gingerbread

mmm nothing says christmas baking like a good gingerbread man!
well the gingerbread man doesn't really talk.. but, well you know what i mean :)

i made this batch so that we could munch on cookies while making a gingerbread house with Everett, and they are very tasty!

i got the recipe from my chatelain magazine:

Gingerbread
3 cups flour
4 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice (i didn't have it so i used a 1/4 tsp of nutmeg & 1/4 tsp of cloves)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup fancy molasses

stir 2 cups flour with ginger, cinnamon, allspice, salt & baking soda in a large bowl. make a well in the centre.

beat butter with brown sugar in a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, for 2 min. Beat in egg and molasses. Pour molasses mixture into flour mixture. Stir until all flour is incorporated. Stir in remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough is no longer sticky but still soft. Divide dough into 4 portions. Form into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment, or spray with cooking spray. Roll out 1 disc of dough** on a floured surface until 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Transfer to prepared baking sheets.

Bake in centre of oven until deep brown around edges and firm to the touch, about 7 minutes. Larger cut-outs may require more baking time. Repeat with remaining dough. Transfer cookies to racks to cool. Cool sheets slightly before the next batch. Store in an airtight container up to 1 month.

**I normally let the dough sit on the counter to warm up slightly, and then knead it with my hands until it warms up a bit, or else it will crack as you roll it out.

 i cut out little animal shapes for Everett, i realize there isn't anything christmasy about a cow!!

decorate with icing and sprinkles or just eat plain and ENJOY!

pumpkin spice latte cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

nothing says autumn like pumpkin spice lattes

and so.. what could be better than pumpkin spice latte CUPCAKES!

my mom saw my friend kara post this on Facebook.. so, she passed it on to me, and now i have made them. yum.

ingredients:

2 2/3 cups flour

3 tbsp espresso powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp salt

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (equals 1 3/4 cups - basically about half the can i found at the store)

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1/2 cup coffee or espresso, for brushing

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. line cupcake pans with paper liners.

in a medium bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. stir together and set aside.

in the bowl of an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar and oil. add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

with the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.

fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the censer comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes then remove the cupcakes from the pans.

while the cupcakes are still warm, brush them two or three times with the coffee or espresso, allowing the first coat to soak in before repeating. let cool completely.

*the recipe called for whipping cream topping, but i decided to make cream cheese frosting on the suggestion from my sister leah. and i think it was a wise choice!

Cream Cheese frosting:

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups icing sugar

mix in an electric mixer until well blended. pipe onto cupcakes once they are cooled, and sprinkle with cinnamon. enjoy!!