Mini Baked Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts w/ Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Icing

I'll start off by saying that this is the only doughnut that tastes even better the next day!
Now, that being said. My first pumpkin recipe for this fall was a success.
Everyone in my house + my friends that tried them loved these cute little doughnuts
not only because of how absolutely adorable they are but because they are sooooo
delicious! They are moist and packed with pumpkin flavor, truly a special treat.
I had been dying to try out my mini doughnut pan for months now, and I am so glad
that I chose this recipe to be my first! So worth it. Can't wait to try out new
baked doughnut recipes.

Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
slightly adapted from: An Edible Mosaic

Ingredients:

- 3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 c. pumpkin puree
- 1/4 c. milk
- 2 T. canola oil
- 1 1/2 c. a.p. flour
- 2 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. salt
- 2 t. pumpkin spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & lightly grease a mini doughnut pan.

 I used this one. My mom ordered it for me from an avon catalog a while ago.

1. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar and eggs until light.

 

That should do it, then, stir in the pumpkin puree, milk and canola oil.

2. In a separate medium-largish bowl whisk flour, baking powder, salt &

pumpkin spice. Gradually stir in dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

3. Transfer batter into a pastry bag, pipe batter into prepared pan about 3/4 full.

 

4. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. 

Transfer to rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:

- 3 oz. cream cheese, softened

- 1 c. powdered sugar

- 2-4 T. milk

- 1/8-1/4 t. pumpkin spice

Whisk softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together.

Add 2 T. milk, add more if needed to thin icing. Quickly whisk in

the pumpkin spice.

Dip the doughnuts in the pumpkin spice cream cheese icing,

covering only half top of the doughnut.

* This is the icing I use on my cinnamon rolls, you could also ice

cookies, banana bread and so on.

Enjoy <3

p.s. I made this pumpkin spice latte this morning to go with these babys

and it was absolutely delicious! It's just like the one you get at Starbucks!

Fruit-Filled Morning Muffins (part of a complete breakfast)

I figured this would be a nice fall welcoming recipe for some reason, what do you guys think?
I know I'm a little late but I've been busy with some personal issues that I hope won't be
taking so much of my time anymore.

This muffin recipe grabbed my attention because of all the yummy and nutritious ingredients that
it called for, making it the perfect breakfast on the go. It is packed with energy boosting
ingredients and like Jane Hornby said, "they'll keep you going until lunch".
This muffin is moist, not too sweet and full of different textures!

The ideal companion for this muffin is a cup of tea slightly sweetened with honey or a good
cup of coffee. Eat it as a part of your breakfast or simply as a quick snack.
Bake them and share them with your co-workers, put them in your kids lunch box,
serve them at your next brunch! You won't regret it.

Fruit-Filled Morning Muffins
slightly adapted from the book: What To Cook & How To Cook It

makes 12

Ingredients:

- 3/4 c. mixed nuts, (may also use just pecans or walnuts instead)
- 1/2 c. light brown sugar
- 1/2 c. mixed seeds; pumpkin, sesame & sunflower seeds
- 3/4 c. rolled oats
- 6 dried dates
- 1/2 c. raisins, regular or golden
- 2 1/4 c. self-rising flour
- 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter
- 1 c. plain greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1.2 c. coarsely grated carrot
- salt

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper baking cups and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Roughly chop the nuts. Mix 1 T. each of the sugar, seeds, oats and nuts together in
a small bowl and set aside, this will be the topping for our muffins.

 
2. Cut the dates into small pieces. In a large bowl, mix the dates and the raisins with
the remaining sugar, seeds, oats and nuts, the flour, cinnamon and a pinch of salt (about 1/4 t.).

3. Melt the butter gently in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and then using a fork,

beat in the yogurt followed by the eggs.

4. Coarsely grate a large carrot or a couple of small carrots to yield 1 1/2 cups.

Add the butter mixture and the grated carrot to the flour mixture.

Using a spatula, stir everything together quickly, until just combined and still flecked

with some dry flour. 

* It's important not to over-mix, as this can make the muffins chewy.

5. Scoop generous spoonfuls of the mixture into the muffin cups until you've evenly

filled each one. (I used a small ice scream scoop, you can easily use two spoons).

Use all mixture and don't worry, the cups will be very full. Sprinkle with the topping.

6. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, until risen, golden and they have your whole house smelling delicious!

Let cool for about 5 minutes then lift the muffins out onto a cooling rack.

Eat warm or cold but, be sure to eat one when just taken out of the oven because they are

especially delicious warm! They will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Enjoy <3

Cream-Cheese Walnut Cookies

I have three reasons why you should make these.
1. They are a Martha Stewart cookie, must I say more?
2. There's cream cheese in these cookies!
3. 3 people asked for the recipe.

These cookies were mighty tasty, I only had the pleasure of eating about three
before I went out with my boyfriend and by the time I came back, all cookies
were gone. Yes. They were that good. These cookies texture wise are like
a shortbread cookie, sandy, delicate, melt in your mouth. Flavor wise they are
a bit subtle, they aren't too sweet and they have a little salty kick to them thanks
to the coarse salt that the recipe calls for. I really like what the salt does for this
cookie (it sounds weird but salt goes great with coffee, these cookies are perfect!)
but I know not everyone is into it so if you hate salt or are scared of
your cookies being too salty just sub the coarse salt for 1/2 t. of table salt & enjoy <3


Cream-Cheese Walnut Cookies
recipe from: Martha Stewart
makes about 4 dozen, easy to half

Ingredients:
- 4 c. a.p. flour
- 1 1/4 t. coarse salt
- 2 c. unsalted butter, softened
- 6 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
- 1 1/4 c. sugar
- 2 T. + 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 c. walnut halves, 1 1/2 c. toasted & coarsely chopped, 1 c.finely chopped

1. Whisk flour & salt in large bowl; set aside.

Put butter & cream cheese in bowl of an electric mixer, mix on medium speed until

light & fluffy; about two minutes. Mix in sugar & vanilla. Reduce speed to low and

add flour mixture, mix until just combined being careful not to over-mix then

mix in toasted walnuts.

2. Transfer dough to work surface. Divide in half, shape each into an 8-inch log

about 2-inches in diameter. Wrap in parchment/wax paper and freeze until firm,

about 30 minutes and up to two weeks.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place oven racks in upper & lower thirds.

Unwrap one log and roll in 1/2 c. chopped walnuts, coating completely.

Cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (mine are more like ovals or somethin').

Space 1-inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment/wax paper.

4. Bake cookies, rotating half way through, until golden they have golden edges.

About 18-20 minutes. Let cool, repeat with remaining log.

these are really good with coffee &

make a great gift!