Sour Cream Spice Cake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream

FROSTING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; gently fold into batter.
2. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
3. For frosting, in a heavy saucepan, bring brown sugar and water to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes or until a candy thermometer reads 242 degrees F (firm-ball stage). In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add hot sugar mixture; beat on high for 7 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
4. Add vanilla; continue beating until frosting reaches desired consistency, about 2 minutes. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

Review: Super soft and moist. The frosting sets, so make sure to work semi-quickly when frosting.-it should be at a consistency such as meringue- you can make pretty peaks if you desire. My cake however was for a birthday party (hence why it has decoration on the top).

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple

Topping:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Review:
Very moist, sweet, and the flavors combined are perfect. Also, if you do not have the 1 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice, substitute: 1 1/2 t. cinnamon, 3/4 t. ginger, scant 1/2 t. allspice, scant 1/2 t. nutmeg. The streusel topping didn't work perfectly for me, it became too warm by the time I needed to put it on the top. So instead I just crumbled the sugar mixture on the top and when the muffins came out the crumble melted on top and came out with this yummy cinnamon crunch top.

Glazed Apple Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 rounded cup apples - peeled, cored and finely diced
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup milk

glaze-
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 tablespoons skim milk

Directions:
1. Beat butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and blend thoroughly.
2. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
3. Stir half the dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts, apple and raisins, then stir in remaining half of dry ingredients and milk. Mix well.
4. Drop from tablespoon 1 1/2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies to racks and while still warm, spread with glaze.
5. To make Glaze: Combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to make glaze of spreading consistency. Beat until smooth. Spread on warm cookies.

Review:
These are a soft cake-like cookie, perfect for a fall day. Full of flavor, yet not too overwhelming. A light glaze on the cookies is wonderful, but the cookies are sweet enough themselves so omitting it would not be a bad thing. I ended up with a lot of leftover glaze so you may want to cut the glaze recipe in half if you do decide to use it. :) got rave reviews from family members as well!