Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love this recipe. The cookie is SO moist, so soft, and SOOO yummy! Just try not to fall over dead when you read the ingredients.....

Ingredients
1 c butter
1 c shortening
2 c sugar
2 c pumpkin
2 eggs
2 c chocolate chips
4 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Cream shortening, sugar, pumpkin and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips, Bake until light brown (about 10 minutes). Bake at 350 for 10 min.

Amy's notes: I used mini chocolate chips, a full 12 oz bag. That way, you definitely get SOME chocolate on each cookie. Also, this cookie does not spread while baking. So, when usually you can get 12 cookies on a cookie sheet, you can get about 18-20 cookies or even more b/c you can space them together very closely. This entire recipe makes about 5-7 dozen (I stopped counting b/c I was eating them as I was baking.....)

Carmel Popcorn

Homemade caramel corn is buttery, crunchy, sweet and best of all it's naturally gluten free. And it's so buttery fresh, a quality hard to find in a can or bag!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 5 quarts fresh popcorn ( I used about 3 bags of microwave popcorn in Natural flavor, NO Butter)
• 1/2 cup agave syrup OR light corn syrup
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 250°

1. Pop 5 quarts of popcorn and place in a large roasting pan.
2. Put butter, sugar, agave syrup OR corn syrup and cream of tartar in a large pan. Over medium heat, melt the mixture, stirring to prevent burning.
3. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
4. Add vanilla and baking soda and stir to mix.
5. Carefully pour this mixture over the popcorn. Gently stir to thoroughly coat the popcorn.
6. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
7. Remove and pour on a large baking sheet to cool. Use a spatula to separate the warm clumps.

Graveyard Cake AKA Red Velvet Doggie Bone Cake

This recipe comes from the Ladies Home Journal. I think the bone's recipe could be used in many ways for different shapes, letters or fun decorations!

Prep: 30 min
Start to Finish: 2 hr

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 two-layer red velvet cake (see recipe center) **I added a package of instant pudding to the cake mix to make a more moist cake!**
  
• Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 250 degrees F with two racks centered. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heat-proof bowl. Place over a pot of simmering water and whisk gently until sugar is dissolved, about 3 min. Remove from heat. With an electric mixer, whisk on medium-high until a stiff meringue forms, about 10 min.

2. Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a #12 plain tip, then pipe 3-1/2- to 4-inch-long bone shapes on baking sheets. Bake 20 min. Turn oven off and let meringues dry in oven for 30 min more. Let bones cool before carefully removing from parchment paper.

3. Coat one cake layer with 1/2 cup frosting and top with second layer. Frost entire cake and refrigerate to set, 30 min or overnight. Decorate with whole and broken bones before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:In a mixing bowl, beat 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and 1, 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened together until creamy, about 2 min. Stir in 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted. Add 1 lb (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 3 to 4 tbsp milk and stir until smooth. Can be refrigerated up to one week; bring to room temperature and stir before using Makes 3 cups.

Pumpkin Muffins

2/3 c shortening
2 2/3 c sugar
4 eggs
1 16-oz can pumpkin
3 1/3 c flour
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t ground cloves
2/3 c chopped nuts (opt)
1/3 c chocolate chips (opt)

Mix together wet ingredients. Mix in dry ingredients. Mix in nuts & chocolate chips last. Fill muffin tins 1/2 full. Bake 20-25 mins at 350. Makes about 33 muffins.