Pumpkin Cream Puffs

1/2 c water
1/4 c butter, cubed
1 T sugar
1/2 c flour
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs

FILLING:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c canned pumpkin
2 T sugar
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
3/4 c whipped topping

FROSTING (for jack-o'-lanterns):
1/2 c powdered sugar
2 t butter, softened
1/4 t vanilla
1-2 t milk
green and orange food coloring
1 T baking cocoa

In a small saucepan, bring the water, butter and sugar to a boil. Combine flour and pie spice and add to water mixture all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. Drop 12 rounded tablespoons 2 " apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack. Immediately split puffs open; remove tops and set aside. Discard soft dough from inside. Cool puffs.
For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar and pie spice until smooth. Pipe into cream puffs. Top each with 1 T whipped topping; replace tops.

***I usually double entire recipe.

Jack-o'-lanterns: For frosting, in a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Tint 1 T frosting green and 2 t orange, and set aside. Stir cocoa into remaining frosting. Pipe jack-o'-lantern faces with orange and chocolate frosting. Pipe stems with green frosting.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

These fluffy cupcakes are lightly sweetened with maple syrup and pineapple instead of sugar . The cream cheese frosting is the perfect addition to give it a creamy sweet kick.

2/3 c shortening
2 eggs
3/4 c maple syrup
1/2 c milk
2 c flour
1 1/4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground allspice
1 c canned pumpkin
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 c butter, softened
1 t vanilla
2 c powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (mixture will appear curdled). Beat in syrup and milk. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt baking soda, ginger, and allspice. Add to shortening mixture and beat just till moistened. Stir in pumpkin and pineapple.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes.

Edible Eyeballs

doughnut holes
white dipping chocolate
red gel frosting tube
junior mints
plastic forks

Insert forks into doughnut holes. Slowly melt chocolate. Remove from heat and dip doughnut holes into chocolate. Use a wire rack (set on bowls) or styrofoam block to stand up forks. Put junior mints on dipped doughnuts for pupil. When chocolate is set, make squiggly lines with red gel frosting for veins.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is your basic pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe. (Except softer and yummier.)

1 c canned pumpkin
1 c white sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 egg
2 c all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t milk
1 T vanilla extract
2 c chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add vanilla, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Fondant

For my daughter's Hannah Montana birthday party I decided to try my first fondant cake. She described what she wanted and I gave it a try. It ended up being do much fun and so cute! With the leftover fondant I make some flowers for cupcakes. For recipes and directions on using fondant go to www.wilton.com.

Easter Story Cookies (or Savior Cookies)

Summary:
Object lesson that teaches the Easter story while making a treat.

You Need:
1 c whole pecans
1 tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 c sugar
zipper baggies
wooden spoon
tape
Bible
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. This is important! Don't wait until you're 1/2 done with the recipe.

Activity Description:
To make the evening before Easter.
Place pecans in zipper baggies and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3. Don't add nuts until the end.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.
So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 c sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know Him and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.
Go to bed! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! (Even though it's hard to tell in the picture.) On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

Royal Icing

Royal icing is so much fun, so easy, and a blast to experiment with. It creates a flawless, smooth frosting that is perfect for holiday cookies. The icing doesn't taste as good as regular frosting so I would recommend using a sweeter sugar cookie recipe to compensate. Here's some of the cookies I made with my daughter and her friend.

5 c confectioner's sugar

3 egg whites (may be substituted with meringue powder if you can't have raw eggs)

In a large bowl, mix egg whites until foamy. Add confectioner's sugar till completely combined. Slowly add water and mix until a ribbon-like consistency is formed. For a thicker consistency just add more sugar. A thicker consistency is used for outlining or adding detail. Thinner consistency is needed for flooding the icing on the cookie. Place icing in a ziploc bag with the corner barely snipped.

To frost:

Outline cookie with icing. Partially fill in then spread with toothpick to flood icing. The icing will harden quickly, creating a smooth surface. To create a tie-dye effect, after flooding the icing (before it dries) make horizontal stripes with a different color. Starting at the top, drag a toothpick through the icing. Make plenty of cookies so you can experiment until you get the hang of it. To make hearts, make polka dots then drag a toothpick through it.

Mint Oreo Truffles

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!


1 pkg. double stuffed oreos, cool mint flavor (1 lb, 1 oz pkg)
---use 22 cookies with cream centers included
---use 10 cookies with cream centers discarded
1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
chocolate bark or candy coating for dipping


Finely crush the cookies in a food processor or a ziploc bag with a rolling pin.
Stir in softened cream cheese. Mash the two together completely.
Roll the mixture into 1" balls and place on a wax paper cookie sheet.
Place covered in freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes to help retain shape while dipping in melted chocolate.
Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on a wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry. (I had to double-dip the white chocolate.) Refrigerate or freeze and enjoy!

My little chef, Bailee.