pumpkin walnut crunch cake

the goods:

crunch topping:

3 cups walnuts

3 cups mini Nilla wafers

3 cups brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

pumpkin cake:

1 and 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin puree

2 and 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

frosting:

2 blocks (16 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

8 ounces marscapone cheese

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Make the crunch topping: In a food processor, pulse cookies to a fine crumb. Add walnuts and pulse to a fine chop. Add in brown sugar and mix well. Add in melted butter and blend together. Divide mixture into four 9-inch cake pans (1 very full cup per pan), reserving about 1 cup for the top of the cake. Press it into the bottoms of the pans in an even layer (I use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Make cake: In a stand mixer, beat sugar and butter for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl a few times as needed. Add in pumpkin, flour, sour cream, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking, soda, and salt. Mix just until blended. Add in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Divide batter equally into your 4 prepared pans, smooth it out and make it as level as possible. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Put remaining crunch in a baking pan and bake for about 10 minutes. Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely. Break up extra crunch mix into small bits to decorate cake with.

Make the frosting: Whip cream cheese, marscapone, and butter until very smooth and creamy. Slowly add in the sugar while mixer is on low. Add in vanilla and mix well.

Assemble the cake: Place your first layer crunch-side-up on a serving plate. Spread a generous amount of frosting to cover entire surface. Place second layer crunch-side-up and repeat until all layers are stacked. Put remaining frosting on top and sprinkle with broken up crunch. Refrigerate any uneaten (if there is any) cake.

soft glazed pumpkin sugar cookies

the goods:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

glaze:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

4 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir together butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla, and eggs until incorporated and smooth. Slowly mix in all dry ingredients until completely incorporated. Scoop onto prepared baking sheet using a 1 and 1/2 tablespoon scoop and flatten to 1/2-inch thick using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 8-9 minutes. While cookies back, whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth. Once cookies are out of the oven, cool for 3 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a rack set over wax paper.  Spread a couple teaspoons of glaze over each warm cookie. Let glaze set a couple of hours before serving.

butterscotch toffee cookies

the goods:

2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cutter pecan cake mix
1 and 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
1 bag English toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix, oil, and eggs. Stir in chips and toffee bits. Drop by tablespoonful onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool on pan for 1 minute before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

olive oil and sea salt truffle brownies

the goods:

1/3 cup boiling water

1/4 cup dark cocoa powder

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1 egg

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 Lindor dark chocolate caramel sea salt truffles, coarsely chopped

coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray and 8-by-8-inch baking pan liberally with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk boiling water and cocoa powder until combined. Whisk in chopped chocolate until melted, then whisk in olive oil. Whisk in egg, yolks, and vanilla extract until combined. Whisk in the sugar until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gently fold in the chopped truffles. Pour into prepared pan and smooth into the corners using the spatula. Bake for 32-35 minutes, or until the middle is set. Sprinkle the brownies with sea salt and then let cool completely. Place in the refrigerator to chill before cutting into squares.

salted peanut butter and nutella sandwich cookies

the goods:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

granulated sugar (for rolling)

coarse sea salt (for sprinkling)

1 cup nutella

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter until well combined. Add sugar and brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add in flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda and slowly stir to combine. Scrape down sides of bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls, then roll in granulated sugar to coat. Place on backing sheet and press down slightly with a fork. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 7-9 minutes until bottoms are golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Spread half the cookies with nutella then smoosh with another cookie to create a sandwich.

monster cookies

the goods:

1 and 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon sour cream

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 and 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup m&m's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Mix until completely combined. Add sour cream, vanilla, and eggs and mix until incorporated. Add baking soda. Slowly fold in oats, mixing well. Then fold in chocolate chips and m&m's. Drop by large tablespoonful onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently press down to only slightly flatten. Press additional m&m's into the tops of each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

strawberry tall cake

the goods:

1 box mix angel food cake

1 pint strawberries, hulled, and chopped

3 cups heavy whipping cream

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Mix angel food cake according to box instructions. Pour half into each pan. Bake for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Gently remove cakes from pan and with a sharp serrated knife, slice them in half to create 4 thinner cake layers. Layer cake, then whipped crem, then strawberries, finishing with a large mound of whipped cream and strawberries. 

Simple. Fresh. Delicious. Beautiful.