Gingerbread White Chocolate Blondies

I found this recipe last year before Savannah's baptism. I made lots of treats that day, but these were my favorite!

Recipe from http://www.melskitchencafe.com

2 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 ¾ cups white chocolate chips
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flour, soda, salt, and spices.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until creamy and pale, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and yolk one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla and molasses and mix on medium speed until combined.

Add flour mixture on low speed until combined. Stir in white chocolate.

Spread batter evenly into prepared 13x9 pan and bake until golden around edges and toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan; cut into 24 squares. Blondies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

I am eating one of these as I type this. This recipe came from a long ago roommate, Aubrey, and started as pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, which is a delightful dessert. I have a little daughter, however, who is totally into the cupcake craze. She requested cupcakes, so cupcakes it was. And I like cream cheese frosting, but I sometimes don't want it so a while ago I tried these with caramel frosting and I really like that combination.

Pumpkin Cupcakes (or bars)

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. cinnamon

Blend eggs, sugar, and oil. Stir in pumpkin. Sift together flour, salt, soda, and cinnamon. Add to egg mixture. Pour into greased or lined cupcake pan or greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. milk
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and boil while stirring for 2 minutes. Remove and add milk. Return to heat and bring to full boil. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

Spudnuts

The other night, I made 112 donuts. No, that's not a typo. Every now and again I actually do have a productive day. But don't worry, I did not eat all 112 donuts myself. We had a little party with our neighbors. It was quite fun and the donuts were delicious. I've been making this recipe for a few years and it does cut down okay (I've quartered it). But, if you're going to all the effort of making donuts, why not have a party?


Spudnuts
(makes 100-120 donuts)

1 cup shortening
2 cups mashed potatoes (I use instant because sometimes mine are lumpy - shh!)
4 cups lukewarm milk
5 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
12 to 15 cups flour
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Scald the milk with the shortening (at first it will seem like they aren't going to come together, but they will - just keep stirring). Let this cool for a bit (15-20 minutes). While it is cooling, dissolve yeast in water. To the milk mixture, add sugar, salt, and enough flour to make a thin batter, about the consistency of cake batter. Add the mashed potatoes, beaten eggs, dissolved yeast, and lemon extract. Add enough more flour to make a soft but workable dough (I usually use about 13 cups total). At this point, I divide the dough into two large bowls to let it rise - you would need a giant bowl to leave it in one. Let rise until doubled then punch down. Then let rise until doubled again. After the second rise, roll dough out to about 1/4" thick and cut out in donut shapes (either with a donut cutter or with two circle cutters - the smaller one should be quite small). You will probably want to roll the dough out in several batches - the entire thing is a little unwieldy. Place the cut donuts on cookie sheets or any large platter to allow to rise another time. After an hour (or so), drop donuts in hot oil (375 degrees), raised-side down. Turn once. Remove from heat and drain briefly on a cookie rack then dip in glaze (I do a ratio of about 1 cup powdered sugar to 2 Tbsp water - you can also add a little cocoa or maple flavoring) or just powdered sugar. I served these with cider and for one night, I was the most popular girl in the neighborhood!