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!

"Ooh Ooh Aah Aah" Monkey Bread

Ingredients:
3 cans buttermilk biscuits (7.5oz each)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube pan
2.Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange 1/2 of the pieces on the bottom of the prepared pan.
3.Melt 1/4 cup of butter and pour over the biscuit pieces. Add remaining pieces onto and pour the remaining 1/4 cup of butter on top.
4.Sprinkle the left over sugar mixture on the top
5..Bake for 40 minutes and then let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. no need to cut, the bread just pulls apart.

Rating:
Because I used a bundt pan that is in 2 parts some of the butter leaked out causing the sides of my monkey bread to have a more buttery edge-if you make this as directed with a closed pan this will not happen and your bread should be perfect ;) it turns out my family likes the buttery edge monkey bread better...so it turned out for the best. This bread is easy to make, and kids especially love it because they get to just pull off the little pieces. enjoy!

No-Oven Peanut Butter Squares

Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
12 squares semi-sweet Baker's chocolate (melted)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
1. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Set aside.
2. Combine butter, sugar, peanut butter and crumbs. Spread into prepared pan
3. Microwave chocolate in a small bowl on high for a 1-2 minutes or until melted, stirring after each 30 seconds. Cool slightly; pour over peanut butter mixture in pan. Cool. Cut partially through dessert to mark squares. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set. Lift from pan, using foil handles. Cut all the way through dessert into squares

Rating:
Super easy! If you like peanut butter cups you will love these. They are definitely rich and indulgent-so one square should satisfy. And don't forget to serve some ice cold milk along side these. enjoy! :)

Chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Ingredients:
2 & 2 tbsp cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts

Directions:
1. pre-heat oven to 325 degrees, cover 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper
2.mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside
3.mix together butter and sugars until smooth. add in the egg and egg yolk as well as the vanilla
4.Add dry ingredients a little at a time, mix until combined
5.Stir in chips and walnuts
6.drop 2" cookie dough balls onto sheet (gently push down because they do not spread very much) evenly space 9 on each cookie sheet
7.Bake for 15-18 minutes, cool on sheet to maintain chewy texture

Rating:
One of the best cookies I have EVER made, no joke. They are perfectly chewy with a slight crunch on the outside(once completly cooled). The chocolate and walnut compliment each other wonderfully. I baked mine for 15 minutes (I have an electric oven) and they came out just right, so I don't suggest going over that time unless you want them to be more crunchy instead of chewy. My family has already devoured my first batch and it has become their new favorite.

Flag Cake

Ingredients:
2 small loafs butter pound cake, cut into slices
1 pint strawberries
1 cup blueberries
12oz cool whip

Directions:
1.line bottom of a 12x8 pan with slices of pound cake. (if there are spaces around the edges cut some of the slices in half to fit) Top with 1/2 of the cool whip and spread evenly.
2.Slice strawberries and arrange on cool whip in one layer.
3.Top strawberries with another cake slice layer and top with the remaining cool whip.
4.Place strawberry halves and blueberries in a flag pattern to finish.

Rating:
This recipe has become a 4th of July tradition. My family always asks for the 'flag cake' ;) Very refreshing, light, and perfect after a big bbq.