pumpkin cookies

I love making these cookies when fall rolls around. If you like pumpkin desserts, I bet you'll love these. I add white chocolate chips to mine, but the possibilities are endless.

ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 tsp ground ginger

optional ingredients: raisins, nuts, chocolate chips

directions:

1. preheat oven to 400.

2. cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. stir in eggs and pumpkin

4. in separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and spices until well combined.

5. combine dry ingredients with pumpkin mixture until well blended.

6. drop by teaspoonful onto parchment paper.

7. bake about 15 minutes. (these cookies don't rise very much.)

quick & easy apple dumplings

This dessert is amazing, and is so easy to make yet it looks so fancy. Top with vanilla ice cream and you'll be in heaven! It's great for entertaining.

ingredients:

2 medium granny smith apples

1 (8-count) package refrigerated crescent roll dough

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup orange juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup very finely chopped pecans (optional)

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350. grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

2. peel and core apples. cut each apple into fourths. unroll and separate dough, and wrap each apple section in a crescent roll. place in dish and sprinkle with cinnamon.

3. combine butter, sugar, and orange juice in a medium saucepan. bring to a boil. remove from heat and stir in vanilla. pour over dumplings. sprinkle pecans over top.

4. bake 30 minutes, or until dumplings are golden and beginning to bubble, and apples are tender when pierced with a fork.

5. to serve, spoon some of the syrup from the baking dish over the dumplings. (perhaps the most important step!)

chocolate pie

Some of our friends/neighbors made this pie for us as a "welcome to the neighborhood" gift. We loved it! It's SO easy, and I usually always have the ingredients on hand if I want to whip it up last minute. Enjoy!

ingredients:

1 unbaked pie crust

1 stick butter

2 squares of semi-sweet chocolate

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

dash of salt

directions:

1. melt butter and chocolate together in a bowl in the microwave or in a pot over medium heat.

2. in a separate bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt.

3. add butter/chocolate mixture to sugar mixture and mix well.

4. pour into crust.

5. bake at 350 for 35 minutes.