Cookies

I went to a crawfish boil today and needed something to bring.  It seems that cookies are my go-to thing to bring at this point, because they are so quick and easy and there are so many possibilities.  Also, because it is one of the only things that I always have ingredients for...

So I took out the butter and threw it in the mixer to soften for a bit, and noticed the cream cheese I had in the fridge, that needed to be used before it turned all sorts of pretty shades of blue and green.  So I decided to substitute cream cheese for the vegetable oil I usually put in cookies.  I'm not sure exactly how much cream cheese I used, but it looked like a bit more than the amount of butter I used, so I'm going to guess 5 or 6 tbsp.

One of the best things about these cookies (other than the fact that they taste good) is that they hold their shape really well while baking.  I hate it when my cookies spread really thin in the oven.  I always chill the dough before baking it, which helps, but every now and then it fails.  These cookies held their shape so well, the first batch was burning on the edges before the center cooked.  So, I smashed the cookies on the second tray before baking them.

The cookies come out with more of a cake-y texture than a cookie texture.  

Perfectly soft, chewy, and yummy.

Cream Cheese Cookies

1/2 stick butter

5-6 oz cream cheese

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1/2 c wheat flour

3/4 c flour

mini chocolate chips

bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes

Cream Cheese Mac

I try to eat healthy as often as possible.  But sometimes, I just crave mac n cheese.  And sometimes, I remember that I just happened to buy cream cheese the other day and haven't done anything with it.  And think that maybe I should add cream cheese to the mac n cheese.  And darn it, I just remembered that I also have sour cream in my fridge that I should have thrown in because it needs to get used.  Oh well.  I missed out on using the sour cream, but I did use some cream cheese!

By the way, I'm currently eating my second helping.  This stuff is too good.  Maybe I'll run it off in my race on Saturday...It will only be the 2nd 10k course I have ever run.  I've done a 10k in Lewisburg for the past 5 years, but it's the only 10k I've ever done, and while my times for the past 2 years have been decent, I really really want to break 40 minutes. I'm hoping to achieve that this weekend.  New course, flatter course, and hopefully some better competition to help carry me to a PR! 

Anyway.  Cream Cheese Mac.  Deliciousness.

Boil some water and throw in about half a box of elbow macaroni.  In a smaller saucepan, combine 3 tbsp butter, 3-4 tbsp cream cheese, a bunch of heavy cream, 1/4 c wheat flour, and a big handful of shredded cheese. Once everything is all melty and delicious, and the macaroni is cooked, combine in an oven-safe dish.  Oh and by the way, grate a carrot and mix it in with all that.  Then you can pretend it's healthy.  Mix well, sprinkle more cheese over the top, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  

I enjoyed my mac and cheese on a bed of arugula, topped with a crabby beef burger and some shaved & sauteed parsnips.  And then I drizzled ranch dressing over the whole thing because...I thought it might be too dry without it?  And...go big or go home? 

It was delicious.  

Eating super healthy all the time is overrated. 

and here's a picture of the shaved parsnips before I cooked them

just because

they're awesome

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin  Cheesecake

16 oz cream cheese

1/2 c  pumpkin

1/2 c  sour cream

1/2 c  sugar

1 1/2 tbsp  flour

1/2 tbsp  vanilla

2 eggs

mini chocolate chips

graham cracker crust

Take the cream cheese out of the fridge several hours before you plan on making your cheesecake so that it can reach room temperature.  Combine the cheese, pumpkin, and sour cream.  Add the sugar, flour, and vanilla.  Add the eggs.  Add the chocolate chips.  Bake for 40-60 minutes at 325 degrees.  Cheesecake is done when you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean.  Chill the cake in the fridge before eating.

Yum!

Cream Cheese Bacon Brownies

Because chocolate and bacon go with everything.  Including each other.  

Culinary match made in Heaven?

Cream Cheese Bacon Brownies

4 squares (4 ounces) of Baker's Chocolate

1 1/2 sticks of Butter

2 scant cups of Sugar

3 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

1+ cup of Flour

6 strips of Bacon

3 oz Cream Cheese

Put the Butter and Chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, then stir until fully melted. Add the Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla, and Flour, stirring well after each ingredient is added.  Chop the Bacon into small pieces and fry it.  Spoon out the grease and add it to your bacon grease jar for use in future kitchen adventures.  Chop the Cream Cheese into small pieces, then mix them into the brownie batter.  Pour the batter into a greased 9x9 pan.  

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.  

Brownies are done when you jab a toothpick into the center of the pan and it comes out clean.

Delicious-ness.