baking on a lazy day

I started the day with muffins; half grape jelly and half mom's pear jam.

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting (via Heather Teddy)

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
cream together
Add:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
mix well
Add:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon.
mix well, then add 1 cup raisins
Drop on cookie sheets, bake 12 minutes at 375
Frosting:
Combine 3 Tbsp butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a sauce pan. Heat until just bubbling, 1 minute. Let this cool for 15 minutes, then beat with 1/4 cup milk. Add enough powdered sugar to make spreading consistency, about 2 cups. Beat until smooth; frost.

Megan's Wedding Hankie

I used to cross stitch a lot. Turns out I'm not so into it anymore... but it worked out okay. This is a Cherry Blossom pattern (which is her wedding flower) and her new initials M.M.T.

apples to candy apples to candy apple pie (with ice cream)

Last winter I had a surplus of apples and so ending up making these candy apples. This year, I had to go out of my way for the apples, but I knew Christmas was going to need these apples again.

4 lbs of apples, cored and sliced into rings. Let them soak in water with either lemon juice or fresh fruit.

The syrup is 4 cups of sugar in 2 cups of water, 1 box of Redhots, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1 TBSP whole cloves. Let the syrup simmer until the candy is melted and then add the apples and let them cook for 5 minutes.


With the leftover syrup, I cooked down the bits of apple not good enough to can as gifts (tops and bottoms, etc). I cooked it for about 15 minutes. Then I tempered it with some butter and added a splash of vanilla. I put this in a shortbread pie crust and baked for 30 minutes.

scarf patterns are so much fun, I've got another one...

This is the lace pattern I've been using for scarf orders. It's basically the same idea that I used to make the freedom skirt. I love how the sides are both so detailed and yet so different.

more cookies!

Trail Mix Cookies
1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
mix together until fluffy
add:
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
carefully mix in 1 cup trail mix (I used one with chocolate chips and "m&ms".)
Makes about 3 dozen, bake at 375 for 12 minutes.

Honey Molasses Whole Wheat Cookies

Another day that just needed cookies and yet the cupboards are bare... so this is what I came up with and I'm glad I did, they are great!
Cream 1/3 cup shortening (butter would probably work) with 1 cup sugar. (Next time I'll try a combo of white and brown sugars) Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla. Then 1/4 cup of molasses and honey (in whatever proportion you have). Add 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger. 1/2 tsp nutmeg (or to taste, I love nutmeg). Then slowly add 2 cups of whole wheat flour and mix until just mixed.
Makes 24 cookies, bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. They are like molasses cookies but a little crisper and sweeter.