Pink Rose Bake Shop

Hi everyone! So Pink Rose Bake Shop is my newest project! I decided it was time to not only share my love of baking with other bloggers, but the whole world! Pink Rose Bake Shop will be starting as an online business in September and hopefully growing from there! I will happily ship customized sugar cookies and other cookies to anywhere I possibly can! Please follow me on twitter @pinkrosebakes and like Pink Rose Bake Shop on Facebook! And of course spread the word! Thank you!

Thanksgiving.. A Week of Fun!

So it's that time of year again! Once Halloween came and gone I knew the holidays would fly by! This week was a crazy one! Since I am not living at home at the moment, I was feeling a bit down and extremely home sick. But lucky for me and wonderful bosses at the cake shop where I work, I had a few days off to spend time with my family at home. Unlike my roommates who all work in restaurants in Manhattan, I work in a cute, happy, and bubbly little cake shop that doesn't work us around the clock!
My week of fun started on Tuesday morning when I froze in Central Park for about three hours waiting to see none other than One Direction! Was it worth it? Um... hell yeah! I was super close to the stage and saw everything and everyone perfectly! Needless to say I made it from the Upper East side all the way to Midtown West for work with 3 minutes to spare!
Wednesday, however, was the real fun day! A half day at work and then on the train to go home! Real home, not Long Island home! When I got home, I whipped up my famous chocolate chip cookies with no time to waste! For Thanksgiving, our dessert selection consisted of cookies, cheesecake, cookies, and chocolate saucy cakes? Saucy what? Yeah still not sure what they were but my Uncle was being nice and decided to bring them! Long story short, I always end up thinking about food and dessert, mainly dessert! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving if celebrated!

                                           (Can never go wrong with cookies, chips, and wine!)

                                                     (The dinner table for Thanksgiving!)

                                                        (My plate of food! So yummy!)

                                                  (Chocolate Saucy Cakes...Interesting.)

                                                     (The important part of the night!)

                                       (My ever so famous and delicious chocolate chip cookies!)

                                              (My mom's chocolate ganache cheesecake!)

                                          (Yes this is Harry Styles and yes I was this close!!)

The Culinary Institute of America: Where Dreams Come True!

     As of January 2013, I began my journey through the kitchens of the Culinary Institute of America! Being a baking pastry major requires a lot of hard work and little to no free time to, let's say, update a blog! Before I started school, I was nervous beyond belief. Little did I know that great things were headed my way. The very first day of school I met some incredible people. Only a few days in, groups of friends were starting to form and new routines were being made.
     Learning the basics of baking and whipping up some things I have never tried before was the "icing on the cake" so to speak. My baking class was a group of 20 girls, or sisters rather. We were together 24/7 and surprisingly, that was not a bad thing. The bakers mingled with the culinary students and everyone in the start date were one big happy family. That brings me to my group of friends! A small but close group consisting of a handful of bakers and a pinch of culinary kids! And then there was Phil! A culinary student from New York who I happen to fall in love with!
     Ten months later and here we are. My start date is all on externship now around the world. Me, my boyfriend Phil, and our two best friends who are also dating living under one roof in Long Island, externing in Manhattan. My little life turned around completely! So this is my journey through the kitchens and the streets and through a ton of flour and sugar. But that's a good thing because I am learning a ton of stuff and having the time of my life!

                                    (my best friend and extern roommate! and fellow baker!)

                                           (my beautiful group of baker sisters!)

                                                (the two girls that get me through my day!)

                                              

                                              (I met Florian from Cupcake Wars!)

                                               (the love of my life, Phil!)

                                                   (my extern site that went to Martha Stewart's event!)

My Adventures In Culinary School

Snickerdoodle Maple Bars

I'm getting ready for Christmas already! I have a list of cookies that I want to try, so I thought it would be a good idea to start a bit early. I came across this recipe but decided to make it my own. I added some chocolate chips to the bars and reduced the amount of maple syrup in the glaze, and I'm glad I did because, boy were they sweet! Overall, these bars were delicious! After the glaze settled in on the bars they were so moist and gooey! Definitely worth a try!

Snickerdoodle Maple Bars
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp. cinnamon-sugar

Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-3 tsp. water

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Spread into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake at 350 for 20-25 mintues or until golden brown. Cool completely.

3. In a small bowl, mix all glaze ingredients until smooth; drizzle over top. Cut into bars and enjoy!

One Direction and Magnolia Bakery Visit

Yes, I admit it! I am a Directioner! For those of you who don't know what that means, allow me to explain. A Directioner is a dedicated fan of the British boy band One Direction. The boys were playing on the Today Show in New York City a few weeks ago and I just had to be there! It was me against 15,000 other Directioners! We filled the streets of NYC in the rain and cold, but hey, you only live once! The good news is, I got to see the boys once I made it to the back of the stage! More good news, I visited Magnolia Bakery! I've always heard such wonderful things about Magnolia Bakery. I was not impressed by their cupcakes, however, but their peanut butter toffee bars had me hooked! Unfortunately I was unable to take pictures of the goodies, because I had to eat them on the side of the street... in the rain...in the cold... and my hands were full of shopping bags! Sorry! I was able to snap some pictures of the bakery itself though! Very cute and welcoming!

 

If visiting the Magnolia Bakery, I highly recommend the peanut butter toffee bars I was talking about and also their chocolate chip cookies. You will thank me for warning you... trust me!

Graham Cracker Chocolate Chippers

It was the week before Thanksgiving and I was just in the mood to bake! I found some graham crackers in my pantry and could not let them go to waste. A lovely idea came to mind: graham cracker crumbs in cookies! My search began for the perfect cookie recipe that included some graham cracker crumbs in place of some of the flour. Well, I found it! I got right to baking and ended up with a delicious chocolate chip cookie with that special secret ingredient. These cookies look like your average chocolate chip cookie, but don't be fooled! The graham cracker crumbs add that little extra flavor that only you and I will know about!

 



Graham Cracker Chocolate Chippers1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda, and salt together. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for about 15-20 minutes.
Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes.

Chocolate Chunk Surprise Cookies

Greetings bakers! It's been quite some time since my last post... mostly because I haven't had the time to bake anything lately, but I decided it was time to try a new cookie recipe. All of my go-to recipes are usually chocolate chip cookies, because I believe that you just can't go wrong with a good chocolate chip cookie! I must have nearly three dozen chocolate chip cookie recipes alone and I think it's time I pick and choose between which ones to keep and the ones to toss. Today I chose a recipe that I've had my eye on for the longest time. The recipe calls for 1 egg and 3 egg yolks! I've never seen anything like that before! However, nowhere in the recipe does it call for peanut butter so I decided to add just a heaping teaspoonful of creamy peanut butter just for the heck of it! Let me tell you, it turned out great! The hint of peanut butter is not overpowering and almost seems like it's barely there just giving the slightest nutty flavor. So here is the recipe for what I like to call "Chocolate Chunk Surprise Cookies." Enjoy!

Chocolate Chunk Surprise Cookies1 stick butter, room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

1 heaping tsp. creamy peanut butter

1 egg, plus 3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

18-20 Dove Chocolate squares, chopped, (I used milk and dark!)

1. Beat butter, sugars and peanut butter until creamy.

2. Add egg, yolks, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

3. Add flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir into butter/sugar/egg mixture. Stir in chocolate      chunks.

4. Let dough chill covered in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake about 15-18 minutes.

Eat immediately! This is important because the chocolate is still melted and it tastes really yummy!



Brown Sugar Cookies

Hello everyone! I haven't had the chance to post anything new in a while because I haven't had the time to bake lately! But today was one of those days that I had to get out my bowls and spoons and measuring cups and get to work! I decided to try an all brown sugar cookie recipe. I love the texture brown sugar gives to cookies, so I always omit some of the white sugar and add a bit more brown. Overall, I was not that impressed with the results of this cookie, but I blame myself for that because I used one stick of butter and one stick of maragine. Besides that, it was a pretty decent cookie that I would recommend. I'm not sure if you can go wrong with a chocolate chip cookie... especially straight from the oven.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies Makes about 18... if you don't taste the dough ;)1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
Beat the butter and brown sugar until thoroughly blended. Add eggs, and vanilla and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix just to blend. Gently fold in chips.
Place dough onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet using a scooper.
Bake 10 minutes or until cookies are pale brown.
Cool cookies on cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack until cooled completely. Serve or store in airtight container.

Calories 285
Carbohydrates 38
Fat 13

Chocolate Fudge Cookie Stuffed Cupcakes With Chocolate & Vanilla Butter Cream

I recently celebrated my 18th birthday and decided to create an extra special cupcake just for my special day. I combined some of my favorite flavors and managed to stuff it all into one cute little cupcake! I knew from the moment I took the cupcakes out of the oven that everything was going to be delicious... and I was right! Stuffed with the most decadent cookie, these chocolate cupcakes satisfy everyone's sweet tooth. I hope you all enjoy them as much I did. And always remember: "Life's short, eat a cupcake!"

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes:
1 box chocolate cake mix of your choice.

Prepare as directed; bake according to directions on box.

Cookie Dough Center:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup miniature chocolate chips

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and the vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place onto a baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting:½ c. butter.
½ c. margarine.
3 c. confectioners’ sugar. (SIFTED!)
1 tbsp. vanilla.
¼ tsp. salt.
2 tbsp. milk.

Beat butter and margarine for a few minutes at medium speed. Add confectioners’ sugar and reduce mixer to low speed. Blend until sugar is incorporated. Increase to medium speed and add vanilla, salt, and milk. Beat for 3 minutes. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with miniature chocolate chips.


Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting:
½ cup butter
½ cup margarine
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk

Cream butter and margarine for a few minutes on medium speed. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.


Enjoy!






　

Quite Possibly One Of The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies... Ever!

Whenever I would search "the best chocolate chip cookie recipe" on the internet, this recipe kept popping up, so I figured my computer was trying to tell me something. It was the little things about this recipe, 2 cups PLUS 2 tbsp. flour, one egg PLUS one egg yolk, that had me believing that maybe everyone was right! Maybe this was the best chocolate chip cookie out there! So, of course, I had to try it and, either prove everyone wrong, or have the privilege of tasting one of the best cookies on the planet! Lucky for me, it was the second thought! I now understand what everyone has been talking about when they labeled these "the best". So, here it is... the recipe for the best chocolate chip cookie!

"The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie"

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Scoop dough out with cookie scoop and place the formed dough balls on parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, about 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets, and get ready to bite into one of the best cookies in the world! Enjoy!

Oatmeal Butter Cookies.

For the start of the new year, I felt that it was time for a new cookie. With some of my favorite flavors and ingredients in mind, I constructed an oatmeal butter dark chocolate chip cookie which came out quite tastey. They look like your classic oatmeal cookie, however, they did not flatten out when baked. Either way, they are pretty delicious, and not to mention, you won't feel as guilty indulging in one of these babies! Enjoy!

Oatmeal Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
¼ cup I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 ½ tsp. butter and nut extract
1 cup flour
1 ¼ cup ground oatmeal
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, applesauce, and brown sugar. Beat until well combined. Add egg whites and extract and beat until combined. Combine flour, ground oats, baking soda, and cinnamon and add to creamed mixture. Stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.



Calories 117
Carbohydrates 19
Protein 2
Fat 4

Sprinkles Cupcakes NYC

Just a few short years ago, in Los Angeles, CA, I visited the very first cupcake bakery, Sprinkles Cupcakes, founded by the one and only, Candace Nelson. Located on the west coast, and, me, living on the east coast, I could not wait until Sprinkles came to an area near me. Finally, in early 2011, Sprinkles opened a new location in New York City! I was super duper excited and couldn't wait to go back so I could enjoy that delicious cupcake that I haven't stopped dreaming about. After all those years of waiting for that cupcake, I returned to Sprinkles the other day! For their Holiday special, Sprinkles was offering a unique flavor for the month: Eggnog Spice Cupcake. The moist spice cake was complimented by a creamy eggnog frosting that simply melted in your mouth. While I enjoyed my eggnog cupcake, my parents were delighted by the most wonderful chocolate cupcake topped with only the best chocolate frosting. For a cupcake queen, like me, this wasn't just a visit to some cupcake bakery, but the highlight of my week!

For those cupcake lovers, like me, I highly suggest you visit the nearest Sprinkles. As a matter of fact, it is totally worth hopping on a plane if you are not within driving distance. I would never lie about cupcakes, so it is safe to say that these are the world's best little treats!





Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas time is my favorite time of year... mostly because of the Christmas cookies! Every year I usually buy the Nestle Toll House Gingerbread Cookie Dough in the huge tub from the store, but this year, I decided to make my own gingerbread cookies from scratch. I was extremely excited to try my hand at it, because I absolutely love gingerbread cookies! The recipe I tried was so delicious and the cookies came out soft and fat! They definitely did not disappoint, and a major plus was that the dough did not have any eggs in it, which made me believe it was perfectly safe to taste. So, if you are a gingerbread lover, like me, be sure to try out this recipe! Merry Baking!

Gingerbread Men
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cinnamon.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in molasses, water and vanilla, then gradually add in flour mixture until a smooth dough forms. Place dough in container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm.

Preheat oven to 375F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters of your choice (2-3″ gingerbread men are perfect!) to cut dough. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on size of cookie cutter. Cookies should be slightly firm to the touch at the edges. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Information 1 cookie:

Calories 66   
Fat 2
Carbohydrates 9  



French Chocolate Macaroons

After spending some time in Paris, France this past April, I've been dying to make french macaroons. They are so light and delicious and I love a new challenge! I always have to work some chocolate into my baking one way or another, so my best bet was chocolate macaroons. For a first timer, I must say that I think I did pretty well in my macaroon making. It took a bit of time, considering I wasn't a pro at it, but overall, I will definitely make these again.

FRENCH CHOCOLATE MACAROONS

Macaroons:

1/2 cup blanched whole almonds
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Filling:1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

　Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

To make the macaroons: Pulse the almonds with 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add the cocoa powder and the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and pulse until well blended.

Beat the egg whites with the salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl just until the whites form soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Add the granulated sugar and beat just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the almond mixture.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe out 1-inch-diameter mounds about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the tops are cracked and appear dry but the macaroons are still slightly soft to the touch.

Transfer the cookies, still on the parchment paper, to barely dampened kitchen towels and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully peel the paper off the macaroons and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

To make the filling: Bring the cream just to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder. Add the chocolate and butter and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes, or until the filling is firm enough to hold its shape when spread.

If desired, transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe the filling, or spread it with a knife, generously on the flat side of half of the macaroons. Top with the remaining macaroons, flat-side down, pressing together gently to form sandwiches.

Chocolate Pumkpin Pie.

Happy Black Friday everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving as much as I did! Of course, the best part was the dessert, which is why I wanted to post the recipe for my delicious Chocolate Pumpkin Pie. I must admit, I am not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but I thought a chocolate pumpkin pie just might do the trick. I found this great recipe which added semi sweet chocolate bits to the spiced pie filling. Made with a fillo dough crust, this pie is a healthier version of your typical pumpkin pie. Yet still so tastey, you won't feel as guilty going for that second slice. I also topped the pie with light whipped cream for extra flavor and decoration.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Butter flavored cooking spray
6 sheets fillo dough
½ cup light cream
½ cup fat free cream
6 ounces semi sweet chocolate bits
15- ounce can pumpkin puree
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
3 egg whites



Unroll fillo dough, then cover with plastic wrap while you work. Lay one sheet of fillo dough on the counter. Lightly mist the fillo with cooking spray. Set a second sheet of fillo over the first, rotating it slightly. Mist the second sheet of fillo, then repeating this process with the remaining fillo sheets, rotating each time a sheet is added. Mist the final sheet of fillo. Use a knife to carefully trim the stack of fillo into a 12- inch circle. Discard the scraps. Carefully lift the stack and set into the prepared pie pan, gently pressing the fillo against the bottom and sides of the pan.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan over medium-high, heat the cream until just bubbling. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate bits. Stir until completely melted and smooth.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and the chocolate cream mixture. Add the egg whites, whisking until everything is thoroughly combined.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the center is set and no longer jiggles.

Nutritional Info:
Calories- 290
Fat- 14
Carbohydrates- 40

Thanksgiving Eve Baking.

Carrot cupcakes have been on my list of new things to bake for quite some time now. Never making a carrot cake before, I searched and searched for the perfect recipe and finally constructed something that was moist and delicious and, not to mention, extremely light on the calories and fat! Thanksgiving seemed to be the appropriate time to try out these little beauties, and I must say, they were a success! Usually carrot cake is paired with cream cheese frosting, which I find to be amazing, but I thought it would be interesting to put a little spin on the typical cream cheese frosting and spice it up with some cinnamon. After sampling my precious treats, I've decided that carrot cupcakes were going to be on the menu for years to come. Enjoy!

CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES FOR THANKSGIVING
2 1/2 cup or whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup natural applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups finely shredded carrots

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
Sift together the first 5 ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar and eggs until well combined. Whisk in the applesauce, vanilla and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutritional Info:

Calories- 160

Fat- 5

Carbohydrates- 25

　

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

3 (8 oz.) Pkgs. Cream Cheese; softened.
¾ cup butter; softened.

3 cups confectioners’ sugar.

2 tsp. vanilla.

1/4 cup cinnamon.*

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in vanilla. Gradually stir in sugar and cinnamon.

* Yes, this seems like alot of cinnamon, but because the recipes makes quite a bit of frosting, I wanted the cinnamon flavor to be strong.

I also divided up some frosting and added green and orange food coloring to it to pipe on the carrot decorations.

Happy Thanksgiving Bakers!

Chocolate Chip Muesli Cookies

On my recent visit to London, England, I discovered a new breakfast cereal called Muesli. Very similar to oatmeal, Muesli, is packed with a blend of fruit and nuts, along with oats. At first, I thought Muesli was only sold in the U.K., but when I returned home to the states, I found some in my local grocery store. I became a fan immediately, and knew that I had to try to incorporate Muesli into some kind of cookie. So, once again, I started creating a cookie like no other. I decided to use my basic, yet delicious, oatmeal cookie recipe, and replace the oatmeal for Muesli. The result was out of this world! The cookies were soft and chewy, so this recipe is definitely a keeper! I added some chocolate chips for a bit more flavor which was an absolute plus! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Muesli Cookies:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup Muesli

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars together until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and stir until combined. Add Muesli and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 1 dozen.



Toffee Almond Meringue Cookies

For years I have been seeing recipes for meringue cookies and always wanted to give them a try. This year I came across the perfect recipe and decided that it was time to make these delicious little treats. Filled with two of my favorite things in the world: toffee bits and almonds, I knew this was going to be the perfect recipe. The cookies didn't just taste wonderful, but also looked wonderful. The toffee bits gave the cookies a chewy texture which balanced perfectly with the crunch of the almonds. If you like meringue cookies, be sure to give these a try.

Toffee Almond Meringue Cookies:

4 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk chocolate English toffee bits

1 cup finely chopped almonds

In a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablesponn at a time, beating on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved, about 6-8 minutes. Fold in toffee bits and almonds.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 250 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until set and dry. Turn oven off; leave cookies in oven for 1 hour.

Cool completely on pans on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.



Healthy Pumpkin Muffins.

It's that time of year again. Time to break out the pumpkin recipes! This year I decided to make pumpkin muffins, however, I wouldn't exactly call them muffins, they're more like muffin tops. I thought they would rise like a typical muffin but these little babies stayed the way they looked when I put them into the oven. They're short and bite-size, but let's be honest, everyone's favorite part of the muffin is the top anyway so I don't think this was a problem. At about 80 calories a piece, 1 gram of fat and 14 grams of carbs, these are not only healthy, but extremely delicious! Enjoy!!!

Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Glaze:

3 cups oatmeal.

2 tbsp. baking powder.

1 tsp. baking soda.

1/4 tsp. salt.

1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice.

2 cups pumpkin.

1/4 cup brown sugar.

1/2 cup apple sauce.

2 eggs.

1 tsp. vanilla.

Grind oatmeal in food processor to fine crumbs. Combine all dry ingredients except for sugar. In a seperate bowl combine all liquid ingredients and sugar. Combine liquid with dry ingredients. Spoon into paper lined muffin pans.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Drizzle with glaze.

Glaze:

1/4 cup powdered sugar.

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

2 tbsp. water.

Stir to combine; add water to drizzle consistency.